PRB monitoring
▪ HungaroControl registered zero minutes of average en route ATFM delay per flight during 2020, thus meeting the local breakdown value of 0.90.
▪ Delays must be considered in the context of the traffic evolution: IFR movements in 2020 were 57% below the 2019 levels in Hungary.
▪ Hungary reported no capacity issues and a 4% decrease in the number of ATCO FTEs in 2020 compared to 2019. This represents an 8% decrease compared to the planned number of ATCO FTEs in 2020. The decrease was driven by the fact that training of ACC controllers could not be completed due to the lack of traffic in 2020. Hungary plans to complete these trainings in 2021.
▪ Based on the analysis of previous capacity profiles, the PRB estimates Hungary will face a capacity gap once IFR movements rise above 77% 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 Budapest ACC was 20,552, showing a 39.4% decrease compared to 2019.
▪ Budapest ACC registered 17.81 IFR movements per one sector opening hour in 2020, being 28.7% below 2019 levels.
Summary of capacity performance
Hungary experienced a traffic reduction of 57% from 2019 levels, to 381k flights. The traffic level was accommodated with zero en route ATFM delays to airspace users.
NSA’s assessment of capacity performance
As due to COVID-19 pandemic the traffic level has dropped dramatically in Hungary to reach 0 minutes delay per flight was obvious. HungaroControl has put the focus was on how to ensure the service continuity while minimizing the spread of virus among the operational personnel.
Monitoring process for capacity performance
In 2020 regular WebEx meetings were organised between the ANSP and the NSA focusing on the issues like how to organise the rostering in order to ensure the service continuity, how to maintain the ATCOs proficiency. As the traffic demand was well below the planned capacity, capacity was not an issue.
Capacity planning
According to the available information the traffic demand in 2021 still will be below the available capacity, therefore HungaroControl aims for 0 minutes delay per flight this years too.
Application of Corrective Measures for Capacity (if applicable)
No data available
Due to the significant reduction in air traffic, it was not possible to complete the planned training of new ATCOs in 2020. The training of student ATCOs is expected to be completed in 2021.
Hungary identified only its main airport Budapest as subject to RP3 monitoring. The Airport Operator Data Flow is correctly established and all capacity indicators can be monitored.
After a traffic increase of 33% along RP2 (2019 vs 2015), traffic at Budapest airport decreased by 61% in 2020 compared to 2019. Regardless this reduction in traffic, the annual average for arrival ATFM delay was higher than in 2019, and Hungary is the only SES state that did not meet the terminal capacity target in 2020.
The average arrival ATFM delay at Budapest in 2020 was 0.08 min/arr, more than double of the 0.03 min/arr. observed in 2019 despite the lower traffic.
Although the Hungarian NSA reports that “Arrival delays in the first two month of 2020 at LHBP generated due to winter weather conditions and not because of the lack of ATC capacity” according to the reported reasons for the regulations,17% of these delays were in fact due to ATC capacity and 83% were due to weather.
According to the Hungarian monitoring report :
The analysis showed that LVP procedures at LHBP are regularly applied due to weather in the first months of each year. However, the delays accumulated as a result virtually disappear by the end of the year as traffic picks up, but this did not occur in 2020 due to the dramatic reduction in traffic caused by COVID.
In normal traffic situation the delays accumulated due to weather at the beginning of the year virtually disappear by the end of the year as traffic picks up.
The national target on arrival ATFM delay in 2020 was not met, with actual arrival ATFM delays at 0.08 min/arr. in average, and the national target set at 0.05 min/arr.
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 |
| Budapest |
0.08 |
NA |
NA |
NA |
96.2% |
NA% |
NA% |
NA% |
0.14 |
NA |
NA |
NA |
12.6 |
NA |
NA |
NA |
ATFM slot adherence
With the drastic drop in traffic, regulated departures from Budapest virtually disappeared as of April. The annual figure is therefore driven by the performance in the first trimester.
Budapest’s ATFM slot compliance was 96.2%. With regard to the 3.8% of flights that did not adhere, 2.6% was early and 1.2% was late.
Hungarian NSA reports: The actual performance in adherence to ATFM slots has improved compared to the previous years. This is mainly due to dramatic reduction of traffic at LHBP. The actual value is well above the limit set by the regulation.
ATC pre-departure delay
The performance in terms of ATC pre-departure delay has improved with respect to the previous year (LHBP; 2019: 0.30 min/dep.; 2020: 0.16 min/dep.)
According to the Hungarian monitoring report, this is mainly due to dramatic reduction of traffic at LHBP.
All causes pre-departure delay
The total (all causes) delay in the actual off block time at Budapest in 2020 was 12.58 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 of the delay per flight, averaging almost 20 min/dep in December.
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.