1970 – 1980: A growing organisation
The new decade presented EUROCONTROL with two main challenges: growth in air traffic and the decrease of flight costs. With its steadily increasing membership, EUROCONTROL focused on handling in an efficient and safe manner the growing number of aircraft flying over western Europe.
The creation of the Central Route Charges Office (CRCO) in 1971 brought into play centralised processes which allowed it to collect a single payment on behalf of EUROCONTROL’s Member States for every flight using air traffic services in their airspace. The system soon proved to be highly cost-effective.
Rapidly increasing demand for air travel in Europe led to the establishment of EUROCONTROL air traffic control centres. With the creation of the first multinational air traffic control centre in Maastricht, and of other centres at Karlsruhe and Shannon, EURONCONTROL took a first major step towards coordinated European airspace.
Timeline
November 1971
EUROCONTROL establishes the Central Route Charges Office (CRCO).
February 1972
The Maastricht Upper Area Control Centre (UAC) enters into service.
July 1975
The Shannon Upper Airspace Centre, managing flights between Europe and North America, is inaugurated.
February 1977
The Karlsruhe Upper Airspace Centre, covering the southern half of Germany, enters into operation.
1978
Jean Lévêque becomes Director General of EUROCONTROL.
