PRC workshop - En-route capacity


Rationale and background

The EUROCONTROL Performance Review Commission (PRC) closely monitors the crisis in the industry caused by COVID19 on the Aviation Intelligence Portal and fully understands that traffic is unlikely to experience capacity problems over the next year or two.

However, the PRC believes that the downturn in traffic provides an opportunity for ANSPs to review how they currently manage capacity and how they can improve in the future.

Since the ANSPs report a considerable lag time for implementing capacity improvements, the current downturn in traffic could actually enable ANSPs to get ahead of the demand curve – to ensure that sufficient capacity will be available when needed – and emerge from the crisis in a stronger position than entering it.

Whilst airspace users and national supervisory authorities may currently have more pressing priorities (than adding capacity during the downturn in demand), the PRC believes that addressing capacity issues now will provide significant benefit in the future when traffic inevitably returns to more robust levels.

Improving capacity performance involves identifying existing and future capacity constraints, planning and implementing effective mitigation or solutions to the capacity constraints and improving transparency about capacity for all stakeholders.

Workshop

Based on 2019 data, the PRC has conducted an analysis of the various facets of en route capacity: declared capacity, deployed capacity and planned capacity.

In order to discuss issues identified during the capacity crisis in 2018/19 and the PRCs’ vision for en route capacity performance and reporting, the PRC held an online workshop on en route capacity on 13 October 2020.

PRC views on en route capacity

Notice

The PRC has made every effort to ensure that the information and analysis contained in this document are as accurate and complete as possible. Despite these precautions, should you find any errors or inconsistencies we would be grateful if you could please bring them to the Aviation Intelligence Unit’s attention.