Flight delays throughout Europe have more than doubled since last year, according to new data from Eurocontrol.
During the first half of 2018, Air Traffic Management (ATM) delays jumped to 47,000 minutes per day, which is 133 percent more than in the same period in 2017.
In response to these dismal statistics, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) issued a statement today calling on governments and air navigation service providers throughout Europe to “address the region’s airspace bottlenecks.”
“We are in the summer season in Europe. Travelers want to get to their holidays on time. And too many will be disappointed because of air traffic delays,” Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s Director General and CEO, said in a statement. “We should be making progress, but delays are double those of last year. There is no quick fix for this year. But the needed solutions are well-known. With the correct investment and planning by governments and ANSPs we can, and must, make next year better.”
Most of the delays are caused by staffing and capacity shortages, IATA said. However there are other causes as well, such as weather delays and disruptive events such as strikes.
The average delay for flights impacted by air traffic control limitations reached 20 minutes in July, with the longest delay reaching a staggering 337 minutes.
As airlines add flights to new destinations and expand their offerings to meet the expectations of travelers, air traffic in Europe is on the rise, creating greater demands on the continent’s airspace.
Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs) manage each state’s airspace and charge overflight fees for the services they provide, IATA said. As flight numbers have increased, so has their revenue.
Unfortunately, key providers in Europe have not made needed investments in their businesses, preferring instead to make super-normal profits, said IATA.
The largest service providers have either under-invested in staff or use outdated employment practices that don’t deploy staff when and where they’re most needed, resulting in unnecessary delays for passengers, said IATA.
“Many European ANSPs have also failed to make planned technology investments intended to increase capacity,” IATA said.
The organizaiton is now calling on the European Commission, Member States and ANSPs to take urgent action with the following four-point plan:
—Modernize the infrastructure and implement the Single European Sky ATM Research (SESAR) something airlines are already paying for.
—Reform outdated work practices so that staff are deployed when they’re required; and, where justified, recruit additional staff.
—Empower the European Network Manager to plan and configure the network to meet the demands of air travelers.
—Strengthen the Performance and Charging Scheme so that ANSPs not delivering agreed capacity are subject to meaningful penalties.
“The impact of ATC delays ripple throughout the economy. At a time when Europe’s competitiveness urgently needs to be improved, increasing ATM delays is totally unacceptable. Travelers are fed-up. Change must start now,” de Juniac said.
