Capacity - Denmark

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PRB monitoring

• Denmark registered 0.11 minutes of average en route ATFM delay per flight during 2025, which remained 0.11 after the post-ops adjustment process, thus not achieving the local target value of 0.10. Delays in Denmark increased by 0.06 minutes per flight year-on-year.

• Delays were highest in September, mostly driven by ATC staffing.

• The share of delayed flights with delays longer than 15 minutes in Denmark decreased by -14 percentage points compared to 2024.

• The number of ATCOs in OPS was 83 being below the 2025 plan in Copenhagen ACC by -4 FTE.

• The yearly total of sector opening hours in Copenhagen ACC was 49,777, showing a 10% increase compared to 2024.

• Copenhagen ACC registered 10.35 IFR movements per sector opening hour in 2025, -9% below the level recorded in 2024.

• Denmark registered an average airport arrival ATFM delay of 0.55 minutes per flight in 2025, thus not achieving the local target of 0.2 minutes. Compared to 2024, average arrival ATFM delays in Denmark were 0.05 minutes per flight higher in 2025.

• The main drivers of delays were ATC staffing, accounting for 0.23 of the total delays, and other non-ATC causes, responsible for 0.16.

En route performance

En route ATFM delay (KPI#1)

NoteFocus on en route ATFM delay

En route ATFM delay

• Denmark had 600k flights in 2025, up from 594k flights in 2024.

• Naviair applied en route ATFM regulations resulting in 66k minutes of delay, an increase from the 28k minutes in 2024.

• Under the auspices of the Route Network (RN) Scenarios during Capacity & Weather Based Operations between June and September 2025, <1k minutes of delay originating in Denmark were re-attributed to other ANSPs.

• When the above post-operations re-attribution is factored in, the total en route delay for Naviair in 2025 was 65k minutes in 2025.

Regarding the reasons and circumstances resulting in the achieved level of actual performance of the en route ATFM delay per flight KPI, the NSA reports: “The average delay was 0.11 minutes per flight in 2025, below the reference value set in the RP4-planning (0.17).

52% of the delays were due to the reason ATC Staffing, 29% due to ATC Capacity, 13% due to the reason Weather and 6% due to the reason Airspace Management.

Post summer 57% of the total yearly delay can be attributed to September 2025 were there were ATFM-regulations mainly due to ATC Staffing and ATC Capacity. This is the main contributing factor relating to not reaching the target.”

Regarding the description of the adjustments to the capacity plan included in adopted performance plan, the NSA reports: “None”

Regarding the identification and analysis by the NSA of the underlying reasons or circumstances having led to the performance target not being achieved, the NSA reports: “The underperformance were minimal. The NSA agrees with Naviair on the reasons behind.”

En route capacity incentive scheme

The Danish NSA reports that neither a financial bonus, nor malus, is applicable to Naviair, in regard to the 2025 en route capacity performance. The local en route incentive target was set at 0.1 mins/flight with a deadband of +/-0.04.

The actual value of 0.11 mins/flight falls within the deadband.

En route performance indicators at ACC level (PI#4-5)

NoteFocus en route performance indicators at ACC level

Percentage of total en route ATFM delay that occurred on days when the daily throughput was above the expected daily traffic

As background information on actual performance, the NSA reports: “No remarks – there is still work being done to interpret and link the PI to the operational performance.”

Annual weighted average of the daily peak throughput

As background information on actual performance, the NSA reports: “No remarks – there is still work being done to interpret and link the PI to the operational performance.”

Other en route information

NoteFocus on other en route information

ATCOs in operations

As additional comments to ATCOs in the scope of the performance scheme, the NSA reports: “The number of ATCO in OPS turned out lower than expected, mainly reflecting a significantly weaker succession rate for our trainees than expected. Meanwhile, successful postponements of pension schemes lead to slightly fewer ATCO in OPS that stopped working in the OPS room.”

Regarding the training process, including details on the effective failure rate and the process used to allocate newly qualified ATCOs between ACC, APP and TWR positions, the NSA reports: “While expectations were of an effective failure rate of 20%, the realized failure rate was closer to 60%.”

Terminal performance

Arrival ATFM delay (KPI#2)

NoteFocus on arrival ATFM delay

Arrival ATFM delay

Average ATFM arrival delay in Denmark was 0.55 min/arr in 2025, the first year of RP4. The performance was very close to 2024, last year of RP3, when there were 0.50 min/arr.

The average for RP4 airports subject to monitoring of ATFM Arrival delay across Member States in 2025 was 0.97 min/arr.

Regarding the reasons and circumstances resulting in the achieved level of actual performance of the arrival ATFM delay per flight KPI, the NSA reports: “The average delay was 0.55 minutes per flight in 2025, which on the same level as 2024-value of 0,50.

42% of the delays were due to the reason ATC Staffing, 26% due to the reason Aerodrome capacity, 25% due to the reason Weather and 4% due to ATC Capacity.

Naviairs notes that there are currently an intensive focus on increasing staff-levels for Copenhagen Airports and the rest of Naviairs operational units. ATC staffing isolated (0.23) is on target level (0.20 in 2025), while more than 50% of delays can be attributed to factors related to Aerodrome or Weather. This trend with increasing other contributing factors is being monitored going forward.”

Regarding the identification and analysis by the NSA of the underlying reasons or circumstances having led to the performance target not being achieved, the NSA reports: “Most of the delay is attributed to factors outside the ANSPs sphere of influence. Besides that ATC staffing delay must be reduced.”

Regarding recommendations to the ANSP to rectify the situation, the NSA reports: “Continued intense focus on increasing staffing levels in Naviair.”

Regarding remedial measures that have been / will be taken by the ANSP to rectify the situation, the NSA reports: “The NSA is aware that recruitment and training are ongoing, with associated risks related to staffing levels and service delivery.”

Terminal capacity incentive scheme

In the first year of RP4, with an ATFM arrival delay of 0.55 min/arr, Denmark did not achieve the national target of 0.2 min/arr. The KPI is beyond the end of the malus sliding range for the incentive scheme, meaning that the maximum penalty of 1.0% applies. As such, the NSA computes a penalty of DKK 2,396,036.00.

Other terminal performance indicators (PI#1-3)

Airport level
Airport name	Avg arrival ATFM delay (KPI#2)					Slot adherence (PI#1)
	2025	2026	2027	2028	2029	2025	2026	2027	2028	2029
Copenhagen	0.55	NA	NA	NA	NA	99.1%	NA	NA	NA	NA

Airport name	ATC pre departure delay (PI#2)					All causes pre departure delay (PI#3)
	2025	2026	2027	2028	2029	2025	2026	2027	2028	2029
Copenhagen	0.14	NA	NA	NA	NA	9.48	NA	NA	NA	NA

NoteFocus on other terminal performance indicators

ATFM slot adherence

ATFM slot adherence in 2025 was equal to 99.1%, very close to 2024 value – last year of RP3 – of 99.3%. This is the third highest among RP4 states. With regard to the 0.9% of flights that did not adhere, 0.8% were early and 0.1% were late.

The average for RP4 airports subject to monitoring of ATFM slot adherence across Member States in 2025 was 96.3%.

As background information on actual performance, the NSA reports: “Performance is stable.

NSA monitors the performance via monthly reports from the ANSP, and yearly evaluation.

A flow manager from Naviair is continuously monitoring and analysing the performance indicator and coordinates with involves airlines/airport when needed.

2024: 99,3% -> 2025 99,1% - No noticable difference in performance and amongst the highest in EU.”

ATC pre-departure delay

Delay in 2025 was equal to 0.14 min/dep, very close to 2024 value– last year of RP3 – of 0.10 min/dep. This is the third lowest among RP4 states.

The average for RP4 airports subject to monitoring of ATC pre-departure delay across Member States and for which enough data is available in 2025 was 0.74 min/dep.

As background information on actual performance, the NSA reports: “No remarks – the pre-departure values for both Total and ATC are the close to the lowest in Europe with minimal contribution from ATC.”

All causes pre-departure delay

Delay in 2025 decreased to 9.48 min/dep, 17% lower than 2024 value – last year of RP3 – of 11.52 min/dep. This is the third lowest among RP4 states.

The average for RP4 airports subject to monitoring of all causes pre-departure delay across Member States in 2025 was 16.47 min/dep.

As background information on actual performance, the NSA reports: “No remarks – the pre-departure values for both Total and ATC are the close to the lowest in Europe with minimal contribution from ATC.”