Cost-efficiency - Austria

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Terminal charging zone

Unit cost (KPI#1)

Actual and determined data
Total costs - nominal (M€) 2020-2021 2022 2023 2024
Actual costs 77 NA NA NA
Determined costs 78 45 43 43
Difference costs -1 NA NA NA
Inflation assumptions 2020-2021 2022 2023 2024
Determined inflation rate NA 2.5% 2.0% 2.0%
Determined inflation index NA 110.3 112.5 114.8
Actual inflation rate NA NA NA NA
Actual inflation index NA NA NA NA
Difference inflation index (p.p.) NA NA NA NA

AUC vs. DUC

In the combined year 2020-2021, the AUC was -0.9% (or -3.57 €2017) lower than the planned DUC. This results from the combination of lower than planned TNSUs (-1.1%) and lower than planned terminal costs in real terms (-2.0%, or -1.5 M€2017).

Terminal service units

The difference between actual and planned TNSUs (-1.1%) falls within the ±2% dead band. Hence the resulting loss of revenue is borne by the ANSP.

Terminal costs by entity

Actual real terminal costs are -2.0% (-1.5 M€2017) lower than planned. This is mainly driven by the lower costs of the main ANSP - Austro Control (-1.9%, or -1.3 M€2017 for ATM/CNS/AIS costs) and (-2.3%, or -0.1 M€2017 for MET costs). NSA costs were
-13.7% lower than planned.

Terminal costs for the main ANSP at charging zone level

The lower than planned terminal costs in real terms for Austro Control (-1.9%, or -1.3 M€2017, excluding the costs for meteorological services) result from:
- slightly lower staff costs (-0.2%);
- lower other operating costs (-3.9%); “due to cost containment measures of Austria such as reduction of travel expenses, non-operational training and much more”; and,
- lower depreciation (-4.1%) and cost of capital (-13.4%) reflecting delayed investments due to the impact of COVID-19; and,
- slightly lower exceptional costs (-0.2%).

Actual unit cost incurred by the users (AUCU) (PI#1)

AUCU components (€/SU) – 2020-2021
Components of the AUCU in 2020-2021 €/SU
DUC 432.30
Inflation adjustment 0.64
Cost exempt from cost-sharing -4.84
Traffic risk sharing adjustment 0.00
Traffic adj. (costs not TRS) 0.43
Finantial incentives 0.00
Modulation of charges 0.00
Cross-financing 0.00
Other revenues 0.00
Application of lower unit rate 0.00
Total adjustments -3.76
AUCU 428.53
AUCU vs. DUC -0.9%
Cost exempt from cost sharing by item - 2020-2021 €'000 €/SU
New and existing investments -850.1 -4.75
Competent authorities and qualified entities costs -43.4 -0.24
Eurocontrol costs 0.0 0.00
Pension costs 27.8 0.16
Interest on loans 0.0 0.00
Changes in law 0.0 0.00
Total cost exempt from cost risk sharing -865.6 -4.84

The actual terminal unit cost incurred by airspace users (AUCU) in respect of activities performed in the combined year 2020-2021 (428.53€) is -0.9% lower than the nominal DUC (432.30€) which includes DUC initially charged: 210.78€; and to be charged: 221.52€. The difference between these two figures (-3.76€/SU) is due to:
- the positive inflation adjustment resulting from higher than planned inflation (+0.64€/SU);
- the impact of adjustments resulting from the costs exempt from cost-sharing mechanism (-4.84€/SU); and,
- the positive traffic adjustment (+0.43€/SU) for the costs not subject to traffic risk sharing to be charged in future years.

The share of regulatory result in the AUCU (before the deduction of other revenues) is 0.7%.

Regulatory result (RR)

Austro Control net loss on activity in Austrian terminal charging zone in the combined year 2020-2021
Austro Control generated a net loss of -0.3 M€, resulting from a gain of +0.5 M€ arising from the cost sharing mechanism and a loss of -0.8 M€ arising from the traffic risk sharing mechanism.
Austro Control overall regulatory results (RR) for the terminal activity (see Note 2 above)
Ex-post, the overall RR taking into account the net loss from the terminal activity mentioned above (-0.3 M€) and the actual RoE (+0.6 M€) amounts to +0.3 M€ (0.5% of the terminal revenues). The resulting ex-post rate of return on equity is 4.1%, which is lower than the 7.3% planned in the PP.