This document provides a first insight into the level of 2024 cost-effectiveness performance both for the pan-European system and for individual air navigation service providers (ANSPs), before the release of the final ATM Cost-Effectiveness (ACE) Benchmarking Report, which is planned for the end of May 2026. The final report will provide more detailed information on observed changes for selected performance indicators both at pan-European system level and at ANSP level.
In September, EUROCONTROL's Performance Review Unit (PRU) published initial insights into 2024 cost-effectiveness performance at pan-European ATM system level.
This High-level Summary Report provides additional analysis, looking at several cost-effectiveness indicators for individual ANSPs, with the following key findings:
- Air traffic management/communication, navigation and surveillance (ATM/CNS) provision costs per composite flight-hour decreased by 1.4% in 2024, remaining slightly below their pre-crisis level. This improvement reflects the fact that traffic rose faster (+5.5%) than ATM/CNS provision costs (+4.0%), with both metrics exceeding 2019 levels for the first time since the COVID-19 crisis.
- The increase in ATM/CNS provision costs (+€405M) was mainly driven by higher staff costs (+€271M), non-staff operating costs (+€90M) and depreciation costs (+€88M), while the cost of capital declined (-€74M). This reflects a general trend, as costs rose for 33 out of 38 ANSPs in 2024.
- ATM/CNS staff numbers grew by +2.8% (+1,478 FTEs) compared to 2023, surpassing the 2019 level by +2.0%. Levels of both air traffic controllers (ATCOs) in OPS and support staff were 2.0% higher than in 2019.
- ANSP balance sheets in 2024 comprised some €10.3 billion in capital and reserves, and €5.5 billion in borrowings, while capital expenditure reached €1.5 billion. Capital and reserves increased by 8% (+€0.8 billion), while the level of indebtedness continued to decline, falling by 10% (-€0.6 billion).
- However, improvements in terms of the cost-effectiveness of ATM/CNS provision were offset by a deterioration in service quality, measured by gate-to-gate air traffic flow management (ATFM) delays.
- Gate-to-gate ATFM delays in 2024 reached 29.6 million minutes, resulting in an estimated cost of €3.9 billion for airspace users, the highest level ever recorded. This figure represents more than one-third of ATM/CNS provision costs, and surpasses total ATCO in OPS employment costs at the pan-European system level (€3.5 billion).