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  1. Environment
  • Year report
    • RP3
    • 2024
    • 2023
    • 2022
    • 2021
    • 2020 ✓

  • Ireland
  • Overview
    • Contextual information
    • Traffic
    • Safety
    • Environment
    • Capacity
    • Cost-efficiency

  • Safety
    • PRB monitoring
    • EoSM
    • Safety occurrences
      • Runway incursions
      • Separation minima infringements
      • Occurrences reporting
    • ASDRS

  • Environment
    • PRB monitoring
    • En route performance
      • Horizontal flight efficiency
    • Terminal performance
      • AXOT & ASMA
      • CDO
    • CIV-MIL

  • Capacity
    • PRB monitoring
    • En route performance
      • En route ATFM delay
      • Other indicators
    • Terminal performance
      • Arrival ATFM delay
      • Other performance indicators

  • Cost-efficiency
    • PRB monitoring
    • En route CZ
      • Unit cost
      • AUCU
      • Regulatory Result
    • Terminal CZ
      • Unit cost
      • AUCU
      • Regulatory Result

Environment - Ireland

Download Report

PRB monitoring

▪ Ireland achieved a KEA performance of 1.11% compared to its reference value of 1.56% and therefore contributed positively towards achieving the Union-wide target.

▪ The PRB is looking forward to reviewing future performance as Ireland is planning to support the introduction of free route airspace in the UK and review its airspace structure — both initiatives should realise more environmental benefits.

▪ Only two out of three Irish airports that are regulated reported terminal data.

▪ The share of flights operating CCO/CDO at Irish airports improved in 2020 compared to 2019. The additional time airspace users spent taxiing or holding in terminal airspace reduced by 63% compared to 2019.

▪ Ireland should seek to improve its high level of CDO performance during its plan to review approach procedures to support vertical flight efficiency.

En route performance

Horizontal flight efficiency of the actual trajectory (KEA) (KPI#1), of the last filed flight plan (KEP) (PI#1) & shortest constrained route (SCR) (PI#2)

Terminal performance

Additional taxi-out time (AXOT) (PI#3) & Arrival Sequencing and Metering Area (ASMA) time (PI#4)

Focus on ASMA & AXOT

AXOT

Additional taxi-out times at Dublin drastically lowered (EIDW; 2019: 7.1 min/dep.; 2020: 2.67 min/dep.). This 2.67 min/dep. annual average was driven by the high additional times in January to March. In fact since April and until the end of the year the additional times averaged 0.76 min/dep.

According to the Irish monitoring report: Most of the factors influencing additional taxi-out time are related to aerodrome infrastructure rather than ATM capacity. For example, congestion at the runway in use adds significantly to this indicator.

Dublin Airport has an extensive infrastructural project underway which includes a parallel runway and new taxiways. This improvement in the infrastructure at Dublin airport should translate into an improvement in the additional taxi out time performance from 2022 onwards.

ASMA

Additional ASMA times at Dublin, like the additional taxi-out times, showed an important impact of the traffic in 2020 (EIDW; 2019: 3.29 min/arr.; 2020: 1.24 min/arr.). The highest ASMA times were observed in February, influenced by the storms Ciara and Denis. Between April and August due to the drastic reduction in traffic the additional ASMA times were practically zero, and for the rest of the year they averaged only 0.35 min/arr.

According to the Irish monitoring report: The additional time is terminal airspace is generally attributable to the flights following the “Point Merge” legs in part or in full.

However the Point Merge has been demonstrated to have considerable benefits to the Airspace Users in reduced fuel consumption and to the environment in lowering Co2 emissions around terminal areas, and maximising runway throughput compared to vertical holding. These benefits outweigh any impact on ASMA Time. Dublin Airport has an extensive infrastructural project underway which includes a parallel runway and new taxiways. This improvement in the infrastructure at Dublin airport should translate into an improvement in the Additional time in terminal airspace performance from 2022 onwards.

Share of arrivals applying continuous descent operations (CDOs) (PI#5)

Focus CDOs

According to the Irish monitoring report: The proximity of the UK FIRs to Dublin Airport does have an impact on the data for continuous descent operations due to most aircraft starting descent within the UK airspace. The use of “Point Merge” legs in part or in full also may have an impact on the indicator , as this requires aircraft to fly the legs in level flight. However the Point Merge has been demonstrated to have considerable benefits to the Airspace Users in reduced fuel consumption and to the environment in lowering Co2 emissions around terminal areas, and maximising runway throughput compared to vertical holding

Despite the impacting factors mentioned in the Irish monitoring report, the share of CDO flights is relatively high with the values for all airports (well) above the overall RP3 value in 2020 (32.5%). More than half of the arrivals into Cork (EICK) performed a CDO in 2020 (52.1%).

Airport level
Airport
Additional taxi-out time (PI#3)
Additional ASMA time (PI#4)
Share of arrivals applying CDO (PI#5)
2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Cork 0.73 NA NA NA NA 0.37 NA NA NA NA 52% NA NA NA NA
Dublin 2.67 NA NA NA NA 1.24 NA NA NA NA 46% NA NA NA NA
Shannon NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA 42% NA NA NA NA

Civil-Military dimension

Focus on Civil-Military dimension

Update on Military dimension of the plan

All military airspace is flight plannable and direct routes are given through activated military airspace as routine. The implementation of Point Merge at Dublin Airport was effected in a manner to ensure there was no impact on capacity at Dublin resulting from the military activity. Likewise the FRA project in 2009 also required no filing differences for military activity.

Military - related measures implemented or planned to improve environment and capacity

The NSA meets regulatory with the Military through the Standing Civil Military Air Navigation Committee (StaCMAN) to discuss FUA implementation and any associated issues. Full FAB ASM management is reliant upon the rollout of LARA. Ireland reports c.75% complete pending full LARA application. A full record of the hours of activation will be available through LARA and will be sent to NM.

Initiatives implemented or planned to improve PI#6

The NSA meets regularly with the Military through the Standing Civil Military Air Navigation Committee (StaCMAN) to discuss FUA implementation and any associated issues.

Initiatives implemented or planned to improve PI#7

The NSA meets regularly with the Military through the Standing Civil Military Air Navigation Committee (StaCMAN) to discuss FUA implementation and any associated issues.

Initiatives implemented or planned to improve PI#8

The NSA meets regularly with the Military through the Standing Civil Military Air Navigation Committee (StaCMAN) to discuss FUA implementation and any associated issues.

 
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