Safety - Belgium

PRB monitoring

▪ In 2024, skeyes did not achieve its planned maturity level for Safety Risk Management and Safety Assurance. Consequently, skeyes did not achieve the RP3 target.

▪ The overall safety performance of skeyes was stable. The rate of separation minima infringements (SMIs) and runway incursion (RIs) were lower than in 2023 and remained below the Union-wide average.

▪ Belgium should ensure that the ANSP implements, in a timely and cost-efficient manner, the necessary additional measures such as enhanced processes, improved allocation of resources, targeted training, and systematic reviews. Without such actions, the achievement of the RP4 targets could be jeopardised.

Effectiveness of Safety Management (EoSM) (KPI#1)

Three EoSM components of the ANSP meet the RP3 target level. Over 2024, degradation was observed for one question for “Safety Assurance” reducing the maturity of the component from level C to the level B, and consequently not achieving the target for this component. Additionally, the ANSP will need to improve two questions for “Safety Risk Management” to achieve RP3 targets.

Having achieved the maturity level C for all Management Objectives in 2023, skeyes degraded performance in 2024 for Safety Assurance, being unable to demonstrate the implementation of a compliant internal SMS auditing process. As a result, the NSA downgraded the maturity level of this component to level B. In addition, skeyes did not manage the planned improvement in Safety Risk Management, still needing to improve on 2 of the 3 areas defined in the RP3 EoSM.

The NSA established a training programme for its staff to ensure a consistent and coherent approach to assess safety management. Additionally, the NSA will conduct an audit of skeyes’ SMS to verify the effectiveness of the measures implemented.

Safety occurrences

Rate of runway incursions (RIs) (PI#1)

Rate of RIs per 100,000 airport movements - Belgium
# Airport name APT movements Number of RI Rate RI per 100,000
1 Brussels 198,617 0 0.00

The overall safety performance of the Member State over RP3 was stable, with a single occurrence of runway incursion (RI) in 2024 compared to 5 in 2023. Belgium remained, in respect to RIs, well below the Union-wide average throughout RP3, with few runway incursions.

Rate of separation minima infringements (SMIs) (PI#2)

Rate of SMI with ANS contribution per 100,000 flight hours
# ANSP
Flight hours
Number of SMIs
Rate of SMI per 100,000 flight hours
% variation in rate of SMIs
2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
1 skeyes 55,762 134,413 97,089 100,450 100,314 1 5 6 13 18 1.8 8.2 8.2 19.9 17.9 NA +356% +1% +142% -10%

The overall safety performance of the Member State saw an upward jump in 2024 compared to 2023, but still below the rate seen in early RP3 and with a rate remaining below the Union-wide average. Skeyes has seen an increasing trend in SMIs from 2022 and onwards, but with a rate of SMIs well below the Union-wide average.

Quality of occurences reporting

Belgium adjusted the number of RP3 occurrences in 2024 to cater for an error in the determination of events at the ANSP level for both RIs and SMIs.

Use of automated safety data recording system (ASDRS) (PI#3)

Use of automated safety data recording system - 2024
For RIs For SMIs
  ✘   ✘

skeyes does not use automated safety data recording systems.