2 Medium-term capacity planning
2.1 EUROCONTROL recommended sources
In this document, capacity planning represents the systematic determination of resource requirements for the projected output over a specific period of time. It is a dynamic activity that relies on constantly changing data on the ATM network use, capacity forecasts, etc.
Given this, below are presented the sources that are recommended to consult in order to obtain relevant up to date information on capacity planning.
EUROCONTROL NMD (2022), European Network Operations Plan 2022-2026 [1] provides a short- to medium-term outlook of the expected ATM network operations and performance at network and local level.
It provides a detailed overview of capacity and flight efficiency enhancement measures planned at network level and by each Area Control Centre (ACC), a description of the airport performance assessment and improvement measures planned at airports generating a high level of delay, operational actions planned to be taken by the Network Manager and other stakeholders that would respond to the performance targets. Furthermore, it provides an assessment of the expected impact from these measures on the network.
EUROCONTROL NMD (2023), European Network Operations Plan (NOP) – Rolling Seasonal Plan [2]
The European NOP Rolling Seasonal Plan is updated every Friday, focusing on the planning of the next six weeks and on the management of the execution and implementation of the 5-years NOP. Its aim is to facilitate ANSPs and airports planning to match traffic demand in a safe, efficient and coordinated manner by providing them with a consolidated European network view of the evolution of air traffic. More information about network performance (and access to dashboards and the archive) can be found at the Network Performance page.
European ATM Master Plan - implementation plan – level 3 [3] and European ATM Master Plan – implementation report – level 3 [4]
The European ATM Master Plan Level 3 (MPL3) Implementation Plan brings together the framework for the commonly agreed actions that ECAC+ Stakeholders should take in the context of the implementation of SESAR. These actions are consolidated in implementation objectives addressing elements in SESAR which have reached the necessary operational and technical maturity and for which stakeholders have expressed an interest in their operational introduction. They provide all civil and military implementing parties (ANSPs, Airport Operators, Airspace Users and Regulators) with a basis for short- to medium-term implementation planning. In this respect, it addresses:
V3 validated SESAR Solutions
CP1 ATM Functionalities (AFs), based on Commission IR (EU) 2021/116 on Common Project One
SESAR Baseline elements, validated or under deployment at the beginning of the SESAR Deployment phase
SES and ICAO requirements
Updated yearly, the Plan covers a short to medium-term horizon of around 5 years ahead. It is based on the ATM MP L1 and L2, the SESAR Deployment Programme (SDP), the Network Strategy Plan (NSP), and the SES Interoperability Regulations. In turn, the MPL3 Implementation Plan feeds the LSSIP+ monitoring mechanism as well as the reporting process through the yearly elaboration of the MPL3 Implementation Report. The MPL3 Plan 2022 edition mirrors the content of the SESAR Deployment Programme (SDP) for what concerns the IR (EU) 2021/116 on the Common Project 1 (CP1). It covers 97 Solutions from SESAR1, SESAR2020 W1 and W2 and 97 Implementation Objectives.
Local Single Sky ImPlementation (LSSIP) documents [5]
The Local Single Sky ImPlementation (LSSIP) documents give a comprehensive overview of all ATM information for each of the ECAC Member States. They also show the ATM capacity forecasts and planning targets from NOP. The documents reflect progress made and detail the plans for each State for the next five to seven years. LSSIP documents, one for each State, are derived from the European Single Sky Implementation (ESSIP) (also known as Master Plan Level 3) objectives, and stakeholder lines of action cascade down into the States.