Environment - Romania
PRB monitoring
Romania registered a KEA performance of 3.70%. Their target of 3.54% was not achieved and Romania did not contribute positively to Union-wide performance. The NSA states the main reasons for not meeting the target are outside the control of the ANSP and are largely driven by inefficient flight routings as a result of geopolitical instability.
KEP and KES improved marginally in comparison with 2024. The improvement in KES shows that Romania has improved the element of horizontal flight efficiency that is under its control.
VFE of the actual en route trajectory was at 78.03%, which was better than the average Union-wide performance.
The average time in level flight during descent deteriorated marginally and during climb deteriorated compared to 2024.
Additional taxi-out time was 4.02 min/flight which was stable compared to 2024, and additional taxi-in time was 1.77 min/flight, which deteriorated compared to 1.62 min/flight in 2024.
Additional time in the arrival sequencing and metering area deteriorated marginally to 2.57 min/flight.
En route performance
Horizontal flight efficiency of the actual trajectory (KEA) (KPI#1), of the last filed flight plan (KEP) (PI#1), shortest constrained route (KES) (PI#2) and vertical flight efficiency of the actual trajectory (VFE) (PI#3)
NoteFocus on en route performance
KEA
With respect to 2024, Romania has seen an improvement of KEA (3.70% in 2025 vs 3.77% in 2024) and a very slight improvement in the KEA corrected for the effect of the war in Ukraine (1.76% in 2025 vs 1.77% in 2024). In 2025 those values rank Romania as 20th in terms of KEA and 11th in terms of corrected KEA.
The contribution to the overall additional distance in the SES area is the 5th highest in 2025, with a value of 5.33%.
Regarding the assessment of the achieved level of actual performance in the environment KPA, the NSA reports: “ROMATSA: The KEA target for 2025 (3.54%) was not met, with an actual value of 3.70%, representing a deviation of +0.16 percentage points. The underlying reasons remain structurally unchanged from those documented in previous years and are attributable to factors outside the control of ROMATSA and the Romanian State.
It is noted that the RP4 KEA targets were set taking into account the impact of the war in Ukraine on European flight efficiency, with the PRB quantifying the Union-wide effect at approximately +0.24 percentage points per year for as long as airspace closures persist. Notwithstanding this adjustment, the targets have not been achieved, demonstrating that the geopolitical impact on Romanian airspace exceeds the allowance embedded in the RP4 planning baseline. This is particularly significant given that Romania has already implemented the full range of available airspace liberalisation measures. In the absence of further structural improvements available to ROMATSA, the residual deviation is driven exclusively by external factors.
a) The re-routings caused by the war in Ukraine, ongoing since February 2022, continued to generate atypical trajectory patterns through Romanian airspace in 2025. Traffic flows circumnavigating the conflict area have been pushed further towards the south-western part of the Bucharest FIR, increasing the average distance per flight compared to optimal trajectories. These structural rerouting effects continue to drive a persistent and significant divergence between actual and planned KEA values.
b) The Iran-Israel conflict of June 2025, which resulted in the closure of Iranian, Iraqi and Israeli airspace, added a further layer of trajectory distortion during the affected period.
c) The flown distance also reflects the preference of airline operators to overfly areas perceived as geopolitically safe and stable, irrespective of whether this results in longer or less optimal trajectories from an environmental perspective. This constitutes an airspace user decision entirely outside ROMATSA's control.
The horizontal flight efficiency methodology does not differentiate between inefficiencies attributable to ANSP performance and those generated by factors beyond the control of States and ANSPs. Romania reiterates the need for the KEA methodology to be reviewed so as to exclude the influence of external factors not under ROMATSA's or the State's control, and to ensure consistency and accuracy of measurements in areas bordering airspace with unreliable current position reporting (CPR) coverage.
Romania and ROMATSA remain fully committed to improving environmental performance on the basis of reliable data and in response to airspace users' needs, and continue to implement all applicable measures under the ERNIP flight efficiency plans.
NSA: The NSA reflects that the flight inefficiency was reduced in 2025 compared to the previous years and emphasize that Romania remains fully committed to improving the environmental performance.
NSA performs specific monitoring of data on EUROCONTROL portal and continuous oversight activities.”
Regarding the implementation of major operational or structural changes during the calendar year impacting performance in this key performance area, the NSA reports: “Yes. In April 2026, ROMATSA completed the implementation of RoMAIR TCM (ROMATSA Air Traffic Complexity Management System), a data-driven operational capability designed to enhance situational awareness, support tactical and post-operational decision-making, and ensure safe and resilient airspace operations. RoMAIR TCM provides supervisors with real-time complexity indicators that combine traffic demand, sector geometry and operational context, enabling:
- proactive sector opening/closing decisions;
- dynamic reconfiguration of sector boundaries;
- more accurate balancing of workload between controllers.
While RoMAIR TCM is primarily a complexity and capacity management tool, its contribution to more efficient sector configurations and optimised traffic flow management is expected to have a positive ancillary effect on flight efficiency within Romanian airspace.”
Regarding progress on the implementation of the measures committed to in the ERNIP, the NSA reports: “Although certain ERNIP measures were not explicitly referenced in the Performance Plan, the following actions have been implemented:
- the PBN Transition Plan was updated to version 4.0 and notified at the subsequent RNDSG meeting, with implementation completed in April 2025 and feedback received from the Network Manager;
- the redesign of the TRAs under ERNIP 2025–2030 was implemented through the AIRAC cycle effective on 17 April 2025;
- Bucharest ACC re-organisation under ERNIP was implemented in February 2026.”
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: “As detailed in the sections above, the failure to meet the KEA performance target for the calendar year is strictly driven by exogenous factors that are entirely outside the control of the Romanian NSA and ANSP. The primary driver is the geopolitical context (Russia's ongoing war of aggression against Ukraine), which has led to significant airspace closures in the region and massive rerouting of traffic flows through the Romanian airspace. Because the root causes of this deviation are external and network-driven, there are no endogenous structural or operational inefficiencies to be rectified by the ANSP. Consequently, the NSA cannot impose direct corrective measures to eliminate the deviation.However, as a mitigating action to support the European network, the ANSP continues to optimize the situation within its control by maintaining the full availability of Free Route Airspace (FRA) and implementing cross-border FRA initiatives. Furthermore, the ANSP continuously collaborates with the Network Manager and military authorities to ensure the effective use of reserved or segregated airspace, aiming to accommodate the shifted traffic flows as safely and efficiently as the external constraints allow”
Regarding recommendations to the ANSP to rectify the situation, the NSA reports: “The reasons for exceeding the indicator have remained unchanged as in RP3. Environmental performance is influenced by factors beyond ANSP’s control, as mentioned: neighboring airspace unavailability due to conflict zones, upstream or downstream ATM network inefficiencies, airspace users’ performance-driven decisions to fly different routes. The HFE calculations appear to be very unstable for countries which border airspace with poor current position reporting (CPR) coverage.”
Regarding the follow up of the remedial measures indicated in the previous monitoring report(s), the NSA reports: “As mentioned above.”
KEP
Regarding initiatives implemented or planned that will improve this PI and how does the NSA intend on monitoring their effectiveness on performance, the NSA reports: “ROMATSA:
a) Implementation of Free Route Airspace (FRA) according to ERNIP is in force;
b) Removal of the ATS routes above FL 105 - implemented on 15th of July 2021;
c) Dynamic civil-military coordination and GAT transit corridors for safely crossing of an active TRAs by civil flights, in order to maintain the preffered trajectory instead of diverting, whenever possible;
d) Only essential RADs activation mainly for avoiding ad-hoc millitary areas (in the context of increased millitary activity especially in the North-Eastearn part of the country), to maintain segregated traffic flows and balance complexity during FRA operations, to segregate traffic flows and balance sector loads during the most crowded traffic intervals, to optimize direct routing and reduce ATC workload at the LR/LB cross-border interface.
All these initiatives represent facilities for air operators to optimize their flight planning provided that they are adequately informed before flight planning and introduce the new facilities offered in their flight planning tools that they use.
NSA: specific monitoring of data on EUROCONTROL portal and continuous oversight activities”
KES
Regarding initiatives implemented or planned that will improve this PI and how does the NSA intend on monitoring their effectiveness on performance, the NSA reports: “ROMATSA: The KES value for 2025 (3.83%) reflects a marginal improvement compared to 2024 (4.00%), albeit remaining elevated due to the persistence of the geopolitical factors described under KPI #1. The structural impact of the war in Ukraine and the temporary disruption caused by the Iran-Israel conflict of June 2025 continued to generate atypical trajectory patterns through Romanian airspace, preventing a more significant improvement in horizontal flight efficiency relative to the shortest constrained route.
In 2025, ROMATSA maintained safe and optimal trajectory management within national airspace despite the challenging operational environment, including elevated military activity across the entirety of Romanian airspace.
The completion of the RoMAIR TCM implementation in 2026 contributes to further improvements in sector configuration efficiency and traffic flow management, with a positive effect on flight efficiency indicators in subsequent years.
Effectiveness will be monitored through the continuous tracking of KES values on the ansperformance.eu platform and through ROMATSA's internal performance monitoring processes.
NSA: specific monitoring of data on EUROCONTROL portal and continuous oversight activities.”
Vertical flight efficiency
Regarding initiatives implemented or planned that will improve this PI and how does the NSA intend on monitoring their effectiveness on performance, the NSA reports: “This indicator, in its current form, is monitored by the Network Manager, and no additional data collection is required. Refinements to the indicator may require additional data and analysis”
Terminal performance
Additional taxi-out time (AXOT) (PI#4), Additional taxi-in time (AXIT) (PI#5) & Arrival Sequencing and Metering Area (ASMA) time (PI#6)
| Airport level | |||||||||||||||
| Airport |
Additional taxi-out time (PI#4)
|
Additional ASMA time (PI#6)
|
Additional taxi-in time (PI#5)
|
||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | 2029 | 2025 | 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | 2029 | 2025 | 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | 2029 | |
| Bucuresti Henri Coanda | 4.02 | NA | NA | NA | NA | 2.57 | NA | NA | NA | NA | 1.77 | NA | NA | NA | NA |
NoteFocus on AXOT, AXIT & ASMA
AXOT
Bucharest Otopeni is the only Romanian airport subject to the monitoring of this indicator.
The additional time in 2025 decreased to 4.02 min/dep, below the 2024 value – last year of RP3 – of 4.13 min/dep (using the new methodology).
The average for RP4 airports subject to monitoring of this indicator across Member States in 2025 was 3.61 min/dep.
Regarding initiatives implemented or planned that will improve this PI and how does the NSA intend on monitoring their effectiveness on performance, the NSA reports: “ROMATSA: a) Implemented:
- clearance delivery position;
- ASMGCS at Otopeni TWR - advanced surface management ground control system;
- Common procedure between Bucharest Airports National Company and TWR Otopeni for repairing works periods on the manoeuvering area, ie pre-established alternative standard taxi routes;
- Common procedure regarding ATFM (according to EU Reg 255/2010) regarding the regulation of traffic in situations that may influence the airport's capacity.
- Modernisation ASMGCS - Implementation of Advanced Tower Messaging - upgrading the local ATC system at Otopeni TWR to provide departure planning information
b) Planned:
• AMAN implementation in Bucharest TMA, finalized in Q1 2026, followed by operational deployment after validation and safety assessment. The system is expected to improve traffic predictability and runway demand balancing, supporting more efficient departure planning.
• Further optimisation of start-up, push-back and taxi procedures through enhanced coordination between TWR, APP, airport operator and ground handlers.
• Continued refinement of alternative taxi routes during works/restrictions on the manoeuvring area.
NSA: specific monitoring of data on EUROCONTROL portal and continuous oversight activities.”
AXIT
Bucharest Otopeni is the only Romanian airport subject to the monitoring of this indicator.
The additional time in 2025 was equal to 1.77 min/arr.
The average for RP4 airports subject to monitoring of this indicator across Member States in 2025 was 1.71 min/arr.
Regarding initiatives implemented or planned that will improve this PI and how does the NSA intend on monitoring their effectiveness on performance, the NSA reports: “ROMATSA: The additional taxi-in time recorded at LROP, 1.77 min/flight, remains relatively contained compared with the additional taxi-out time, 4.02 min/flight. This indicates that surface congestion at Bucharest Henri Coandă International Airport is currently more significant during the departure phase than after landing. Nevertheless, PI #5 remains relevant, as taxi-in performance is influenced by runway occupancy, runway exit usage, taxi route availability, apron/stand allocation, manoeuvring area works, traffic peaks and infrastructure constraints.
Measures implemented and planned include:
• A-SMGCS operational at LROP TWR, providing enhanced surveillance and situational awareness on the manoeuvring area and supporting efficient routing of arriving aircraft from runway exit to stand/apron area;
• Advanced Tower Messaging / ATOP capabilities supporting taxi-time matrices for each stand/parking position, correlated with the relevant runway entry/exit points. This improves the estimation of expected taxi-in times, surface movement predictability and the identification of deviations from reference taxi-time values;
• common ROMATSA–Bucharest Airports National Company procedures for managing works or temporary restrictions on the manoeuvring area, including pre-established alternative standard taxi routes;
• AMAN for Bucharest TMA, technically finalised in Q1 2026, with operational deployment pending validation, safety assessment and operational acceptance. Once operational, AMAN is expected to improve arrival sequencing and traffic predictability, with a possible indirect positive effect on taxi-in efficiency by reducing arrival bunching and surface demand peaks.
The effectiveness of these measures will be monitored through the evolution of PI #5 values at LROP on ansperformance.eu, complemented by ROMATSA internal performance monitoring, A-SMGCS data, ATOP taxi-time matrices, ATC operational reports and airport operational data. Actual taxi-in times will be compared with reference taxi-time values by runway exit point, taxi route, apron area and parking position, in order to identify recurrent deviations and support targeted corrective actions.
NSA: specific monitoring of data on EUROCONTROL portal and continuous oversight activities.”
ASMA
Bucharest Otopeni is the only Romanian airport subject to the monitoring of this indicator.
The additional time in 2025 resulted in 2.57 min/arr, very close to the 2024 value – last year of RP3 – of 2.49 min/arr (using the new methodology).
The average for all RP4 airports subject to monitoring of this indicator across Member States in 2025 was 2.98 min/arr.
Regarding initiatives implemented or planned that will improve this PI and how does the NSA intend on monitoring their effectiveness on performance, the NSA reports: “ROMATSA: a) Implemented:
- SID / STAR RNAV 1;
- as current practice, vectorizations for shortening the trajectories when the traffic is of low complexity (DIRECT TO);
- Bucharest TMA resectorisation - implementation of new sector: DIRECTOR.
b) Planned:
- AMAN for Bucharest TMA, technically finalised in Q1 2026, with operational deployment pending validation, safety assessment and operational acceptance. Once operational, AMAN is expected to improve arrival sequencing and traffic predictability, with a possible indirect positive effect on taxi-in efficiency by reducing arrival bunching and surface demand peaks.
- implementation of RNP (required navigation performance) approach procedures - to be published in 2026.
NSA: specific monitoring of data on EUROCONTROL portal and continuous oversight activities.”
NoteFocus on vertical flight efficiency of the descent and of the climb
Vertical flight efficiency of the descent
Compared to the overall RP4 average value (149.2 seconds per flight), average times flown level during descent are on average 46.7 seconds per flight lower in Romania. The highest average time flown level during descent happens at Mihail Kogalniceanu Constanta (LRCK) (270.9 seconds per flight), while the lowest happens at Iasi (LRIA) (46.6 seconds per flight).
Regarding initiatives implemented or planned that will improve this PI and how does the NSA intend on monitoring their effectiveness on performance, the NSA reports: “ROMATSA: Implemented:
- SID/STAR RNAV 1 procedures at selected airports (including LROP, LRCL, LRBS, LROP, LRCV (SID), LRSB, LRTM, LRTR);
- application of continuous descent vectorisation practices where traffic complexity allows (only in Bucharest TMA, Arad TMA, NAPOC TMA ansd Constanța TMA)
Planned:
- AMAN (Arrival Manager) for Bucharest TMA — system implementation finalised in Q1 2026; entry into operational use pending, expected to contribute to improved vertical descent profiles at LROP and LRBS once operational by enabling optimised sequencing and continuous descent clearances from higher flight levels;
- implementation of RNAV/RNP procedures at all airports included in the Performance Plan, in accordance with the national PBN Transition Plan. Implemented LRSV, LRBC, LRIA, LRTC, LRCK, LRCV, LRCL. Pending publication new RNP - LRBS, LROP. Pending approval LRTM, LRSB.
It is noted that elevated values recorded at certain airports, in particular LRCK (Constanța) and LRTC (Tulcea), are significantly influenced by the sustained military activity in the Black Sea region, which generates airspace restrictions that prevent the application of optimal descent profiles. These factors are outside the control of ROMATSA and are expected to persist for as long as the current geopolitical situation continues.
Effectiveness will be monitored through the tracking of PI #7 values per airport on the ansperformance.eu platform and through ROMATSA's internal performance monitoring processes.
NSA: specific monitoring of data on EUROCONTROL portal and continuous oversight activities.”
Vertical flight efficiency of the climb
Compared to the overall RP4 average value (34.8 seconds per flight), average times flown level during climb are on average 9.6 seconds per flight higher in Romania. The highest average time flown level during climb happens at Bucuresti Baneasa Aurel Vlaicu (LRBS) (74.1 seconds per flight), while the lowest happens at Iasi (LRIA) (22.5 seconds per flight).
Regarding initiatives implemented or planned that will improve this PI and how does the NSA intend on monitoring their effectiveness on performance, the NSA reports: “ROMATSA: The vertical climb efficiency values for 2025 are generally lower than the corresponding descent values (PI #7), indicating that climb profiles are managed more efficiently across Romanian airspace. The highest values are recorded at LRBS (Băneasa) and LRCK (Constanța).
The elevated value at LRBS reflects a combination of factors specific to this location: the airport is situated within the city of Bucharest, imposing altitude restrictions and limited departure headings to avoid densely populated areas; coordination requirements with LROP traffic within the shared TMA București; and the presence of Military Air Base 90 (Baza 90) which generates military airspace restrictions that further constrain available climb profiles.
The elevated value at LRCK is attributable to the sustained military activity in the Black Sea region, generating airspace restrictions that affect the available climb profiles, as described under PI #7.
Initiatives planned to improve this indicator:
- implementation of RNAV/RNP departure procedures at all airports included in the Performance Plan, in accordance with the national PBN Transition Plan, enabling more direct and fuel-efficient climb profiles (LRBS, LROP, LRCV (SID), LRCL, LRSB, LRTM);
Effectiveness will be monitored through the tracking of PI #8 values per airport on the ansperformance.eu platform and through ROMATSA's internal performance monitoring processes.
NSA: specific monitoring of data on EUROCONTROL portal and continuous oversight activities.”
| Airport level | ||||||||||
| Airport |
Avg. duration in climb (PI#8)
|
Avg. duration in descent (PI#7)
|
||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | 2029 | 2025 | 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | 2029 | |
| George Enescu Bacau | 40.3 | NA | NA | NA | NA | 133.6 | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Bucuresti Baneasa Aurel Vlaicu | 74.1 | NA | NA | NA | NA | 190.7 | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Mihail Kogalniceanu Constanta | 62.2 | NA | NA | NA | NA | 270.9 | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Avram Iancu Cluj | 54.3 | NA | NA | NA | NA | 77.4 | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Craiova | 52.7 | NA | NA | NA | NA | 165.4 | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Iasi | 22.5 | NA | NA | NA | NA | 46.6 | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Bucuresti Henri Coanda | 42.6 | NA | NA | NA | NA | 103.8 | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Sibiu | 52.6 | NA | NA | NA | NA | 134.5 | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Stefan Cel Mare Suceava | 40.6 | NA | NA | NA | NA | 58.6 | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Delta Dunarii Tulcea | 37.3 | NA | NA | NA | NA | 254.5 | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Transilvania Targu Mures | 35.6 | NA | NA | NA | NA | 93.0 | NA | NA | NA | NA |
NoteFocus on Civil-Military dimension
Effective use of reserved or segregated local airspace
ROMANIA reports a ratio of 80.15% - Total number of hours allocated & notified to NM: 94,535 - Total number of hours used: 75,766
Regarding initiatives implemented or planned that will improve this PI and how does the NSA intend on monitoring their effectiveness on performance, the NSA reports: “ROMATSA: The effective use ratio of reserved or segregated airspace in 2025 stands at 80.1% (75,766 hours used out of 94,535 hours allocated and notified to the Network Manager). This relatively high ratio reflects the sustained level of military activity across Romanian airspace throughout 2025, driven by the ongoing geopolitical situation in the region. The high utilisation rate of reserved airspace is consistent with the elevated military activity — including both scheduled and ad-hoc activations — described in other sections of this report. In this context, the ratio reflects the operational reality rather than a planning inefficiency. ROMATSA continues to apply the civil-military coordination framework under the ASM (Airspace Management) process at all three levels, aiming to ensure that airspace reservations are as closely matched to actual military requirements as possible, thereby minimising the impact on civil traffic. The implementation of RoMAIR TCM in 2026 further supports this coordination by providing enhanced real-time complexity indicators that inform sector configuration and airspace management decisions. Effectiveness will be monitored through the continued tracking of this indicator via the NM reporting framework and ROMATSA's internal ASM performance monitoring processes. NSA: continuous oversight activities.”
Rate of planning via available airspace structures
ROMANIA reports that: - The ratio of planning via available airspace structures is 31.51% (via available restricted and segregated airspaces)
Rate of using available airspace structures
ROMANIA reports that: - The ratio of the use of the available airspace structures is 35.95% (via available restricted and segregated airspaces)