{"id":5280,"date":"2018-08-01T09:49:35","date_gmt":"2018-08-01T13:49:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/?p=5280"},"modified":"2020-05-07T12:39:52","modified_gmt":"2020-05-07T16:39:52","slug":"european-atc-delays-are-up-133-percent","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/european-atc-delays-are-up-133-percent\/","title":{"rendered":"European ATC delays are up 133%"},"content":{"rendered":"

In Short:<\/strong> European ATC delays are on the increase, caused by staffing and capacity shortages. Monitor the Network Operations Portal<\/a> <\/strong>and be flexible in your routing options if bad weather or capacity constraints are expected.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"\"It’s been a great few days on a sun-soaked Mediterranean island. Your passengers are onboard, you are about to close the door, and then you get told your Calculated Take Off Time (CTOT) is an hour from now! Sound familiar? You’re not alone!\u00a0?<\/p>\n

European air travel this summer is surging and about to hit maximum intensity. Problem is, the ATC system doesn\u2019t seem to be coping, and the misery of long flight delays keeps getting worse.<\/p>\n

Delays are up<\/h3>\n

IATA has recently reported<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>the following:<\/p>\n

\"\"“Data from Eurocontrol shows that in the first half of 2018, Air Traffic Management (ATM) delays more than doubled to 47,000 minutes per day, 133%<\/strong> more than in the same period last year. Most of these delays are caused by staffing and capacity shortages<\/strong> as well as other causes such as weather delays and disruptive events such as strikes<\/strong>. The average delay for flights delayed by air traffic control limitations reached 20 minutes in July, with the longest delay reaching 337 minute<\/em>s.”<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

As an operator, you may be used to seeing alerts like these daily:<\/p>\n

\"\"EDYY (Maastricht)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Several sectors regulated due to Airspace Management and ATC Staffing\/Capacity.<\/p>\n

Moderate to high delays.<\/p>\n

LFMM (Marseille)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Several sectors regulated due to ATC Capacity\/Staffing.<\/p>\n

Moderate to high delays.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

So is it a story of too many planes and not enough airspace (capacity) or just not enough controllers (staffing)?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Local airlines are not impressed. Ryanair took to twitter<\/a> <\/strong>this week calling the delays \u201cunjustified\u201d.<\/p>\n

In a unusually aggressive statement<\/a><\/strong> IATA commented that \u201ckey ANSPs in Europe have not made needed investments in their businesses, preferring instead to make super-normal profits.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

Some of the things we recommend to keep on top of expected delays<\/h4>\n