"All together now 2023": EUROCONTROL launches hands-on guide for operational stakeholders to prepare for Summer 2023

4 April 2023

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Optimised operational performance | Network Manager

EUROCONTROL's updated hands-on guide for operational stakeholders to best prepare for increased air traffic levels during the Summer schedule 2023 is now available.

The document called "All together now 2023", which is part of the Prepared for Summer 2023 roadmap, shows flight dispatchers, pilots, air traffic controllers, flow management positions and airports which processes they should follow to ensure efficient, optimal operations.

“To manage this summer's traffic it is crucial that we all work together in a very cooperative and disciplined way. "All together now 2023" is a practical support to all our operational colleagues in the aviation sector as air traffic will build up in the weeks to come.”

Iacopo Prissinotti Director Network management EUROCONTROL

Air traffic in Europe this summer is expected to be up to 15% above traffic levels of 2022 – that's up to 5,000 more flights per day. The war in Ukraine means less airspace is available, with many long-haul flights routing to the south-east to avoid Russia; and three times as much military activity, further restricting available airspace. The EUROCONTROL Network Manager (NM) is coordinating closely with all its operational partners across Europe, in order to minimise disruption and has just last week agreed with executive aviation representatives on a joint approach to make air traffic in summer 2023 manageable.

In the "Summer 2023 - joint approach" EUROCONTROL together with air navigation service providers, airports and airlines jointly agreed to commit to:

prioritise first rotation to allow for on time departure
disciplined flight plan execution to ensure predictability
deliver agreed capacities
realistic schedules, including turnaround times

Don't just think local, think Network!

To meet the challenges of this summer, everyone will have a role to play:

ANSPs are already discussing plans with NM on building up sufficient capacity to cope with air traffic demand, with more flexibility to open additional sectors during the peak hours (or to extend their opening hours). To help prepare, NM is sharing network measures and scenarios with the ANSPs and the weekly rolling Network Operations Plan will be used extensively to match capacity to demand. All Air Traffic Controllers are asked to stick to the flight planned routes and levels so that there is predictable demand during the tactical phase of operations.

Airlines share schedules and flight intentions with NM to help it generate the best possible view of future demand. NM is also working closely with them to improve predictability, for example by ensuring that schedules and turnaround times are realistic. NM flight planning tools help to ensure that the available airspace and capacity are used efficiently. All aircraft operators are asked to stick to their flight plans so that there is predictable demand during the tactical phase of operations.

NM tools and services support airports in their daily operations, increasing punctuality and efficiency for the network as a whole. This includes more efficient coordination through the Airport Function situated in the Network Manager Operations Centre (NMOC) and further expansion of the proven links between airports and the NM's systems. In 2022, extensive ground delays were experienced at several airports and NM is improving its communications to identify the issues in advance and also to provide airports with predictions of traffic and passenger demand.

Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, surveillance and deterrence flights have increased and a significant number of major military exercises are planned for 2023. Network mitigation measures are being developed together with the ANSPs to make sure that these exercises can achieve their objectives while minimizing their impact on network performance. EUROCONTROL is a civil-military organisation and the Network Manager works closely with military authorities and NATO.

Updated on a weekly basis, the EUROCONTROL NM's Weekly Rolling Network Operations Plan provides a consolidated and detailed European network view of the evolution of the air traffic. NM assesses information from ANSPs and airports concerning the service delivery for 1,70 ATC sectors and 500+ airports, close to two hundred simulations and impact assessments every week, and proactively reaches out when it sees that the available capacity might not meet the envisaged demand, proposing and implementing mitigation solutions. The Rolling Plan also factors in major public or political events, significant military exercises and activities, or technical or operational changes impacting en-route or airport operations, enabling NM to put in place additional coordination measures.