Annual Monitoring Report 2022 - 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
2022: 1 EUR

Share of Union-wide traffic (TSUs) 2022  17.4%

Share of Union-wide en route costs 2022  20.6%

Share en route / terminal costs 2022  85% / 15%

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 2,971K actual IFR movements in 2022, +64% compared to 2021 (1,813K).

▪ Actual 2022 IFR movements were +10% above the plan (2,701K).

▪ Actual 2022 IFR movements represent 88% of the actual 2019 level (3,372K).

▪ France recorded 18,898K actual en route service units in 2022, +69% compared to 2021 (11,181K).

▪ Actual 2022 service units were +11% above the plan (16,990K).

▪ Actual 2022 service units represent 87% of the actual 2019 level (21,782K).

Safety (Main ANSP)

▪ DSNA achieved the RP3 targets in 2021 and maintained this level in 2022.

▪ France recorded an increase in the rate of runway incursions relative to 2021 and a decrease in the rate of separation minima infringements. Although DSNA observed the decrease of the SMIs with ANS contribution in 2022 relative to 2021, the occurrence number was still high (304) with a rate of 1.5 SMIs per 10,000 flight hours. 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 could improve its safety management by implementing automated safety data recording systems for runway incursions.

Environment (Member State)

▪ France achieved a KEA performance of 3.28% compared to its target of 2.83% and did not contribute positively towards achieving the Union-wide target. KEA performance has remained at similar levels since 2020.

▪ The NSA states that 2022 performance was affected by 4-FLIGHT implementation in Reims and Marseille ACCs, traffic volatility, weather issues and industrial action.

▪ Both KEP and SCR improved in 2022. The NSA states that 50% of the French airspace is now covered by FRA, thus improving KEP.

▪ The share of CDO flights decreased by 9.35% compared to 2021.

▪ During 2022, additional time in terminal airspace increased from 0.67 to 0.92 min/flight, while additional taxi out time increased from 1.65 to 2.35 min/flight.

▪ Additional taxi out time data for Marseille airport has not been reported for 2022 despite being subject to monitoring as per the Regulation.

Capacity (Member State)

▪ France registered 1.22 minutes of average en route ATFM delay per flight during 2022 which has been adjusted to 1.49 during the post-ops adjustment process, thus not achieving the local target value of 0.25.

▪ The average number of IFR movements was 12% below 2019 levels in France in 2022.

▪ The number of ATCOs in OPS is expected to increase in Bordeaux, Marseille, Paris, and Reims ACCs, with no significant increase in Brest ACC. In 2022, the actual values remained below the planned ones in Bordeaux ACC, while they were above the plans in Brest, Marseille, and Reims ACCs. There has been a significant decrease in the number of ATCOs in OPS in Paris ACC, with the actual value being below the 2022 plan.

▪ Capacity performance in France was heavily affected by the system transition in Reims ACC.

▪ Delays were highest between April and October, mostly due to adverse weather conditions, other reasons (system implementation) and ATC Staffing issues.

▪ The share of delayed flights with delays longer than 15 minutes in France increased by 10.95 p.p. compared to 2021 and was higher than 2019 values.

▪ The yearly total of sector opening hours in Bordeaux ACC was 76,947 in 2022, showing a 4.7% decrease compared to 2021. Sector opening hours are 4.7% above 2019 levels. The yearly total of sector opening hours in Reims ACC was 66,715 in 2022, showing a 46.8% increase compared to 2021. Sector opening hours are 3.6% below 2019 levels. The yearly total of sector opening hours in Paris ACC was 82,674 in 2022, showing an 11.8% increase compared to 2021. Sector opening hours are 19.7% below 2019 levels. The yearly total of sector opening hours in Marseille ACC was 104,717 in 2022, showing a 14.3% increase compared to 2021. Sector opening hours are 4.0% above 2019 levels. The yearly total of sector opening hours in Brest ACC was 63,386 in 2022, showing a 28.8% increase compared to 2021. Sector opening hours are 22.5% below 2019 levels.

▪ Bordeaux ACC registered 10.84 IFR movements per one sector opening hour in 2022, being 18.9% below 2019 levels. Reims ACC registered 13.57 IFR movements per one sector opening hour in 2022, being 8.7% below 2019 levels. Paris ACC registered 12.56 IFR movements per one sector opening hour in 2022, being 5.6% above 2019 levels. Marseille ACC registered 9.79 IFR movements per one sector opening hour in 2022, being 14.9% below 2019 levels. Brest ACC registered 14.82 IFR movements per one sector opening hour in 2022, being 9.7% above 2019 levels.

Cost-efficiency (En route/Terminal charging zone(s))

▪ The en route 2022 actual unit cost of France was 65.36 €2017, 14% lower than the determined unit cost (76.14 €2017). The terminal zone 1 2022 actual unit cost was 93.63 €2017, 18% lower than the determined unit cost (114.46 €2017), while the terminal zone 2 2022 actual unit cost was 382.46 €2017, 7.8% higher than the determined unit cost (354.93 €2017).

▪ The en route 2022 actual service units (18,898K) were 11% higher than the determined service units (16,990K).

▪ In 2022, the en route actual total costs were 59 M€2017 lower (-4.5%) than determined, mainly due to a reduction in staff cost (-35 M€2017, or -4.8%), as a result of higher inflation than planned, and lower depreciation cost (-24 M€2017, or -15%), mainly due to postponement of investments.

▪ DSNA spent 202 M€2017 in 2022 related to costs of investments, 8.3% lower than determined (221 M€2017) mainly due to the postponement of investments and some investment costs that have been transferred to OPEX costs.

▪ The en route actual unit cost incurred by users in 2022 was 77.04€, while the terminal zone 1 actual unit cost incurred by users was 191.48€ and 271.69€ for terminal zone 2.