PRB monitoring
▪ CYATS registered 0.2 minutes of average en route ATFM delay per flight during 2020, thus meeting the local breakdown value of 0.36.
▪ Delays must be considered in the context of the traffic evolution: IFR movements in 2020 were 60% below the 2019 levels in Cyprus.
▪ When comparing the first two months of 2020, traffic was 16% higher than in 2019 but en route ATFM delays increased significantly (+149%). The main delay causes were ATC capacity and ATC staffing.
▪ Cyprus reported an increasing ATCO FTEs by over 4% compared to 2019 due to reallocation of tower ATCOs to the ACC. Actual ATCO FTEs are 6% below the planned values for 2020 due to postponed recruiting.
▪ Based on the analysis of previous capacity profiles, the PRB estimates Cyprus will face a capacity gap once IFR movements rise above 90% of 2019 levels. The PRB recommends that capacity improvement measures are implemented before traffic begins to recover.
▪ The share of delayed flights with delays longer than 15 minutes in Cyprus decreased by 13.78 p.p. compared to 2019.
▪ Delays were mostly driven by ATC capacity and staffing issues.
▪ The yearly total of sector opening hours in Nicosia ACC was 18,309, showing a 38.1% decrease compared to 2019.
▪ Nicosia ACC registered 8.96 IFR movements per one sector opening hour in 2020, being 35.6% below 2019 levels.
Summary of capacity performance
The Nicosia FIR experienced a traffic reduction of 60% from 2019 levels, to 164k flights. The traffic level was accommodated with 33k minutes of en route ATFM delays to airspace users, almost 90% of which occurred in January and February when traffic demand was actually higher than the previous year.
NSA’s assessment of capacity performance
A historical drop of air traffic demand has been recorded due to the COVID-19 virus outbreak and the severe air travel restrictions imposed by the State in an effort to contain the pandemic (mid-March 2020). As a result, the average en-route delay per flight for the most part of 2020 was zero (0.0min).
Monitoring process for capacity performance
The NSA has in place the “NSA procedure for the monitoring of ANS Performance”. According to this procedure, the NSA monitors at quarterly intervals the average minutes of enroute ATFM (Air Traffic Flow Management) delay per flight. Based on this, the NSA analyses the trends and takes the necessary measures, if needed.
Capacity planning
Capacity planning is consistent with the required performance.
Application of Corrective Measures for Capacity (if applicable)
No data available
15 new ATCOs were recruited in 2020. In view of the training cycles and the staff transfer mechanism agreed with the Unions, 5 ATC Tower ATCOs were transferred to the Nicosia ACC in 2020.