 |
|||||
|
Langen, 22 February 2006 2005 – A record year Air traffic volume rises by 5.4 per cent The volume of air traffic in German airspace grew by 5.4 per cent in 2005. At its press conference on Wednesday, DFS Deutsche Flugsicherung GmbH (the German air navigation services) put the number of flights at 2.87 million compared to 2.71 million in 2004. This makes Germany the country in Europe with the highest air traffic level, both in terms of percentage and in absolute terms. Over one third (34 per cent) of all aircraft movements were transit flights, which had the highest growth rate. The number of flights to and from destinations outside Germany also increased, whereas the number of domestic flights continued to fall as in previous years. Domestic flights dropped from 19 per cent in 1999 to 15 per cent in 2005, but the passenger volume continued to rise, indicating that airlines were using larger aircraft. DFS Chairman and CEO, Dieter Kaden, was extremely proud of the high levels of safety and punctuality. Despite the increase in traffic volume, the number of aircraft proximities dropped to only three incidents, two of which were attributed to risk category A* (risk of collision) and one to risk category B* (safety not assured). DFS did not cause any of the incidents. In 2004, the Aircraft Proximity Evaluation Group (APEG**) had registered six incidents. But the punctuality level is just as impressive as safety. According to Mr Kaden, 97 per cent of all flights controlled by DFS arrived at their destinations without any delay caused by air traffic control. Even in terms of punctuality, Germany’s performance was better than the European average. Airports in Germany benefit from developments in air traffic to different degrees. With 495,000 arrivals and departures, Frankfurt, for example, is still the top airport in Germany but still only recorded a 1.6 per cent increase in traffic. This clearly highlights the limited capacity at the airport with only three runways. Munich, on the other hand, with 395,000 aircraft movements recorded growth of four per cent, but still fell short of Frankfurt’s performance. Next in line was Berlin with its three airports. The volume of air traffic rose by eight per cent in total, with Schönefeld being a major contributor showing a staggering 32 per cent traffic increase. Düsseldorf, Cologne-Bonn, Stuttgart and Hamburg came next in ranking. The 21 regional airports are also becoming more and more important. Together they recorded 170,000 aircraft movements in 2005, mainly thanks to low-cost carriers such as Ryanair and Easyjet, which now account for 15 per cent of the total traffic volume. The regional airports of Hahn, Dortmund and Paderborn topped the ranking with over 20,000 arrivals and departures. Up until now, regional airports have been providing their own air traffic control service, except the airports of Niederrhein and Altenburg-Nobitz where DFS is the service provider. In accordance with the Air Navigation Services Act, which is based on the Single European Sky initiative of the European Union, air navigation service providers must be certified from the end of 2006 if they are to perform their services. To be able to compete on this market and to win more contracts with further regional airports, DFS founded a subsidiary called The Tower Company in 2005. DFS generally expects aircraft movements to increase by 3.2 per cent annually in the medium term. Route charges were lowered for the third time in a row; airlines have been paying 11.5 per cent less route charges since 1 January 2006. By contrast, terminal charges increased by 2.6 per cent. Cost-cutting within the company and rising traffic volumes have helped DFS to promote further growth in the air transport industry. Mr Kaden commented that DFS was preparing for the challenges of the upcoming liberalisation of the air navigation services market. *Categories of aircraft proximities: Category A Risk of collision; an aircraft proximity which involved a risk of collision. Category B Safety not assured; an aircraft proximity where the safety of an aircraft may have been compromised and a pilot or air traffic controller had to intervene. ** APEG: APEG is a group of experts which is commissioned by the Federal Minister of Transport, Building and Urban Affairs and comprises representatives of airlines, the German Air Force, general aviation, the German Cockpit Association and air navigation services. DFS Deutsche Flugsicherung GmbH is a State-owned company under private law and has 5,200 employees. DFS ensures the safe and punctual handling of flights. Staff coordinate around 10,000 aircraft movements in German airspace every day, and more than three million movements every year. With this large number of flights, Germany has the highest traffic volume in Europe. DFS operates control centres in Langen, Bremen, Karlsruhe and Munich. In addition, DFS is represented in the Eurocontrol Centre in Maastricht, the Netherlands, and in the control towers of the 16 international German airports. DFS provides training and consultancy services around the world and develops and sells air traffic control, surveillance and navigation systems. The company's portfolio also comprises flight-relevant data, aeronautical publications and aeronautical information services. DFS has the following business units: Control Centre, Tower, Aeronautical Solutions and Aeronautical Information Management.
|
|||||
| DFS Deutsche Flugsicherung GmbH | Imprint | Disclaimer | Contact | Privacy Policy |
| DFS on |  |