PRB monitoring
▪ Denmark registered 0.10 minutes of average en route ATFM delay per flight during 2023, thus not achieving the local target value of 0.06. Delays in Denmark increased by 0.10 minutes per flight year-on-year.
▪ Delays were highest in February and between May and July, mostly due to ATC Capacity and Staffing.
▪ The share of delayed flights with delays longer than 15 minutes in Denmark increased by 8 p.p. compared to 2022 and was higher than 2019 values.
▪ The average number of IFR movements was 17% below 2019 levels in Denmark in 2023.
▪ The number of ATCOs in OPS is expected to decrease by 12% by 2024, with the actual value meeting the 2023 plan in Copenhagen.
▪ The yearly total of sector opening hours in Copenhagen ACC was 44,598, showing a 0.2% decrease compared to 2022. Sector opening hours are 0.2% below 2019 levels.
▪ Copenhagen ACC registered 10.93 IFR movements per one sector opening hour in 2023, being 15.4% below 2019 levels.
▪ Denmark registered an average airport arrival ATFM delay of 3.09 minutes per flight in 2023, thus not achieving the local target of 0.10 minutes.
▪ Compared to 2022, average arrival ATFM delays in Denmark were 19824% higher in 2023, while the number of IFR arrivals increased by 12%.
▪ The main reasons for delays were ATC staffing, accounting for 64% of delays, and ATC capacity, responsible for 20%.
Summary of capacity performance
Denmark experienced an increase in traffic from 505k flights in 2022 to 559k flights in 2023. ATFM delays increased from <1k minutes in 2022 to 56k minutes in 2023. There were still 16% fewer flights than in 2019 (669k).
NSA’s assessment of capacity performance
Traffic in Danish Airspace is affected by the closure of Russian Airspace leading to rerouting of international flights. The capacity targets have not been met. This is due to the staffing challenges at the TWR and APP units serving Copenhagen Airport and TMA during spring and summer 2023.
Monitoring process for capacity performance
Monitoring process are in place and coordinated with the NM.
Capacity planning
Capacity planning process are in place and coordinated with the NM.
Application of Corrective Measures for Capacity (if applicable)
The capacity constraints at the ANSP due to lack of ATCO resources in relation to Copenhagen airport and the approach area led to lower capacity. Naviair is following their plan to provide more ATCO resources and thus increase capacity.
Additional Information Related to Russia’s War of Aggression Against Ukraine
Traffic in Danish Airspace is affected by the closure of Russian Airspace leading to rerouting of international flights, noticeably a change in flows to/from Asia via Denmark. We notice higher growth in western sectors than anticipated.
En route Capacity Incentive Scheme
NAVIAIR: Actual performance is within deadband so neither bonus nor malus is due.
In accordance with Article 3(3)(a) of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1627: The incentive scheme shall cover only the calendar years 2022 to 2024.
Copenhagen ACC: Table has been altered from previous versions - explanation below.
Naviair has changed the submission in the reporting of actual data due to a review on the data for reporting. AMR 2021 Number of ATCOs in OPS (FTEs) who have stopped working in the OPS room (from -17 to -23): Our previous reporting was partially based on a forecast due lack of data at the time of the reporting. AMR 2022 Number of additional ATCOs in OPS (FTEs) who have started working in the OPS room (from +10 to +8): Some of the additional FTE’s in the previous reporting was based on a difference to earlier anticipations rather than actual changes in FTE’s. That has now been revised.
Denmark only has Copenhagen/Kastrup (EKCH) airport subject to RP3 monitoring for which the APDF is successfully established and the monitoring of the capacity indicators can be performed.
Traffic at this airport in 2023 was still 14% lower than in 2019, but 12% higher than in 2022. Average arrival ATFM delay in 2023 was 3.09 min/arr, a very high increase with respect to 2022. The national target was not met. ATFM slot adherence remained very high (2023: 98.8%; 2022: 98.9%).
Copenhagen, that in the last years had registered nearly zero delays, observed significant arrival ATFM delays in 2023 (EKCH; 2019: 0.07 min/arr.; 2020: 0 min/arr; 2021: 0.02 min/arr.; 2022: 0.02 min/arr.; 2023: 3.09 min/arr.). 64% of these delays were attributed to ATC Staffing, followed by 20% of ATC Capacity, 12% of Aerodrome Capacity and 4% of Weather.
According to the Danish monitoring report: There were capacity constraints at the TWR/APP unit in EKCH due to lack of ATCO resources, which meant that the targets for 2023 were not met. NSA is following up on the measures taken by the ANSP to ensure higher capacity in the years to come. The ANSP has moved ATCO resources from another unit to EKCH and the NSA is looking into different possibilities to facilitate higher mobility of ATCO’s e.g. in relation to language barriers. Also WIP RWY 22L meant regulations for aerodrome and also weather affected the years result. Achievement of this year’s objectives depends on whether Naviairs plan will be fulfilled. In 2023, Naviair implemented several measures to increase capacity that involved NSA approval and follow-up.
The Danish performance plan sets a national target on arrival ATFM delay for all RP3 of 0.1 min/arr. This target was not met in 2023 with an actual performance of 3.09 min/arr. According to the Danish monitoring report, this performance corresponds to the maximum penalty (0.50%), automatically computed as 913,586 DKK.
| Airport level |
| Airport name |
Avg arrival
ATFM delay (KPI#2)
|
Slot adherence (PI#1)
|
ATC pre departure
delay (PI#2)
|
All causes pre departure
delay (PI#3)
|
| 2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
| Copenhagen |
NA |
0.02 |
0.02 |
3.09 |
NA |
98.7% |
99.2% |
98.9% |
98.8% |
NA% |
0.02 |
0.13 |
0.04 |
0.62 |
NA |
6.8 |
9.6 |
14.9 |
15.8 |
NA |
ATFM slot adherence
Copenhagen’s ATFM slot compliance in 2022 was 98.8%, showing a consistent good performance. With regard to the 1.2% of flights that did not adhere, 0.94% was early and 0.21% was late.
According to the Danish monitoring report: Performance is stable. NSA monitors the performance via monthly reports from the ANSP, and yearly evaluation.
ATC pre-departure delay
ATC pre-departure delay at Copenhagen (EKCH: 2021: 0.13 min/dep; 2022: 0.04 min/dep; 2023: 0.62 min/dep) has increased significantly in 2023 and it was considerably above the pre-pandemic value (0.09 min/dep).
All causes pre-departure delay
Influenced by the same issues observed above, the total (all causes) delay in the actual off block time at Copenhagen increased in 2023 (EKCH: 2020: 6.79 min/dep.; 2021: 9.63 min/dep.; 2022: 14.9 min/dep.; 2023: 15.79 min/dep.).