Cost-efficiency - Austria

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Terminal charging zone

Unit cost

Actual and determined data
Total costs - nominal (M€) 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029
Determined costs 55.6 57.2 57.7 59.2 61.2
Actual costs 57.6 NA NA NA NA
Difference costs 2.0 NA NA NA NA
Inflation assumptions 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029
Determined inflation rate 2.5% 2.3% 2.1% 2.1% 2.1%
Determined inflation index* 113.7 116.4 118.8 121.3 123.8
Actual inflation rate 3.6% NA NA NA NA
Actual inflation index* 114.8 NA NA NA NA
Difference inflation index (p.p.) +1.1 NA NA NA NA
*100 = 2022

AUC vs. DUC

In 2025, the terminal AUC was +3.7% (or +8.95 €2022) higher than the planned DUC. This results from the combination of higher than planned terminal costs in real terms (+2.8%, or +1.4 M€2022) and slightly lower than planned TNSUs (-0.9%).

Terminal service units

The difference between actual and planned TNSUs (-0.9%) falls inside the ±2% dead-band. Hence, the loss of terminal revenues is borne by the ANSPs.

Terminal costs by entity

Actual real terminal costs are +2.8% (+1.4 M€2022) higher than planned. This is the result of higher costs for the main ANSP, Austro Control (+3.4%, or +1.6 M€2022) and the NSA (+19.1%, or +0.03 M€2022) and lower costs for the MET service provider (-7.8%, or -0.3 M€2022).

Terminal costs for the main ANSP (Austro Control) at charging zone level

Based on the additional information to the terminal reporting tables, the higher than planned terminal costs in real terms for Austro Control in 2025 (+3.4%, or +1.6 M€2022) result from:

  • Significantly higher than planned staff costs (+5.7%), mainly due to higher than foreseen inflation and its effects on pension costs.

  • Lower than planned other operating costs (-5.0%).

  • Slightly lower than planned depreciation (-0.9%).

  • Slightly higher than planned cost of capital (+1.8%).

  • Slightly lower than planned exceptional costs (-0.9%), due to the effect of higher than planned inflation index (+1.1 p.p.) since in nominal terms the actual costs were equal to those planned.

Assessment of the actual performance in the charging zone reported by the NSA

The NSA of Austria provides the following overall assessment of the actual performance in 2025 at charging zone level:

“Higher costs together with a higher inflation and less traffic than determined led to higher real en route unit costs.”

[It should be noted that the extract from the NSA 2025 monitoring report cited above refers to “en-route” whereas it is reported under “terminal ANS” section of the report.]

Explanation of the differences between actual and determined costs at charging zone level reported by the NSA

The NSA provides the following explanation for the differences between actual and determined costs in the charging zone:

“Actual staff costs have been influenced by the higher than determined pension costs which are not within the ANSPs direct influence.”

Recommendations formulated by the NSA to the ANSP (Austro Control) to rectify the situation and actions taken by the ANSP

No information was provided in the NSA 2025 Monitoring Report.

Actual unit cost incurred by the users (AUCU) (PI#1)

AUCU components (€/SU) – 2025
€/SU
DUC 272.61
Inflation adjustment 2.29
Cost exempt from cost sharing 22.55
Traffic risk sharing adjustment 0.00
Traffic adjustment (costs not TRS) 0.17
Financial incentives 0.00
Modulation of charges 0.00
Cross-financing 0.00
Other revenues 0.00
Application of lower unit rate 0.00
Total adjustments 25.00
AUCU 297.62
AUCU vs. DUC + 9.2%
Cost exempt from cost sharing by item - 2025 €'000 €/SU
New and existing investments -170.3 -0.84
Competent authorities and qualified entities costs 32.3 0.16
Eurocontrol costs 0.0 0.00
Pension costs 4,697.6 23.23
Interest on loans 0.0 0.00
Changes in law 0.0 0.00
Total cost exempt from cost risk sharing 4,559.6 22.55

Terminal AUCU monitoring at charging zone level

The actual terminal unit cost incurred by airspace users (AUCU) in respect of activities performed in 2025 (297.62 €) is +9.2% higher than the nominal DUC (272.61 €). The difference between these two figures (+25.00 €/SU) is due to:

  • the positive inflation adjustment resulting from higher than planned inflation (+2.29 €/SU);

  • the impact of adjustments resulting from the costs exempted from cost sharing mechanism (+22.55 €/SU); and,

  • the addition of the traffic adjustment (+0.17 €/SU) for the costs not subject to traffic risk sharing.

The share of the regulatory result (see next sub-section) in the AUCU (before the deduction of other revenues) is 6.6%.

Initiatives implemented or planned that will improve this PI reported by the NSA

No information on such initiatives was provided in the NSA 2025 Monitoring Report.

Regulatory result (RR)

Austro Control net gain/loss on activity in the Austria terminal charging zone in 2025

Austro Control reported a net gain of +2.5 M€, as a combination of a gain of +3.0 M€ arising from the cost sharing mechanism, with a loss of -0.5 M€ arising from the traffic risk sharing mechanism. See also Note 1 below.

Austro Control overall regulatory result (RR) for the terminal activity

Ex-post, the overall RR, taking into account the net gain from the terminal activity mentioned above (+2.5 M€) and the actual RoE (+1.4 M€), amounts to +3.9 M€ (6.9% of the terminal revenues). The resulting ex-post rate of return on equity is 11.4%, which is higher than the 4.0% planned in the PP. See also Note 1 below.

Note 1

The analysis presented above excludes the costs of meteorological services provided by Austro Control since MET figures are disclosed separately in terminal reporting tables.