Annual Monitoring Report 2023 - 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
2023: 1 EUR
Share of Union-wide traffic (TSUs) 2023 17.2%
Share of Union-wide en route costs 2023 20.4%
Share en route / terminal costs 2023 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 3,234K actual IFR movements in 2023, +9% compared to 2022 (2,971K).
▪ Actual 2023 IFR movements were +1.2% above the plan (3,196K).
▪ Actual 2023 IFR movements represent 96% of the actual 2019 level (3,372K).
▪ France recorded 21,088K actual en route service units in 2023, +12% compared to 2022 (18,898K).
▪ Actual 2023 service units were +0.3% above the plan (21,020K).
▪ Actual 2023 service units represent 97% of the actual 2019 level (21,782K).
Safety (Main ANSP)
▪ In 2023 DSNA undertook the thorough review of its SMS function, concluding that some of the requirements were not met anymore. Consecutively, the maturity levels for four management objectives (safety culture, policy and objectives, risk management and safety promotion) were downgraded and DSNA achieved the RP3 targets only for safety assurance.
▪ DSNA has developed a corrective action plan ensuring that they can regaining the target levels. The NSA is monitoring implementation of the actions closely through continuous monitoring.
▪ France recorded an increase in the rate of runway incursions and a decrease in the rate of separation minima infringements relative to 2022. 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 do not use automated safety data recording systems for runway incursions.
Environment (Member State)
▪ France achieved a KEA performance of 3.33% compared to its target of 2.83% and did not contribute positively towards achieving the Union-wide target.
▪ The NSA states that 2023 performance was affected by high peak traffic levels during the summer and traffic volatility, weather issues and industrial action.
▪ Both KEP and SCR deteriorated in 2023. The NSA states that 50% of French airspace is now covered by FRA.
▪ The share of CDO flights increased marginally from 13.36% to 14.21% in 2023.
▪ During 2023, additional time in terminal airspace increased from 0.89 to 0.90 min/flight, while additional taxi out time increased from 2.43 to 2.72 min/flight.
▪ Additional taxi out time data for Marseille airport has not been reported for 2023 despite being subject to monitoring as per the Regulation.
Capacity (Member State)
▪ France registered 2.09 minutes of average en route ATFM delay per flight during 2023 which has increased to 2.13 during the post-ops adjustment process, thus not achieving the local target value of 0.25. Delays in France increased by 0.65 minutes per flight year-on-year.
▪ Most of the delays accumulated between March and October, due to industrial action, adverse weather conditions and ATC staffing and ATM system transition.
▪ The share of delayed flights with delays longer than 15 minutes in France increased by 2 p.p. compared to 2022 and was higher than 2019 values.
▪ The average number of IFR movements was 4% below 2019 levels in France in 2023.
▪ In Bordeaux ACC the number of ATCOs in OPS is expected to increase by 14% by 2024, with the actual value being below the 2023 plan by 18 FTEs. In Brest the number of ATCOs in OPS is expected to increase by 2% by 2024, with the actual value being below the 2023 plan by 12 FTEs. In Marseille the number of ATCOs in OPS is expected to increase by 14% by 2024, with the actual value being over the 2023 plan by 6 FTEs. In Paris the number of ATCOs in OPS is expected to increase by 3% by 2024, with the actual value being below the 2023 plan by 2 FTEs. In Reims the number of ATCOs in OPS is expected to increase by 2% by 2024, with the actual value being over the 2023 plan by 18 FTEs.
▪ The yearly total of sector opening hours in Bordeaux ACC was 79,054, showing a 2.7% increase compared to 2022. Sector opening hours are 7.3% above 2019 levels. The yearly total of sector opening hours in Reims ACC was 62,948, showing a 5.6% decrease compared to 2022. Sector opening hours are 8.4% below 2019 levels. The yearly total of sector opening hours in Paris ACC was 74,134, showing a 10.4% decrease compared to 2022. Sector opening hours are 28% below 2019 levels. The yearly total of sector opening hours in Marseille ACC was 110,418, showing a 5.4% increase compared to 2022. Sector opening hours are 9.7% above 2019 levels. The yearly total of sector opening hours in Brest ACC was 74,308, showing a 17.3% increase compared to 2022. Sector opening hours are 9.1% below 2019 levels.
▪ Bordeaux ACC registered 11.77 IFR movements per one sector opening hour in 2023, being 11.9% below 2019 levels. Reims ACC registered 16.5 IFR movements per one sector opening hour in 2023, being 11.0% above 2019 levels. Paris ACC registered 15.11 IFR movements per one sector opening hour in 2023, being 27.1% above 2019 levels. Marseille ACC registered 10.12 IFR movements per one sector opening hour in 2023, being 12.1% below 2019 levels. Brest ACC registered 13.88 IFR movements per one sector opening hour in 2023, being 2.7% above 2019 levels.
▪ Year-on-year traffic growth was 9% in France, which is, on average, in line with the STATFOR October 2021 Base forecast. Major industrial actions had a detrimental impact on capacity performance in France in 2023. Ongoing system implementation and the training of ATCOs should show considerable improvement in the coming years.
Cost-efficiency (En route/Terminal charging zone(s))
▪ The en route 2023 actual unit cost of France was 59.30 €2017, -4.5% lower than the determined unit cost (62.09 €2017). The terminal zone 1 2023 actual unit cost was 87.94 €2017, -14% lower than the determined unit cost (102.21 €2017), while the terminal zone 2 2023 actual unit cost was 348.64 €2017, +2.9% higher than the determined unit cost (338.81 €2017).
▪ The en route 2023 actual service units (21.1M) were +0.3% higher than the determined service units (21.0M).
▪ In 2023, the en route actual total costs were -55 M€2017 lower (-4.2%) than determined, mainly due to a reduction in staff cost (-49 M€2017, or -6.8%). However, in nominal terms, the actual staff costs show an increase of +2.8% compared to the determined figures. Additionally, France registered lower depreciation costs (-12 M€2017, or -7.0%), mainly due to postponement of investments.
▪ DSNA spent 220 M€2017 in 2023 related to costs of investments for both en route and terminal charging zones, -5.8% lower than determined (233 M€2017). The primary reasons for this reduction were associated with the postponement of a major project’s commissioning, delays in projects from previous years, and the reclassification of some investment costs to project-related OPEX costs given specific public accounting rules of the French State.
▪ The en route actual unit cost incurred by users in 2023 was 69.11€ (+5.1% above the 2023 DUC), while the terminal zone 1 actual unit cost incurred by users was 174.77€ (+62% above the 2023 DUC), and 261.74€ (-28% below the 2023 DUC) for terminal zone 2. The difference between the AUCU and the DUC in terminal charging zones is primarily attributed to the cross-financing adjustment that transferred 44 M€ from terminal zone 2 to terminal zone 1.