EUROCONTROL recognises ENAIRE as a benchmark quality service provider at its annual user forum

On 31 January and 1 February, EUROCONTROL held the “EUROCONTROL Network Manager USER FORUM 2024” at its headquarters in Brussels.

This annual event was attended by more than 300 professionals from the aviation sector, including ENAIRE, and its organisation is a significant contribution to improving the management of European air traffic.

This year, the event was held under the slogan “All together for 2024”, with the discussions focusing on how best to manage Europe's aviation network in 2024.

The following aspects were analysed during the various sessions:

- Need to meet the agreed and available capacities.

- Improve how adverse weather is handled.

- Implement improvements for the harmonised operational use of digital data link functionalities.

- Have airlines make realistic schedules for operating their flights, including rotations in the airport network.

- Prioritise the timeliness of the “First rotation” as a critical element in network performance.

- Ensure the disciplined execution of the routes planned in the flight plans by the various actors involved.

Xavier Benavent, ENAIRE's Operations Director, gave a presentation in which he underscored ENAIRE's good operational results in 2023, in particular during the summer season, a time when, despite being a year with record traffic figures, commercial traffic saw a 25% drop in delays thanks to measures and projects implemented by ENAIRE in recent years.

EUROCONTROL named ENAIRE a benchmark air navigation service provider in Europe thanks to the excellent results achieved and the important and continued contribution made to the European Network Manager's committees and working groups.

Xavier Benavent explained the relevant role played by ENAIRE in Spain, the world's second-ranked tourist destination, where 80% of the 85 million annual tourists arrive by plane.

During the presentation, he detailed the milestones achieved that allowed the organisation to increase its efficiency, both nationally and on the demanding European scene, highlighting the following areas:

- The agreement and achievement of the 3rd Collective Agreement of Air Controllers, which includes measures that improve flexibility and availability for shift coverage, while also promoting work-life balance and fatigue management.

- Having a single, standardised air traffic control (SACTA) system for all the Route, Approach and Tower units in the national network, an exceptional aspect amongst European air navigation service providers, is important and offers functional continuity while helping to harmonise the tasks of air traffic controllers, providing the system with extraordinary robustness and the capacity to efficiently incorporate the continuous developments offered by new technologies.

- The improvement in Civil-Military coordination, which was on full display during the NATO Summit in Madrid and the international events organised in 2023 while Spain held the presidency of the Council of the European Union.

- Improved management of severe adverse weather.

- The implementation of new projects to improve airspace management and the new control positions (iFOCUCS project).

- ENAIRE's innovative role in the development of new tools and technologies in the field of air traffic flow management, in which several Air Navigation Service Providers have shown an interest.

- The commitment displayed by ENAIRE to improve the management of the European flight network, where, once again during the 2023 summer season, ENAIRE was a key player in alleviating the most congested traffic areas in Europe, thanks to the fact that additional planned flights were coordinated and accepted through Spanish airspace.

In the words of Laura Garcés, the Deputy Director of Air Navigation Services, “it was very stimulating and a magnificent experience to attend User Forum 2024 and see in person the expression of recognition bestowed upon ENAIRE by the heads of the EUROCONTROL Network Manager and the group of industry professionals represented there, for the work that ENAIRE is doing, and for the good operational results obtained in 2023”.