skeyes is equipped with the most advanced technological tools and provides cutting-edge training for its operational staff.
However, this is not enough to ensure the flawless efficiency of air traffic, which depends on the coordinated actions of multiple stakeholders. This is why skeyes cooperates, collaborates, provides collaborative tools and procedures and creates synergies with its customers and partners to deliver the most efficient services and ensure precise punctuality and a limited environmental impact.
The punctuality of an aircraft is dependent on many factors, some of which can be controlled by air navigation management (grouped under the acronym CRSTMP - C-Capacity, R-Routing, S-Staffing, T-Equipment, M-Airspace management, P-Special events) and some - such as the weather - that are beyond anyone’s control. Others are dependent on airport services. In all circumstances, in flight or on arrival at an airport, skeyes manages traffic in order to keep delays to a minimum and thus reduce costs for its customers, waiting times for their passengers and the environmental impact.
As a member of FABEC, skeyes has to make a quantified individual contribution to FABEC’s overall performance in terms of En-route capacity as provided for in the performance plan for the 3rd reference period (2019-2024). Punctuality reflects the ability of an air navigation service provider to meet traffic demand. The indicator is the average En-route ATFM delay per flight for all causes. In addition, skeyes must also achieve a punctuality target for arrivals at Brussels Airport.
This is the En-route punctuality performance target defined in the FABEC performance plan. This is the target for skeyes and represents its contribution to both FABEC and European network performance. This indicator takes all causes of delay into account, such as weather, not just those that skeyes can control (CRSTMP).
Skeyes’ actual En-route punctuality performance for all causes. This was the best performance in FABEC.
Target achieved for skeyes, which contributed positively to the performance of FABEC (Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Germany, France and Switzerland) in terms of punctuality.
Average En-route ATFM delay per flight in FABEC airspace for all causes. In 2023, FABEC did not achieve its target of limiting En-route delay for all causes in its airspace to 0.37 minutes per flight. Nevertheless, FABEC was able to control the delay generated by ATM in its airspace since it was reduced by 0.46 minutes per flight compared with 2023.
FABEC comprises six countries (Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Switzerland) and manages more than 55% of European air traffic. skeyes’ performance in terms of En-route punctuality helped reduce the average En-route delay in FABEC.
To assess the performance of air navigation in terms of airport punctuality, only arrivals are taken into account. The timely departure of an aircraft is dependent on many other factors - such as ground services (baggage, refuelling, etc.) - which are beyond skeyes’ control, but which are coordinated with skeyes based on the Airport CDM (Collaborative Decision Making) concept through an information exchange application - AMS (Airport Movement System) - developed by skeyes.
Weather conditions are the sole cause of arrival delays at Liege Airport (100%).
skeyes is very committed to reducing the environmental impact of aviation. Although the potential contribution of air traffic management to such a reduction is estimated at only 6%, each action helps the overall effort. To achieve the objectives of the European Green Deal, skeyes continues to implement its Environmental Action Plan, develops projects, applies new procedures and works with its partners. All phases of a flight - ground movements, take-offs, En-route, approaches and landings - are optimised to reduce fuel consumption and noise..
Reducing the environmental impact of aviation is one of the objectives of the Single European Sky legislation. The FABEC performance plan therefore provides for a performance indicator that consists of measuring the horizontal En- route flight efficiency (KEA – Key Performance Environment Indicator based on Actual trajectory). This indicator applies only to FABEC as a whole and compares the actual trajectory followed by an aircraft, the trajectory planned in the flight plan and the shortest route provided by the Network Manager (EUROCONTROL). The result is a score that corresponds to the horizontal flight inefficiency, i.e. a percentage deviation from the most environmentally-friendly ‘ideal route.
For skeyes, the room for manoeuvre for En-route is reduced by the structure of the airspace it manages: confined, limited to an altitude of 7,500 metres and crossed by numerous areas reserved for military personnel with whom skeyes coordinates space sharing by applying the Flexible Use of Airspace principle.
Coordinating activities at the airport to effectively manage traffic flows also has a positive impact on fuel consumption and therefore on emissions, local air quality, noise and costs for airlines. Aircraft engines are started up at the right time and waiting times on taxiways are kept to a minimum.
(CDO - CONTINUOUS DESCENT OPERATIONS)
The approach phase is very fuel intensive. In a conventional approach, the aircraft descends in stages. To avoid stages and reduce aircraft consumption, controllers can manage air traffic so that aircraft can be landed using the Continuous Descent Operation (CDO) procedure. The CDO - also known as green landing - is an operation in which the aircraft descends continuously, employing minimum engine thrust to the greatest possible extent, depending on the characteristics of the flight and the air traffic situation. This enables a reduction in noise pollution, fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.
Working closely with partners in Collaborative Environmental Management (CEM), skeyes has developed new environmental indicators for CDOs. The average time taken to level off below altitudes of 10,000, 6,000 and 3,000 feet is recorded in order to study targeted improvements.
COLLABORATIVE ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT (CEM)
skeyes cooperates with airlines and airports in order to take joint initiatives that reduce the environmental impact of airport operations.
PERFORMANCE BASED NAVIGATION
Performance Based Navigation (PBN) is the future of air navigation. It is based on satellite technology while conventional air navigation is based on beacons and ground equipment. Satellite navigation enables aircraft to follow very precise point-to-point trajectories (waypoints) with expected benefits for safety, cost efficiency and, of course, the environment.
Objective : make Belgian airports full PBN compliant environments
Action : replace conventional procedures with RNAV1 and RNP APCH procedures.
Status :
RNP APPROACH AT BRUSSELS AIRPORT
The PBN transition project at Brussels Airport has been called STARGATE and is co-financed by the European Union as part of the European Green Deal programme. An initial series of tests of RNP approach procedures brought together the partners of the STARGATE project, including skeyes, between May and September 2022, in order to assess the frequency of use as well as the positive impacts from the point of view of number of kilometres travelled as well as fuel consumption, greenhouse gas emissions and noise pollution.Based on these results, a second series of tests was carried out from November 2023 to February 2024. The final report was published in October 2024.
skeyes is involved in a major project, HERON (Highly Efficient Green Operations), which brings together ANSPs, airlines and industry and is funded by the EU under the SESAR programme. HERON has set ambitious targets to reduce noise, fuel consumption and CO2 emissions from air transport.
As part of this project, skeyes is responsible for coordinating the tests conducted at Brussels Airport in an operational environment of the ISGS (Increased Second Glide Slope) solution. The aim is to increase the descent angle of CDO approaches in order to reduce the noise on landing.
Launch : end of 2022.
Participants : skeyes (coordinator), Brussels Airport Company, Brussels Airlines, TUI, DHL, Vueling, EUROCONTROL and Airbus (technical support).
Financing : co-financed by the European Union (SESAR programme).
Objective : reduce the noise on landing by means of a descent angle increased to 3.2° or 3.5° (instead of 3° in a conventional approach) for CDO (Continuous Descent Operations) approaches.
Status : tests in real-world conditions carried out in 2024 and 2025.
In November 2024, the Civil Air Navigation Services Organisa- tion (CANSO), the global voice of the air traffic management industry, awarded Level 3 of its GreenATM environmental ac- creditation programme to skeyes for the second consecutive year. In 2023, skeyes was one of the first air navigation service providers to obtain this label in Europe. This renewal of the Level 3 label - the highest level achieved to date - confirms that skeyes is taking structural measurable steps towards sustainable air navigation. skeyes aims to achieve the 5th and highest level in the near future.
« The aim of the HERON project is to demonstrate how aviation’s environmental footprint can be reduced with innovative solutions.»
Erol Cetiner, Manager Sustainable Aviation a.i., skeyes
« At Brussels Airport, we demonstrate the Second Increased Glide Slope (ISGS) concept with steeper descent approaches of 3.2° or 3.5° instead of 3.0 »
Erik Watzeels, SESAR Development Manager, Brussels Airport
« During the trials the approaches with steeper slopes were flown in order to reduce the noise impact during final approach, as well as fuel burn and CO2 emissions.»
Kseniia Kozhevnikova, ATM Environment Expert, skeyes
Working closely with its partners, skeyes is shaping the future of airspace management.
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