PRB monitoring
▪ Austro Control registered near to zero minute of average en route ATFM delay per flight during 2020, thus meeting the local breakdown value of 0.37.
▪ Delays must be considered in the context of the traffic evolution: IFR movements in 2020 were 57% below the 2019 levels in Austria.
▪ The NSA reported that on-the-job training of ATCOs was interrupted due to the pandemic. This, together with the reported changes in maternity leave and some ATCOs leaving unexpectedly, resulted in almost 5% less ATCO FTEs than planned by the end of 2020.
▪ Based on the analysis of previous capacity profiles, the PRB estimates that Austria will face a capacity gap when IFR movements rise above 80% of 2019 levels. The PRB recommends that capacity improvement measures are implemented before traffic begins to recover.
▪ The yearly total of sector opening hours in Vienna ACC was 35,749, showing a 35.5% decrease compared to 2019.
▪ Vienna ACC registered 11.84 IFR movements per one sector opening hour in 2020, being 29.5% below 2019 levels.
Summary of capacity performance
The Vienna FIR experienced a traffic reduction of 57% from 2019 levels, to 590k flights. The traffic level was accommodated with negligible en route ATFM delays to airspace users.
NSA’s assessment of capacity performance
No ATFM delays were produced due to reduced COVID 19 traffic and optimum measures of arranging operational ATCO resources.
Monitoring process for capacity performance
Apart from permanent ATFCM processes in place, monitoring traffic during the strategic, pre-tactical, and tactical phase, post OPS analyses are regularly [performed].
Capacity planning
Capacity planning process considering traffic forecasts, ATCO resources, ATS procedures and ATM System evolution is in place and accordingly executed.
Application of Corrective Measures for Capacity (if applicable)
No data available
Factors influencing no of ATCOs include: maternity leave and return; reduced number of ATCOs starting OJT (due COVID) and unexpected departure of 2.5 FTEs
Austria identified six airports as subject to RP3 monitoring. According to the traffic figures at these 4 airports, only Vienna (LOWW) must be monitored for pre-departure delays.
The Airport Operator Data Flow, necessary for the monitoring of these pre-departure delays, is correctly established where required and the monitoring of all capacity indicators can be performed.
Traffic at the ensemble of these airports decreased by 59% in 2020. The drastic reduction in traffic as of the month of April had a direct impact on the ATFM measures at Austrian airports where arrival ATFM delays have totally disappeared since then.
Slot adherence was well above 90% for most of these airports except for Salzburg (LOWS) where it was slightly under 90%.
The national average arrival ATFM delay at Austrian airports in 2020 was 0.36 min/arr, significantly lower than the 0.71 min/arr in 2019 (-48%).
Only Vienna, Innsbruck and Salzburg registered delays in 2020, all in the first trimester of the year.
At Vienna (LOWW: 2019: 0.91 min/arr.; 2020: 0.49 min/arr.) 91% of these delays were attributed to weather and 8% to ATC staffing issues.
Delays at Innsbruck and Graz were all related to weather.
The provisional national target on arrival ATFM delay in 2020 was met.
In accordance with Article 3 (3) (a) of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1627: The incentive scheme shall cover only the calendar years 2022 to 2024.
| Airport level |
| Airport name |
Avg arrival
ATFM delay (KPI#2)
|
Slot adherence (PI#1)
|
ATC pre departure
delay (PI#2)
|
All causes pre departure
delay (PI#3)
|
| 2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
| Graz |
NA |
NA |
NA |
NA |
98.5% |
NA% |
NA% |
NA% |
NA |
NA |
NA |
NA |
NA |
NA |
NA |
NA |
| Innsbruck |
0.18 |
NA |
NA |
NA |
93.9% |
NA% |
NA% |
NA% |
NA |
NA |
NA |
NA |
NA |
NA |
NA |
NA |
| Klagenfurt |
NA |
NA |
NA |
NA |
97.6% |
NA% |
NA% |
NA% |
NA |
NA |
NA |
NA |
NA |
NA |
NA |
NA |
| Linz |
NA |
NA |
NA |
NA |
100.0% |
NA% |
NA% |
NA% |
NA |
NA |
NA |
NA |
NA |
NA |
NA |
NA |
| Salzburg |
0.04 |
NA |
NA |
NA |
88.4% |
NA% |
NA% |
NA% |
NA |
NA |
NA |
NA |
NA |
NA |
NA |
NA |
| Vienna |
0.49 |
NA |
NA |
NA |
97.4% |
NA% |
NA% |
NA% |
0.75 |
NA |
NA |
NA |
8.3 |
NA |
NA |
NA |
ATFM slot adherence
With the drastic drop in traffic, the share of regulated departures from Austrian airports virtually disappeared as of April. The annual figures are therefore driven by the performance in the first trimester.
Most Austrian airports showed adherence above 90% and the national average was 95.8%.With regard to the 4.2% of flights that did not adhere, 3.2% was early and 1% was late.
According to the Austrian monitoring report: Due to reduced aerodrome capacity down to 40% of the regular capacity offer, revised procedures are currently applied due to COVID19. Details are subject to investigation.
ATC pre-departure delay
Vienna is the only Austrian airport subject to the monitoring of this indicator. The performance has notably improved with respect to the previous year (LOWW; 2019: 1.56 min/dep.; 2020: 0.75 min/dep.)
According to the Austrian monitoring report:
Due to reduced aerodrome capacity down to 40% of the regular capacity offer, revised procedures are currently applied due to COVID19.
- limited airport infrastructure due to COVID19 (reduced number of gates) leads to accumulation at the remaining gates
- from some gates aircraft are pushed back on the taxiway which is possibly blocked by taxiing aircraft
- crews calling before the TSAT window are delayed until the beginning of the TSAT window (strict compliance with CDM rules) which might be coded as ATC delay by concerned crews
- in 2020 before COVID19 restrictions the demand has exceeded the capacity at certain times
All causes pre-departure delay
Vienna is the only Austrian airport subject to the monitoring of this indicator.
The total (all causes) delay in the actual off block time at Vienna in 2020 was 8.27 min/dep. The higher delays per flight were observed in the second trimester of the year, due to the lower traffic and extraordinary circumstances. In November and December there was also a significant increase at most of these airports.
This performance indicator has been introduced in the performance scheme for the first time this year, so no evolution with respect to 2019 can be analysed.