Europe’s air traffic management (ATM) leaders have highlighted how measures to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of air transport in the region have helped to optimise airspace capacity, minimise disruptions and improve environmental performance during the busiest summer on record.

European aviation receives boost from air traffic management industry

Air navigation service provider members of the Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation (CANSO) and EUROCONTROL have outlined how innovation and partnership in the ATM industry have helped to tackle unprecedented levels of air traffic and improve environmental performance during a meeting with EUROCONTROL Director General, Eamonn Brennan, at EUROCONTROL’s headquarters in Brussels today.

Success was attributed to ANSPs working better together to re-distribute traffic; taking a more Europe-wide rather than national approach to managing traffic; and gaining access to airspace normally reserved for military use. These were measures agreed by CANSO members and the EUROCONTROL Network Manager to tackle unprecedented traffic growth and future-proof the sustainability of the aviation industry going forward.

In June, CANSO launched its 2035 Vision highlighting the active role that ANSPs play as key industrial partners in addressing the capacity and environmental challenges the European aviation sector is facing. CANSO members have also published a series of unique insights into the specific measures being taken by ANSPs to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of air transport.

Ms. Grobotek, CANSO Director European Affairs, said: “CANSO and its members are vital partners in the European aviation value chain and have made a significant contribution to maintaining capacity, reducing delays and minimising emissions in the region’s air transport network this summer – the busiest we’ve ever seen. CANSO will continue to be committed to delivering strong Europe-wide performance while also addressing the challenge of the environmental impact of aviation and implementing the newest technologies”.

Eamonn Brennan, Director General of EUROCONTROL stated “With 37,000 flights on peak days, network delays have improved by 10% this year thanks in part to the collaborative work between EUROCONTROL Network Manager and the membership of CANSO. This is welcome progress and proves that managing Europe’s airspace as a network can and does help reduce delays. However, we still have much work to do to return to the performance levels of 2017.  There are structural problems and we need to reform the way we do business. I am confident that CANSO members can help deliver on this through the support of the EUROCONTROL Network Manager.”

Over the three summer months of June, July and August, there were 3.2 million flights in the EUROCONTROL Network, up 0.9% on last year. This is an average of nearly 35,000 flights a day, with peaks of over 37,000.