Significant variations in traffic development – slight increase in delay

In the first six months of 2014, large variations were recorded in the traffic figures and quality of service across the various regions of FABEC. The figures were provided by the FABEC ANSPs ANA (Luxembourg), Belgocontrol (Belgium), DFS (Germany), DSNA (France), LVNL (The Netherlands), MUAC (EUROCONTROL), and skyguide (Switzerland). Overall, traffic increased in the first six months of 2014 by 1.2 percent compared with the first half of 2013. However, this is still 13.2 percent below the forecast used as the basis for the FABEC Performance Plan. This small positive signal is not a general trend as can be seen from the large variations in the traffic at the individual control centres. Some control centres – especially in Northern France and in control centres working in the upper airspace (Brest, Reims, Karlsruhe, Bremen, Bordeaux, Maastricht) – showed increases of up to 4.6 percent, while other control centres recorded declines in traffic of up to 1.8 percent (Munich, Marseille, Zurich, Langen). A similarly diffuse development can be observed in the whole of Europe.

Across the whole FABEC area the service quality provided by the seven FABEC air navigation service providers decreased slightly. This means that in the first six months of the current year 97 percent (2013: 98 percent) of all controlled flights had no delays due to ATFM restrictions. 1.45 percent of all flights had more than 15 minutes delay (2013: 1.04 percent). Compared with the previous year – which was the best ever recorded – the average delay due to ATFM restrictions increased from 0.5 minutes to 0.64 minutes per flight. Main reasons for this are industrial action, shortage of ATC capacity and adverse weather. The regulatory objective of 0.5 minutes per flight by the end of 2014 is still reachable.