Air navigation
Performance scheme and safety oversight
Description
Within the Directorate of Air Navigation, DNA, a regular monitoring and review of the performance and certain safety aspects of air navigation services and training organisations is carried out.
It also makes the proposal for air navigation charges both for air navigation services subject to the performance and charging scheme regulated by the European Commission, as well as those that fall outside this framework.
In the area of performance and pricing, EASA, as the national supervisory authority, prepared the revised draft performance plan of Spain for the third reference period 2020-2024 (ESPP3), which received the Commission Decision on the consistency of the performance targets included in the Plan on 13 April 2022.
Performance and pricing schemes
- Regular monitoring of key performance indicators and monitoring indicators for key performance areas: operational safety, capacity, environment and cost-effectiveness.
- Report to the Commission on the performance of air navigation services and the achievement of the performance targets of key performance indicators on an annual basis.
- Key Safety Performance Area, assessed by the Effectiviness of Safety Management (EOSM) performance indicator. This indicator assesses the maturity of the safety management systems of air navigation service providers, using self-assessment questionnaires developed by the Commission and verified annually by EASA and subsequently by EASA and PRB. The supporting material for this key indicator containing the above questions is:
- Key capacity performance area, assessed by key performance indicators: minutes of ATFM delay en route (ERD) and minutes of ATFM delay on arrivals (TAD). These measures provide an indication of ATFM ground delays attributable to en route air navigation services and terminal air navigation services and airport air navigation services respectively.
- Key environmental performance area assessed by the KPI for real path horizontal flight efficiency (KEA). The measurement provides an indication of the efficiency of the en route flight.
- Key performance area of profitability, assessed by the key performance indicators of the year-on-year variation of the ‘determined unit cost’ of en route and terminal air navigation services.
- Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/317 of 11 February 2019 establishing a performance assessment and charging scheme in the Single European Sky and repealing Implementing Regulations (EU) No 390/2013 and (EU) No 391/2013.
- Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1627 of 3 November 2020 on exceptional measures for the third reference period (2020-2024) of the performance and charging scheme in the Single European Sky due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2021/891 of 2 June 2021 establishing the revised Union-wide performance targets for the air traffic management network for the third reference period (2020-2024), and repealing Implementing Decision (EU) 2019/903.
- Commission Decision (EU) 2022/776 of 13 April 2022 on the consistency of the performance targets included in the draft performance plan submitted by Spain pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 549/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council with the Union-wide performance targets for the third reference period.
Under Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/317, EASA is responsible for the preparation of the proposed Performance Plan for the third reference period (2020-2024), as well as for the regular monitoring of the performance targets contained therein.
In accordance with Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1627, EASA prepared the revised draft performance plan for Spain for the third reference period 2020-2024 (ESPP3) setting out the revised performance targets for air navigation services provided in Spain and the guidelines of the action plans to comply with them.
That draft plan contained revised performance targets consistent with those adopted by the Commission in Implementing Decision (EU) 2021/891. This draft performance plan was adopted by Spain by Resolution of the General Secretariat for Transport and Mobility on 25 January 2022. Finally, the European Commission adopted Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/776 on the consistency of the performance targets included in that Performance Plan on 13 April 2022.
In compliance with Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/317, the Spain Performance Plan for the third reference period 2020-2024 (ESPP3) was published by the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda and is available at this link.
In relation to the implementation of Spain’s performance plan and the achievement of the objectives contained therein, AESA regularly monitors the performance of air navigation services. Within this framework, the main activities carried out are the following:
The key performance indicators per performance area subject to monitoring are:
According to the charging scheme, AESA coordinates the reporting of actual costs, exempt costs and the establishment of the route and approach air navigation tariffs, on an annual basis.
The applicable route rates are updated through a Ministerial Order amending paragraph 5 of Annex I to Decree 1675/1972 of 26 June, approving the tariffs to be applied for the use of the air navigation aid network (Eurocontrol) and amending the interest rate for late payment of these tariffs.
The application approximation rates are adopted through the updating of Article 22 of Law 24/2001 of 27 December 2001 on Fiscal, Administrative and Social Order Measures.
The applicable legislation is as follows:
Safety oversight
- Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/373 of 1 March 2017 laying down common requirements for air traffic management/air navigation service providers and other air traffic management network functions and their supervision, repealing Regulation (EC) No 482/2008 and Implementing Regulations (EU) No 1034/2011, (EU) No 1035/2011 and (EU) 2016/1377 and amending Regulation (EU) No 677/2011.
- Commission Regulation (EU) 2015/340
- Commission Regulation (EU) 2015/340 of 20 February 2015 laying down technical requirements and administrative procedures relating to air traffic controller licences and certificates.
- Royal Decree 1133/2010, of 10 September, regulating the provision of the aerodrome flight information service (AFIS).
- Verification of compliance with the financial obligations of the suppliers, as well as their solvency in the framework of the Financial and Economic Requirements Inspections, the Economic-Financial Requirements of ATC Training and AFIS Training.
- Verification of the provision of services in an open and transparent manner by the provider, the definition of the authority, obligations and responsibilities of the holders of the posts and the coverage of the responsibilities arising from the execution of their tasks within the framework of the Inspection of Organizational Requirements.
- Verification of the planning and reporting of the activities carried out during the planned or ongoing year within the framework of the Annual and Business Plan Inspections, and of the Annual Report as a result of such planning
In AESA, within the Economic Supervision and Performance Service of the Directorate of Airports and Air Navigation, the economic supervision of certified providers providing their air navigation services in Spanish territory, as well as training organisations, is carried out, in accordance with the following applicable regulations:
Initially, during the certification process to qualify as a provider of certified services by AESA, it is verified that the economic capacity to provide the service in conditions of safety and continuity, through Business and Annual Plans, is available.
Subsequently, and once the certificate is obtained, continuous supervision is carried out, verifying that the suppliers comply, and will be able to comply, with their financial obligations, so as to ensure the economic viability of the activity they carry out and it is evidenced that they have sufficient capacity to carry out that activity and can ensure the continuity of those activities in accordance with national and European regulations, in addition to verifying that air navigation service providers have adequate insurance coverage against liabilities that may arise from the legislation in force.
To this end, within the aforementioned regulatory framework, the Economic Supervision and Performance Service carries out the following regulatory control inspections to certified suppliers on an annual basis, which are classified into the following blocks:
