The report provides an overview of the European ATM network performance in 2023. It analyses the results in light of the main events that took place in the course of the year.
There were 10.2 million flights in the network in 2023, 9.8% more than 2022. This was in line with EUROCONTROL’s base traffic scenario. There were 7% more flights in summer 2023 than the same operational period in 2022. The closure of Ukrainian airspace and increased military operations, together with ground operations problems, brought new operational challenges. Weather hit operations early (June) and continued through July-September. The network response to weather still has room for improvement.
The Network Manager worked hard over 2022/2023 to engage airport operators and their main users in the planning of summer 2023. Summer 2023 was successfully managed. This is a result of strong cooperation and partnership between EUROCONTROL NM and operational stakeholders. These are addressed throughout the report.
The Network Manager estimated that aircraft burned 49.2 million tonnes of fuel in NM airspace in 2023 – 155.5 million tonnes of CO2. The Ukrainian airspace closure since February 2022 has impacted flight efficiency significantly. In addition, political unrest in the Middle East, and the south Mediterranean region created inefficiencies at the interface with NM.