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  1. Environment
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  • Spain
  • Overview
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    • PRB monitoring
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      • Runway incursions
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    • 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 - Spain Continental
      • Unit cost
      • AUCU
      • Regulatory Result
    • En route CZ - Spain Canarias
      • Unit cost
      • AUCU
      • Regulatory Result
    • Terminal CZ
      • Unit cost
      • AUCU
      • Regulatory Result

Environment - Spain

Download Report

PRB monitoring

▪ Spain achieved a KEA performance of 3.30% compared to its target of 3.08% and did not contribute positively towards achieving the Union-wide target. KEA worsened by 0.19 p.p. compared to 2020.

▪ The NSA states that the increase in KEA is due to changes in the routes to avoid the ashes caused by the eruption of the volcano in La Palma (September 2021) and new routings in the Agadir FIR (Morocco) that affected planning in the Canaries FIR. However, Spain’s monthly KEA performance in September 2021 remained below that of June and similar to those of July and August of the same year.

▪ Both KEP and SCR slightly decreased in 2021 in comparison to 2020 and are at their lowest values in five years.

▪ The share of CDO flights has decreased in comparison to 2020, but is still higher than pre-pandemic situation. Additional time in terminal airspace has increased by 21% and additional taxi out time has increased by 33%.

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

The additional taxi out time (aggregated for the 6 airports monitored in RP3) increased in 2021 by 31% in relation to the value of 2020, mainly driven by the traffic recovery in the second part of the year. At Madrid (LEMD; 2019: 4.01 min/dep.; 2020: 2.12 min/dep.; 2021: 2.11 min/dep.) the annual average is influenced by the high additional taxi-out times values in January due to the effects of the snow storm Filomena. Additional taxi-out times at Gran Canaria (GCLP: 2019: 1.86 min/dep.; 2020: 1.09 min/dep.; 2021: 1.75 min/dep.) and Malaga (LEMG: 2019: 2.36 min/dep.; 2020: 1.39 min/dep.; 2021: 2.2 min/dep.) increased notably in the second half of the year, exceeding the values observed in 2019 with slightly higher traffic.

According to the Spanish monitoring report: There is work in progress regarding the improvement of A-CDM in Madrid and Barcelona. Although LEIB does not yet reach >80k movements, it is monitored together with these 6 airports since it is one of the airports considered in the Spanish performance plan (ESPP3) for RP3. In 2021 it reaches a value of 1.94, 64% higher than the 2020 value (1.18). The additional taxi out time (aggregated for the 7 airports monitored in RP3) has a value of 2,01 and it has increased in 2021 by 33% in relation to the value of 2020 (1,51).

ASMA

The additional time in terminal area (aggregated for the 6 airports monitored in RP3) increased by 18% in relation to the value of 2020. This increase, like for the additional taxi-out times, was observed mainly in the second half of the year in line with the traffic recovery. With a similar trend as identified for the additional taxi-out times, the additional ASMA times at the holiday destinations (Gran Canaria, Palma and Malaga) increased in the second half of 2021 to almost the same levels as in 2019.

According to the Spanish monitoring report: Some restructuring projects are planned for the coming years in the main TMAs in Spain:
- PBN SIDs, STARs and ILS & RNP APCH in Madrid TMA
- PBN SIDs in Barcelona TMA
- PBN SIDs, ILS & RNP APCH in Palma TMA
- PBN STARs in Malaga

Although LEIB does not yet reach >80k movements, it is monitored together with these 6 airports since it is one of the airports considered in the Spanish performance plan (ESPP3) for RP3. In 2021 it reaches a value of 1.05, 72% higher than the 2020 value (0.61). The additional time in terminal area (aggregated for the 7 airports monitored in RP3) has a value of 0,88 and it has increased in 2021 by 21% in relation to the value of 2020 (0,73).

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

Focus CDOs

Only Madrid (LEMD: 28.1%) has its share of CDO flights below the overall RP3 value in 2021 (30.5%). All other airports have shares of CDO flights above the overall RP3 value in 2021, ranging from 30.9% (LEIB) to 46.8% (LEMG). All airports had a decrease of the share of CDO flights with respect to 2020, ranging from -3.2 percentage points (LEBL) to -10.1 percentage points (LEIB). Over the summer months, the share of CDO flights is generally lower.

According to the Spanish monitoring report: The share of arrivals applying continuous descent operation (aggregated for the 7 airports monitored in RP3) has decreased around -13% in relation to the value of 2020, mainly due to the growth in traffic demand which is beginning to recover from the COVID crisis.

The conditions of use of continuous descent procedures mean that the use of this type of procedure is not always compatible with the techniques used when it is necessary to manage medium/high traffic demands at airports/TMAs. Therefore, the authorisation of these procedures must be compatible with the airport’s operations in order to meet the demand without establishing restrictions. In the long term, there are plans to modify the structure of the CDA procedures currently published at some airports and to transfer to the arrival procedures section of the AIP the information to proceed with the continuous descent from some point of the STARs to the IAF, to some point of the intermediate approach or to the IF, thus maximising the use of these operations.

No new projects were implemented during 2021. During 2022, it is planned to carry out an awareness campaign for ATCOs on the environmental aspects associated with ATC operations.

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
Alicante 0.70 1.15 NA NA NA 0.41 0.62 NA NA NA 45% 40% NA NA NA
Barcelona 1.84 2.33 NA NA NA 1.13 1.07 NA NA NA 39% 36% NA NA NA
Las Palmas 1.09 1.75 NA NA NA 0.84 1.08 NA NA NA 47% 43% NA NA NA
Ibiza 1.18 1.94 NA NA NA 0.61 1.05 NA NA NA 41% 31% NA NA NA
Madrid/Barajas 2.12 2.11 NA NA NA 0.62 0.52 NA NA NA 32% 28% NA NA NA
Malaga 1.39 2.20 NA NA NA 0.81 0.95 NA NA NA 54% 47% NA NA NA
Palma De Mallorca 0.69 1.83 NA NA NA 0.35 1.13 NA NA NA 47% 38% NA NA NA

Civil-Military dimension

Focus on Civil-Military dimension

Update on Military dimension of the plan

Environment: Civil-Military coordination regarding Flexible Use of Airspace is on progress at strategic level established within the specific working group called UPEA inside CIDETMA (previous CIDEFO). Dissemination of progress on FUA to civil operators is considered an enabler to achieve Flight Plans using more efficient routes through the Civil Use of Release Airspace (CURA). A new version of AMC Manual is in progress to incorporate the new agreements and procedures for FUA improvement developed by the Level 1.

Capacity: Based on the Principles of FUA, additional capacity to the planned one could be provided once the airspace used for military operations and training is released.

Military - related measures implemented or planned to improve capacity

Environment: Spanish Air Force has been active participant in the general meetings to implement the Spanish Free Route Airspace Programme and an specific group composed by ENAIRE and Spanish Air Force was created in order to further improve the coordination for the implementation of FRA, with a spetial focuss in ASM related matters. Furthermore, a close coordination work with the Network Manager is ongoing.

Several meetings have been held and discussions are ongoing in order to implement new single CDR category and to revise airspace structures (Reserved areas and to re-align ATS routes). At national level, there are some improvements at strategic level, including the definition of a SSC transition plan. SSC (Single Category CDR) transition plan has the objective of using only one type of Conditional Route improving ASM procedures and optimazing the use of the airspace.

Capacity: Establishment of SCC and the FUA Pilot Project. SCC transition plan is explained above. Regarding the “FUA Pilot Project” is a project with civil-military coordination to improve the use of the airspace and associated procedures, from both points of view, civil and military, starting from some specific Dangerous areas and working in Collaborative Decision Making processes.

Initiatives implemented or planned to improve PI#6

In October the SCC (Single CDR Category) has been implemented (phase 1), starting the transition phase. Phase 2 expected in the first quarter of 2022.

SSC transition plan, whose objective is the use of only one type of Conditional Route in order to simplify its management while improving the civil use of the airspace without forgetting the requirements of the National Defence, has been approved and is active. A level 1 document on “Principios de aplicación del FUA” has been agreed helping to facilitate and improve the FUA implementation and the CDM process.

Planned in 2022: The process of assessing the possibility to extend the use of the procedures set out in the SCC transition plan for the management of reserved areas to new areas that currently do not have associated CDRs.

Also ongoing the definition of a Joint Civil-Military Procedure of Criteria for the creation of Airspace Structures with adjustable lateral and vertical boundaries with multiple reserve and routing options.

The particularities of this indicator have been analyzed in our airspace since there are no monthly data published at SES portal and they are provided by the Spanish Air Force NSA. This PI is expected to be monitored by AESA twice a year from 2022 onwards to evaluate the evolution of the indicator in the appropriate organization.

Initiatives implemented or planned to improve PI#7

Spain has updated the figures for 2020.

In September 2021 the single CDR phase 1 was implemented, and the phase 2 (the last one) has been also implemented in February 2022. This PI is monitored only annually to evaluate the evolution of the indicators because our ANSP, ENAIRE, which provides the data to calculate the indicator, requests it from Eurocontrol and for the time being they are not in a position to request it on a more frequent basis. If significant deviations are found, the possible causes will be analysed by contacting the relevant stakeholder.

For the following years ENAIRE expects to improve this PI with the definition of AMC specific coordination procedures to release traffic flows from RSA with military activity. ENAIRE also expects FRA implementation to improve flight planning trough optimal route.

Initiatives implemented or planned to improve PI#8

Spain has updated the figures for 2020.

In September 2021 the single CDR phase 1 was implemented, and the phase 2 (the last one) has been also implemented in February 2022. This PI is monitored only annually to evaluate the evolution of the indicators because our ANSP, ENAIRE, which provides the data to calculate the indicator, requests it from Eurocontrol and for the time being they are not in a position to request it on a more frequent basis. If significant deviations are found, the possible causes will be analysed by contacting the relevant stakeholder.

For the following years ENAIRE expects to improve this PI with the definition of AMC specific coordination procedures to release traffic flows from RSA with military activity. ENAIRE also expects FRA implementation to improve flight planning trough optimal route.

 
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