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EUROCONTROL PRC report on 2022 European ANS performance ready for consultation

Air traffic controllers overlooking aircraft

The EUROCONTROL Performance Review Commission (PRC) has just prepared an independent review of how European air navigation services (ANS) performed in 2022, which is now open for stakeholder consultation.

The draft 2022 Performance Review Report (PRR) concludes that even though traffic was still below 2019 levels, ANS performance in Europe deteriorated notably in 2022, and contributed to the poor overall air transport performance. Average en-route air traffic flow management (ATFM) delay rose to similar levels as in the capacity crisis years of 2018/19; while part was driven by air traffic management system upgrades, a significant component of delay was attributed to capacity shortfalls, with not all air navigation service providers able to deploy sufficient capacity to handle demand. The war in Ukraine also had a particularly negative impact on airspace availability and flight efficiency in 2022.

“Without a doubt, 2023 will also be a challenging year for European aviation. It will require a massive effort of all stakeholders to avoid a repetition of the unacceptable situation of summer 2022, when almost every second flight was delayed, and numerous cancellations left frustrated passengers stranded at airports.”

Marinus de Jong Chair of the Performance Review Commission EUROCONTROL

En-route unit rates were significantly affected by revenue losses resulting from the COVID-19 crisis which had been carried over from 2020-21 as well as, for some States, by the significant traffic shifts that took place following the outbreak of war in Ukraine which triggered airspace unavailability. In addition, rising inflation rates across European States in 2022 will have a direct impact on future unit rates and ANS charges.

Given the importance of environmental performance, the PRC has introduced a new chapter in this year's PRR aimed at monitoring the contribution of air traffic management towards achieving climate goals.

The PRR also features the PRC's new Transformation Support Strategy, reflecting the growing recognition that transformation is a key enabler for higher efficiency and performance levels in ANS. Working closely with stakeholders, the goal is to facilitate the transformation process by evaluating selected flagship projects.

Stakeholders wishing to provide comments on the draft Final Report for the PRC's consideration should submit them before 14 April 2023. Read the report and submit your feedback:

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