FABEC Performance Review 2021 demonstrates resilient services and strong environmental results

Functional Airspace Block Europe Central (FABEC) Performance Report for 2021 reveals strong flight safety and efficiency results by all seven members in the core area of Europe, despite a second consecutive year of unprecedented low passenger demand due to Covid-19. The 6.2 million flights handled amounted to less than half the 2019 volume and was accompanied by extreme volatility in both passenger demand and route preferences. Yet FABEC continued to provide critical airspace infrastructure while introducing a package of environmental programmes selected for an ATM Research, Innovation and Environmental Award. A range of measures, including shorter cross-border routes, improved vertical flight efficiency and an extension of free route airspace, enabled airspace users to optimise flight profiles across multiple flight information regions.

FABEC continues to work towards further environmental performance improvement by engaging with stakeholders and experts in dedicated workshops and forums and exploring initiatives to reduce CO2 and non-CO2 emissions. However, the rules governing priorities for air navigation service providers are not aligned with the necessary trade-offs between traffic volume, capacity and environmental impact. Rising traffic demand, for example during Summer 2021, led to compromises between efficiency and capacity. Clear direction on these competing priorities is needed to balance these objectives with Single European Sky performance targets.

John Santurbano, Chairman of FABEC CEO Board and MUAC Director said: “After two very difficult years in which FABEC continued to provide critical infrastructure and deliver safe and efficient air traffic services, we launched a timely recruitment drive in 2021 to ensure we have sufficient trained controllers as traffic returns. FABEC’s expanded training programme is maintaining proficiency amongst existing personnel and ensures we have digital skills needed for the future.”

Download: FABEC_Performance_Report_2021