NEFAB is one of nine functional airspace blocks in Europe established in response to the EU’s Single European Sky initiative.

The Single European Sky aims at a coherent pan-European network of routes, network management and air traffic management systems based only on common goals with regard to safety, efficiency and technical considerations, for the benefit of all airspace users. In pursuit of this objective, States have organised airspace into functional blocks, based on operational requirements and regardless of State boundaries, where the provision of air navigation services and related functions are performance-driven and optimized. Moving towards organisation into larger blocks of airspace regardless of national borders will help reduce the fragmentation of European airspace, will address unnecessary duplication of infrastructure, reduce costs and enhance safety levels.

NEFAB’s airspace is composed of the following flight information regions (FIR) and upper information regions (UIR) of the North European airspace: Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Norway, and Bodø Oceanic. The States are responsible for creating in this area a seamless airspace across their national borders and supervising the cooperation of air navigation service providers and other stakeholders in order to maintain safe and efficient airspace management, whilst respecting the sovereign interests of the contracting States.

NEFAB is a synergy of States (including civil and military stakeholders), National Supervisory Authorities and Air Navigation Service Providers where each has its own role and responsibility.

See Role of States, Role of National Supervisory Authorities, Role of Air Navigation Service Providers, and Civil-Military Cooperation for more detailed accounts of these subjects.