Bulgaria and Romania were working to create the Danube functional air space block, Bulgarian Air Traffic Services Authority and their Romanian counterparts announced on December 4.

The two organisations held the second consultative meeting on the project, organised by Danish consultancy company Integra Consult, Bulgarian National Radio (BNR) reported.

The results of the first analyses stage, conducted by Integra, would be ready by the end of 2007. The results were expected to show possibilities for the creation of such a functional block.

The block was part of the EU initiative Single European Sky, aiming to increase air traffic management security, enlargement and harmonisation of the European air space and to decrease delays.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) said that with the foundation of a functional block, Bulgaria and Romania might become initiators of a future European system for air traffic control.

IATA declared its undivided support for the initiative, BNR said.