PRB monitoring
▪ NAV Portugal achieved the RP3 EoSM targets for all five Management Objectives in 2020. However, in 2023, the ANSP experienced a decline in performance, failing to maintain the required level for Safety Risk Management. In response, NAV Portugal implemented targeted measures in 2024, particularly in the area of occurrence analysis and monitoring, which enabled the organisation to recover and achieve the required RP3 EoSM target level D in this management objective.
▪ Portugal recorded stable performance with respect to safety occurrences, with lower rates of separation infringement and runway incursion. The NSA approved the State safety plan related to monitoring of occurrences and implementation and efficiency of specific measures.
Effectiveness of Safety Management (EoSM) (KPI#1)
All five EoSM components of the ANSP meet or exceed the RP3 target level. Over 2024, significant improvements were observed for “Safety Policy and Objectives” and “Safety Risk Management” allowing achievements of the maximum level D.
NAV Portugal started RP3 achieving the RP3 EoSM targets for all five Management Objectives in 2020, reaching maturity level D on three of five Management Objective. In 2021, NAV Portugal further improved Safety Culture to reach maturity level D. However, in 2023, the ANSP experienced a decline in performance failing to maintain already achieved maturity levels. While still on target for four out of five Management Objectives, Safety Risk Management was defined at maturity level C. In response, NAV Portugal implemented targeted measures in 2024, particularly in the area of occurrence analysis and monitoring, which enabled the organisation to achieve the RP3 EoSM targets.
The NSA performed a focused audit to validate the ANSP version of the EoSM to assess the actual achievement of the reported levels.
Safety occurrences
Rate of runway incursions (RIs) (PI#1)
| Rate of RIs per 100,000 airport movements - Portugal |
| # |
Airport name |
APT movements |
Number of RI |
Rate RI per 100,000 |
| 1 |
Lisbon |
229,811 |
0 |
0.00 |
| 2 |
Porto |
107,071 |
1 |
0.93 |
| 3 |
Faro |
67,093 |
0 |
0.00 |
| 4 |
Cascais |
42,119 |
0 |
0.00 |
| 5 |
Madeira |
33,385 |
0 |
0.00 |
| 6 |
Ponta Delgada |
27,531 |
1 |
3.63 |
| 7 |
Horta |
5,860 |
0 |
0.00 |
| 8 |
Porto Santo |
3,673 |
0 |
0.00 |
| 9 |
Santa Maria |
3,135 |
0 |
0.00 |
| 10 |
Flores |
2,287 |
0 |
0.00 |
| 11 |
Montijo |
0 |
0 |
NA |
Throughput RP3, Portugal recorded a low rate of RIs at the Member State level, well below the Union-wide average. The rate also remained stable between 2023 and 2024. The number RI occurrences with ANS contribution decreased despite an increased number of movements, with the rate of RIs with ANS contribution being reduced by 50%.• Throughput RP3, Portugal recorded a low rate of RIs at the Member State level, well below the Union-wide average. The rate also remained stable between 2023 and 2024. The number RI occurrences with ANS contribution decreased despite an increased number of movements, with the rate of RIs with ANS contribution being reduced by 50%.
NAV Portugal performed an increased number of observational safety surveys directed to the application of runway incursion preventative measures, namely the adherence to the Global Action Plan for the Prevention of Runway Incursions (GAPPRI) recommendations.
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 |
NAV Portugal |
175,009 |
215,958 |
406,816 |
854,121 |
924,446 |
10 |
13 |
30 |
22 |
14 |
5.7 |
6.0 |
7.4 |
2.6 |
1.5 |
NA |
+5% |
+23% |
-65% |
-41% |
After an initial increase in the number of occurrences, the rate of SMIs at the Member State level recorded from 2022 a steady downwards trend. The trend continued in 2024 with a 36% reduction in the number of SMI occurrences compared with 2023 and a corresponding decrease of the rate of SMIs. The rate of SMIs at the Member State level remains below the Union-wide average.
The rate of SMIs with ANS contributions peaked in 2022 after a significant increase in flight hours and the number of SMI occurrences, but since then showed a downward trend, which continued into 2024 despite an increase in flight hours.
The NSA specifies that the ATM system allows improvements in the situational awareness of ATCOS, by means of several safety mechanisms included within the system (e.g. STCA, APW, AIW, MTCD). Moreover, the recent implementation of the point merge system and the restructuring of Lisbon’s terminal area airspace also contributed to improve the situation awareness and positively affected the rate of SMIs.
Quality of occurences reporting
The number of occurrences reported at Member State level seems consistent with the occurrences reported at the ANSP level for SMIs and RIs. In 2020, there were not reported any SMIs at the Member State level, while SMIs with ANS contributions were reported. These numbers should be consistent.
Use of automated safety data recording system (ASDRS) (PI#3)
| Use of automated safety data recording system - 2024 |
| For RIs |
For SMIs |
| ✘ |
✘ |
NAV Portugal does not use automated safety data recording systems.