The operation of the EUROCONTROL Route Charges system is, by design, tied to traffic service units (TSUs). The sudden and unexpected collapse in traffic levels in March 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on the ANS funding in Europe. The amounts billed to airspace users reflected in this analysis do not necessarily imply collection or disbursement of these amounts.
Performance Insight #4: Impact of COVID-19 on en-route unit rates and charges billed to airspace users
The pan-European ATM system is primarily financed through the collection of en-route charges. This continuous flow of revenue is ensured via the Route Charges System and managed by the EUROCONTROL Central Route Charges Office (CRCO) which is tasked with billing, collection and disbursement of route charges for the contracting Member States.
Background
This PRC Performance Insight document has been prepared by the EUROCONTROL Performance Review Unit (PRU) for the Performance Review Commission (PRC).
The PRC conducts independent measurement, assessment and review of the performance of the Pan-European Air Navigation Services (ANS) system, including its contribution to the efficiency of Pan-European aviation. The PRC strives to identify future improvements and makes recommendations as appropriate.
The PRC maintains open and transparent dialogue with relevant parties, including but not limited to States, Air Navigation Service Providers, Airspace Users, Airports, social dialogue partners, civil-military organisations, international and national organisations, etc. The PRC conducts research into the development of performance measurement. This includes, inter alia, investigating how performance could best be described/measured in the long-term, developing and testing proposals for future indicators and metrics, and contributing to future improvements in performance.
The PRC disseminates the results of its analysis to relevant parties, provided that no sensitive data are involved, in order to demonstrate the PRC’s commitment to transparency and to promote the application of PRC analysis.
The PRC produces independent ad-hoc studies, either on its own initiative and/or at the request of relevant parties.