Whilst doing a bit of research in an attempt to answer some of Standard Departure's questions above (sorry - no luck as yet) I came across this quote on the Skyguide www site. For the record it's buried in
http://www.skyguide.ch/flash/anim1.htm. But it reads:-
quote:
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"Switzerland being a small territory, the controllers are given very little time to react. Due to high density, climbing and descending traffic air navigation services in Switzerland are complex and difficult to handle."
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This to me sounds like a clear admission of the problems associated with the lack of a pan European ATC structure. Clearly such a restructuring would allow sector boundaries to be constructed so as to maximise aircraft throughput and safety, rather than to (broadly) align with national boundaries.
I am aware that this latest accident occurred over German territory in Swiss controlled airspace, but clearly, by there own admission, it is still of insufficient size to allow effective ATC to take place.
Please also spare a thought for the occupants of the Crossair Bae RJ which recently crashed on hills East of ZRH whilst performing a non-precision approach to RWY 28 as they were procluded from flying the serviceable ILS onto RWY 14 at that time of the evening as it generates noise on the ground below in what is German territory.
If we wish to push more and more aircraft into the same infrastructure safely, then national boundaries have got to go...