European NOP 2025-2029: Transition Plan for Major Projects in Europe, Winter 2025/2026

The Transition Plan describes the processes, the activities, the plans and measures that will be applied by the Network Manager and the operational stakeholders to minimise the impact on the network performance caused by major airspace or ATM system improvement projects. 

The Transition Plan is a living document, which forms part of the European Network Operations Plan (NOP).

The Transition Plan deals only with scheduled, planned, special events undertaken and managed by ANS, or ANS related entities, e.g. operational stakeholders, which could lead to a temporary reduction of capacity and which may require mitigation measures agreed in a partnership approach at Network level. Examples of such events are new ATM system implementations, move to a new ACC Ops room, major airspace reorganisations including changes to the ACC areas of responsibility, opening of new airports, etc.

In response to the Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/123 (laying down detailed rules for the implementation of air traffic management (ATM) network functions), as well as the Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/317, and the corresponding Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2021/891 and Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2024/1688 of 12 June 2024, the Network Manager helps to ensure the achievement of European Union-wide performance targets during the implementation of system / airspace transition projects.

The Regulation 2019/123 requires NM to include in the NOP the following elements relevant to the planning of major projects:

• A network forecast taking into account special events impact;
• A description of plans and actions at local and network level;
• An overview of special events with significant ATM impact;
• Individual special events and their handling from a network perspective;
• A consolidated forecast and analysis of the operational performance of the network, including the impact of special events.