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Summer 2023: EUROCONTROL and European aviation executives meet in Brussels

31 March 2023

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Optimised operational performance | Network Manager

EUROCONTROL representatives and executives from European airlines, airports and air navigation service providers met in Brussels to agree on a joint approach to best tackle the expected up to 15% increase in air traffic in the European Network this summer (compared to 2022).

To manage such a significant traffic increase, combined with reduced airspace and tripled military flights due to the war in Ukraine, it is absolutely essential that all operational stakeholders work in full partnership. Without a joint approach, EUROCONTROL emphasizes that the aviation summer could be very challenging, especially in combination with unforeseen events like bad weather and industrial action that hamper the smooth functioning of traffic operations.

“This summer we are looking at up to 5,000 flights per day more than last year. It is absolutely essential that all operational partners and the EUROCONTROL Network Manager put in place concrete measures in full partnership.“

Iacopo Prissinotti Director Network Management EUROCONTROL

At the meeting Iacopo explained that only by working together we can deliver the required network availability, as any actor in the chain can become a potential point of failure with a snowball effect to others significantly disrupting the aviation network.

To support the aviation sector some key airlines, airports and air navigation services provider stakeholders, together with the EUROCONTROL Network Manager identified a number of actions in order to maximise available capacity and keep delays to a minimum:

Prioritise first rotation to allow for on time departure
Disciplined flight plan execution to ensure predictability
Deliver agreed capacities
Realistic schedules, including turnaround times

All participants acknowledged the challenge ahead and committed to contribute to these actions to the best of their ability.

Learn more

Take a look at the Summer 2023 joint approach here

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Participants, from front to back

First row, from bottom left to right: Bertina Ho Mock-Qai (DSNA), Peter Kearney (COOPANS), Iacopo Prissinotti (EUROCONTROL), Luc Laveyne (ACI Europe), Giovanni Russo (Genève Aéroport)
Second row, from left to right: Angel Luis Serrano (ENAIRE), Heiko Holm (Wizzair), Neal McMahon (Ryanair), Razvan Bucuroiu (EUROCONTROL), David Morgan (easyJet), Steven Moore and Stefania Nikolova-Tsankova (both EUROCONTROL)
Third row, from left to right: Paul Johnson (COOPANS), Patricia Vitalis (Schiphol Airport), Maciej Rodak (PANSA), Florian Guillermet (DSNA)
Fourth row, from left to right: Rafael Fernandez Villasante (AENA), Alessandro Fidato (Milan Airports), Franck Le Gall (Groupe ADP)
Fifth row, from left to right: Mariluz De Mateo Garcia (ENAIRE), Arndt Schoenemann and Sabine Hornig (both DFS), Alexander Laukenmann (Fraport AG), AENA İsmail Polat (Istanbul airport), Alain Bernard (Air France), Paul Bosman (EUROCONTROL)
Last row on the right: Enrique Maurer Somolinos (ENAIRE), Rafael  Jiménez Hoyos (Iberia)