Blockla has hit the nail on the head. Am I the only one (OK include Blockla!) who thinks the Emperor has no clothes on?
FABS are something in the mind of politicians and people in, and associated with Eurocontrol. I believe The SES to be of in the same category and both fall squarely in the 'Emperor's new clothes' category. Politicians as usual have been sold an idea in a subject of which they have no knowledge, interest or understanding and have jumped on the bandwagon.
Does anyone actually know what these concepts actually are or how they are supposed to function? Noone I know can explain to me what The Single European Sky means. Many people are full of 'what a great idea it is' but once one probes a little WHAT it actually is, there is nothing of substance forthcoming. The English-Irish FAB has been in place for, what two maybe three years? What has changed? As far as I know, absolutely nothing whatsoever. Cost savings to the airlines? Nil! There is no reason to think the SES will be any different. Where are the cost savings? The only ones possible are closure of some centres and even that would be limited as probably almost the same total number of controllers would be employed. Is anyone seriously suggesting that for example all French airspace could be controlled from Swanwick? Or German airspace controlled from Reims? I think that sort of thing is unlikely to put it mildly.
All these ideas are great for the 'Committee Men' and Brussels bureaucrats for whom we are paying but precious little practical value.