Annual Monitoring Report 2021 - France
Contextual information
National performance plan adopted following Commission Decision (EU) 2023/176 of 14 December 2022
List of ACCs 5
Bordeaux ACC
Brest ACC
Marseille ACC
Paris ACC
Reims ACC
No of airports in the scope of the performance plan
≥80’K 6
<80’K 52
Exchange rate (1 EUR=)
2017: 1 EUR
2021: 1 EUR
Share of Union-wide traffic (TSUs) 2021 16.7%
Share of Union-wide en route costs 2021 21.9%
Share en route / terminal costs 2021 84% / 16%
En route charging zone(s)
France
Terminal charging zone(s)
France Zone 1
France Zone 2
Main ANSP
• DSNA
Other ANSPs
–
MET Providers
• Météo France
Traffic (En route traffic zone)
▪ France recorded 1,813K actual IFR movements in 2021, +30% compared to 2020 (1,390K).
▪ Actual 2021 IFR movements were +0.1% above the plan (1,811K).
▪ Actual 2021 IFR movements represent 54% of the actual 2019 level (3,372K).
▪ France recorded 11,181K actual en route service units in 2021, +31% compared to 2020 (8,547K).
▪ Actual 2021 service units were +1.9% above the plan (10,969K).
▪ Actual 2021 service units represent 51% of the actual 2019 level (21,782K).
Safety (Main ANSP)
▪ In 2021, DSNA continued demonstrating good safety performance. DSNA implemented all necessary measures in the area of safety culture, reaching level C and achieving the targets in all five management objectives.
▪ France recorded a decrease in the rate of runway incursions relative to 2020 and an increased rate of separation minima infringements. DSNA observed the highest number of SMIs with ANS contribution in 2021 (228) and a rate of 16.7 SMIs per 100,000 flight hours. The rate increased by 32,1% with respect to 2020. DSNA should continue assessing occurrences and risk mitigate them according to their SMS, if necessary.
▪ DSNA monitors and analyses the safety data using automated recording tools for separation minima infringements. The French NSA oversight addresses those elements.
▪ DSNA should improve its safety management by implementing automated safety data recording systems for runway incursions.
Environment (Member State)
▪ France achieved a KEA performance of 3.25% compared to its target of 2.92% and did not contribute positively towards achieving the Union-wide target. KEA performance is at similar levels to 2020.
▪ The NSA stated that 2020 and 2021 performance was affected by a decrease in overflights (which are usually the best performing flights, positively impacting overall performance) in addition to increased military activity in these years.
▪ Both KEP and SCR have slightly reduced in 2021.
▪ The percentage of flights achieving CDOs decreased compared to pre-COVID-19 values.
▪ Both additional time in terminal airspace and additional taxi out time increased, but are still significantly below 2019 values.
Capacity (Member State)
▪ France registered 0.45 minutes of average en route ATFM delay per flight during 2021, thus missing the local breakdown value of 0.18.
▪ Delays were higher than the breakdown value despite the lower traffic: In France IFR movements in 2021 were 46% lower than in 2019.
▪ The delays were mainly caused by limited ATC capacity, staffing and severe weather at Reims and Marseille ACCs with the training activities for 4-FLIGHT implementation, OJT and competency maintenance contributing to staffing issues. Specifically during the traffic recovery in summer 2021, the main delay causes in Brest, Marseille and Reims ACCs were ATC capacity and ATC staffing.
▪ Traffic is expected to grow, with 2019 levels likely being reached in 2023 (in high growth scenario). The number of ATCOs in OPS is planned to increase during RP3 in Bordeaux, Marseille, Paris and Brest ACC with no significant increase in Reims. The implementation of the new ATM system should also improve capacity in affected ACCs.
▪ Delays were highest between July and October, mostly driven by ATC Capacity and Staffing issues.
▪ The share of delayed flights with delays longer than 15 minutes in France decreased by 15.75 p.p. compared to 2020 and was lower than 2019 values.
▪ The yearly total of sector opening hours in Bordeaux ACC was 80,480, showing a 28.7% increase compared to 2020. Sector opening hours are 9.1% below 2019 levels. The yearly total of sector opening hours in Reims ACC was 45,444, showing a 22.2% increase compared to 2020. The yearly total of sector opening hours in Paris ACC was 73,955, showing a 25.5% increase compared to 2020. Sector opening hours are 28.3% below 2019 levels. The yearly total of sector opening hours in Marseille ACC was 91,569, showing a 33.6% increase compared to 2020. Sector opening hours are 9.0% below 2019 levels. The yearly total of sector opening hours in Brest ACC was 49,235, showing a 2.5% increase compared to 2020. Sector opening hours are 39.6% below 2019 levels.
▪ Bordeaux ACC registered 6.58 IFR movements per one sector opening hour in 2021, being 50.7% below 2019 levels. Sector opening hours are 33.4% below 2019 levels. Reims ACC registered 11.99 IFR movements per one sector opening hour in 2021, being 19.7% below 2019 levels. Paris ACC registered 8.82 IFR movements per one sector opening hour in 2021, being 25.0% below 2019 levels. Marseille ACC registered 7.27 IFR movements per one sector opening hour in 2021, being 36.9% below 2019 levels. Brest ACC registered 10.59 IFR movements per one sector opening hour in 2021, being 21.7% below 2019 levels.
Cost-efficiency (En route/Terminal charging zone(s))
▪ The en route 2020/2021 actual unit cost of France was 129.22 €2017, -2.1% lower than the determined unit cost (132.06 €2017). The terminal zone 1 actual unit cost was 178.34 €2017, -6.1% lower than the determined unit cost (189.83 €2017), while terminal zone 2 actual unit cost was 670.03 €2017, +1.7% higher than the determined unit cost (659.13 €2017).
▪ The en route 2021 actual service units (11,181K) were +1.9% higher than determined (10,969K).
▪ In 2021, actual total costs were -28 M€2017 lower (-2.2%) than determined, despite the increase in cost of capital and other operating costs.
▪ The decrease in total costs was driven by lower staff costs (-19 M€2017, or -2.6%) due to staff costs containment, and lower depreciation (-17 M€2017, or -10%). The reduction in depreciation was mainly due to the postponement of investments commissioning and because a part of the investment costs was transferred to project-related OPEX costs.
▪ According to 2021 reporting tables, DSNA spent 208 M€2017 in 2021 related to costs of investments, -7.1% lower than determined (224 M€2017) mostly driven by lower depreciation costs.
▪ The en route actual unit cost incurred by users in 2020/2021 was 135.73€, while the terminal zone 1 actual unit cost incurred by users was 329.27€ and 447.86€ for terminal zone 2.