Safety - France

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PRB monitoring

  • In 2025, DSNA did not meet the planned maturity levels set out in its performance plan for any of the components of the EoSM.

  • In more detail, DSNA scored A in all management objectives. Significant improvements are needed from DSNA to reach the EoSM targets by the end of RP4.

  • The rate of runway incursions (RI) was 1.73 at airport level, lower than the Union-wide average, but slightly higher than the rate of RIs in 2024. The rate of RIs with ANS contribution was 0.69, lower than the Union-wide average, and stable rate compared to 2024.

  • The rate of separation minima infringements (SMIs) at State level was 17.54, and at ANSP level 14.16. Both indicators were significantly above the Union-wide average. Compared to 2024, rate of SMI has increased slightly at State level and decreased slightly at ANSP level.

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

In 2025, DSNA did not achieve the planned maturity levels set out in its performance plan for any of the components of the EoSM. DSNA scored A for all the safety management objectives and needs significant improvement for the EoSM in order to reach the targets by the end of RP4.

The monitoring report states that in 2025, an internal evaluation project of the DSNA's SMS was conducted in light of the new EoSM questionnaire. The project yielded results below target for each of the five pillars for the year 2025:

  • Safety policy: The EoSM rating of A is primarily due to the lack of formalization of responsibilities, accountability and authorizations related to the activities described in the SMS, as well as the absence of a validated SMS implementation plan.

  • Safety risk management: DSNA does not have an established hazard reference framework, defined risk and safety levels, or formal processes for assessing risk or the effectiveness of a risk reduction mechanism.

  • Safety assurance: the A rating is explained by the absence of a safety survey process.

  • Safety promotion: the absence of a formalized skills framework prevents the formal assessment of these skills.

  • Safety culture: the EoSM rating of A is primarily due to the absence of a recurring safety culture survey since 2011 and a lack of training on the principles of a just culture.

In terms of main measures put in place to achieve the safety performance targets, the monitoring report defines the following elements:

  • Implementation of a SMS transformation program, with a dedicated program director, and a program structure based on industry standards (sponsor, steering committee, management of deliverables, schedules, human and financial resources, risk management, and interdependencies). This program will involve internal expertise within the various DSNA directions, both nationally and locally, as well as external resources (contracts with service providers).

  • Strengthening the safety culture, through the implementation of a safety culture survey involving each DSNA employee, the results of which will identify the actions to be taken.

  • Implementation of a contract with a qualified external service provider specializing in organizational and human factors, risk management, and safety management systems, to strengthen expertise in these areas and provide an external perspective.

In terms of remedial actions implemented or planned, as described in the monitoring report, DSNA SMS transformation program aims for the highest level of maturity realistically achievable within the allotted time for each pillar. However, the current state of the DSNA's SMS, as well as the constraints of the questionnaire (e.g., some processes must be reviewed once per reference period, with two reviews required to demonstrate compliance), will not allow the expected level to be reached before the next reference period: regarding safety risk management, the stated ambition for 2029 is not the D rating required by RP4. However, it is necessary to build the safety risk management activity from scratch and, in parallel, to carry out a profound cultural transformation, both within DSNA and in our relationships with our partners and subcontractors.

The NSA describes in the monitoring report that irrespective of the ANSP self assessment and taking due account of the NCA analysis, France confirms its ambition to meet the targets at the end of RP4. Considering DSNA failing to fully implement its RP3 EoSM corrective action plan and the impact on the RP4 EoSM 2025 actual performance, the NCA and the NSA will both closely monitor the progress of the transformation programme initiated by the DSNA, including covering the current forecasted gap (C vs D) with respect to Safety risk management at the end of RP4.An enhanced NSA - NCA coordination will be put in place over RP4 on the progress of the implementation of DSNA corrections and corrective actions. In parallel, the NCA’s oversight will continue to highlight the various shortcomings in the maturity of the DSNA’s SMS.

According to the annex for the monitoring report, this programme, named DSNA SMS 2030, inspired by the SMS implementation plans published by ICAO and EUROCONTROL-CANSO, is structured into distinct phases. The objective of this programme is to install within DSNA, by the end of the current reference period, a compliant, effective and efficient SMS, as well as a positive and shared safety culture. The first phase, launched in the early months of 2026 and running until the end of that year, is dedicated to:

  • Proposing solutions to address the main shortcomings identified and reclaim B-level as soon as possible on most pillars,

  • Organizing the work of the subsequent phase by establishing a qualified team to carry out the remaining activities,

  • Initiating foundational activities, such as conducting a safety culture survey, establishing a DSNA-wide hazard log, or reviewing the organization of the SMS, which will be completed during the second phase.

The second phase, with a duration of three years (2027–2029), aimed at achieving a “managed” or “resilient” level across all components of the SMS. Furthermore, the annex notes that as the first phase of the programme is currently underway and DSNA’s Safety Management System (SMS) improvement is a top priority, DSNA has undertaken the following measures:

  • Mobilisation of its management around the SMS and its reconstruction, the strengthening of the safety culture, and the reaffirmation of the essential leadership role of management in safety matters, through a management seminar dedicated to safety and the SMS that took place in December 2025. Following this seminar, all operational units are fully engaged in the SMS improvement process.

  • Strengthening of the safety culture through the launch of a safety culture assessment involving all DSNA staff, the results of which will be used to identify areas for improvement and define appropriate actions. This initiative was presented to DSNA management and to staff representative organizations in February 2026.

  • Establishment of a contract with a qualified external service provider specializing in organizational and human factors, risk management and safety management systems, to enhance expertise in these areas and provide an independent external perspective.

Safety occurrences

Rate of runway incursions (RIs) (PI#1) and Rate of runway incursion with ANS contribution (PI#3)

Rate of RIs per 100,000 airport movements - France
# Airport name APT movements Number of RI Rate RI per 100,000 Number of RI with ANS contribution Rate RI per 100,000 with ANS contribution
1 Paris Charles de Gaulle 480,283 3 0.62 1 0.21
2 Paris Orly 218,813 1 0.46 1 0.46
3 Nice 169,202 5 2.96 4 2.36
4 Marseille 110,349 5 4.53 1 0.91
5 Bâle-Mulhouse 94,026 0 0.00 0 0.00
6 Lyon-Saint-Exupéry 93,719 2 2.13 1 1.07
7 Toulouse-Blagnac 79,041 2 2.53 1 1.27
8 Cannes-Mandelieu 72,678 1 1.38 0 0.00
9 Toussus-le-Noble 67,691 0 0.00 0 0.00
10 Nantes-Atlantique 65,027 2 3.08 0 0.00
11 Bordeaux-Mérignac 59,302 1 1.69 1 1.69
12 Paris-Le Bourget 58,736 0 0.00 0 0.00
13 Perpignan-Rivesaltes 55,074 1 1.82 0 0.00
14 Lyon-Bron 50,613 0 0.00 0 0.00
15 Avignon-Caumont 47,930 1 2.09 0 0.00
16 Beauvais-Tillé 47,294 0 0.00 0 0.00
17 Pau-Pyrénées 42,891 2 4.66 2 4.66
18 Brest-Bretagne 40,304 1 2.48 0 0.00
19 Rennes-Saint-Jacques 37,222 0 0.00 0 0.00
20 Grenoble-Alpes-Isère 36,628 0 0.00 0 0.00
21 Annecy-Meythet 34,441 2 5.81 2 5.81
22 Ajaccio-Napoléon-Bonaparte 34,357 0 0.00 0 0.00
23 Nîmes-Garons 33,484 0 0.00 0 0.00
24 Clermont-Ferrand-Auvergne 32,195 1 3.11 1 3.11
25 Chambéry-Aix-les-Bains 29,777 0 0.00 0 0.00
26 Biarritz-Pays Basque 28,487 2 7.02 0 0.00
27 Lille-Lesquin 27,868 0 0.00 0 0.00
28 Béziers-Vias 27,304 0 0.00 0 0.00
29 Bastia-Poretta 26,819 0 0.00 0 0.00
30 La Rochelle-Ile de Ré 26,529 0 0.00 1 3.77
31 Montpellier-Méditerranée 24,720 0 0.00 0 0.00
32 Strasbourg-Entzheim 24,059 1 4.16 1 4.16
33 Lorient-Lann Bihoué 22,398 1 4.46 0 0.00
34 Hyères-Le Palyvestre 22,157 5 22.57 0 0.00
35 Carcassonne-Salvaza 21,852 0 0.00 0 0.00
36 Limoges-Bellegarde 21,595 0 0.00 0 0.00
37 Caen-Carpiquet 21,106 0 0.00 0 0.00
38 Poitiers-Biard 18,383 1 5.44 0 0.00
39 Tarbes-Lourdes Pyrénées 17,934 0 0.00 0 0.00
40 Saint-Nazaire-Montoir 16,605 0 0.00 0 0.00
41 Tours-Val de Loire 16,036 0 0.00 0 0.00
42 Istres-Le-Tubé 15,959 4 25.06 0 0.00
43 Figari-Sud Corse 15,814 0 0.00 0 0.00
44 Bergerac-Dordogne-Périgord 15,074 0 0.00 0 0.00
45 Calvi-Sainte-Catherine 13,732 0 0.00 0 0.00
46 Quimper-Pluguffan 13,641 0 0.00 0 0.00
47 Deauville-Normandie 12,469 1 8.02 0 0.00
48 Brive-Souillac 10,766 0 0.00 0 0.00
49 Rodez-Aveyron 10,234 0 0.00 0 0.00
50 Châteauroux-Déols 10,097 0 0.00 0 0.00
51 Dôle-Tavaux 8,304 0 0.00 0 0.00
52 Châlons-Vatry 7,097 0 0.00 0 0.00
53 Albert-Bray 5,337 0 0.00 1 18.74
54 Metz-Nancy-Lorraine 4,266 0 0.00 0 0.00

France reported 45 runway incursions (RI) during 2025 for all airports listed in the performance plans (54). When comparing the rate of RIs at airport level to Union-wide level, France was lower than Union-wide average (1.73 vs 2.70). The rate has increased compared to 2024 (1.73 vs 1.23).

France reported 18 runway incursions with ANS contribution in 2025. When comparing the rate of RIs at airport level with ANS contribution, France was lower than Union-wide average (0.69 vs 0.87). The rate remains stable compared to 2024 (0.69 vs 0.68).

As described in the monitoring report, in 2026 and beyond, DSNA has decided to prioritize runway incursion risk prevention by an action plan, which will be done in cooperation with all stakeholders (Airspace users, general aviation, aerodrome operators, State regulator, etc). Prevention of runway incursions is also considered one of France’s key safety priorities. In this context, NSA actively monitors, as part of its oversight activities, the implementation of the DSNA action plan. Furthermore, DSNA has launched a modernization project for ASMGCS (Advanced Surface Movement Guidance and Control Systems) outside the Paris region, enabling the deployment of safety nets for France’s major airports namely at Nice, Marseille, Lyon, Toulouse, Basel (Bâle-Mulhouse) from late 2028 until 2030.

Rate of separation minima infringements (SMIs) (PI#2) and Rate of separation minima infringements with ANS contribution (PI#4)

Rate of SMI with ANS contribution per 100,000 flight hours
# ANSP
Flight hours
Number of SMIs with ANS contribution
Rate of SMI with ANS contribution per 100,000 flight hours
% variation in rate of SMIs
2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029
1 DSNA 2,012,167 NA NA NA NA 285 NA NA NA NA 14.2 NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA

At State level, France reported 353 separation minima infringements (SMI) in their airspace during 2025. The rate of separation minima infringements was significantly higher than Union-wide average (17.54 vs 7.87). At ANSP level, France reported 285 SMIs with ANS contribution. The rate of separation minima infringements at ANSP level was significantly higher than the Union-wide average (14.16 vs 6.02).

When comparing to 2024, the rate of separation minima infringements has increased at State level (17.54 vs 17.15) and decreased at ANSP level (14.16 vs 14.44).

In terms of initiatives implemented or planned, the monitoring report notes the implementation of the new ATM system named 4Flight for the ACCs, currently in operation at Reims (LFEE), Aix (LFMM), Paris (LFFF) and planned for Bordeaux (LFBB) and Brest (LFRR) in 2028 & 2029. This new system embarked new functionalities such as the TCT (Tactical Controller Tool) which allowed prevention of SMI. The number of SMI has significantly decreased for the ACC where 4F is in operation.

The NSA notes in the monitoring report that continuous oversight activities are carried out to monitor the effectiveness of safety nets within the 4F system, including through regular safety follow‑up meetings.