6 February 2024: EASA held a short online meeting on 24 January, to discuss safety lessons learnt from 2022 and 2023 and prepare for the upcoming summer season. ERA was represented by Captain Pascal Kremer, Flight Safety Manager at Luxair, alongside industry association experts and EUROCONTROL.

Several safety concerns were raised during the meeting, notably fatigue among crew and air traffic controllers (ATCOs), shortages in qualified personnel, and the rise in incidents involving unruly passengers.

Participants also highlighted the concerning trend with regards to Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) jamming and spoofing events. Although constant monitoring is in place, no direct capacity reduction on the network has been observed.

The Network Manager outlined proposed measures to manage network capacity for the summer season within the framework of the Network Operations Plan 2024-2029.

Other issues discussed included the need for competent staff for training and supervision, the loss of corporate knowledge, and competition for aviation personnel from other transportation sectors.

It was also noted that whilst positive progress had been made airport personnel and resources, challenges in attracting and retaining ground handling staff remained.

Following the Operations and Air Safety Group meetings in December, ERA again stressed the impact of commercial pressures on safety, fatigue and motivation, particularly for small operators.

Recognising that the challenges discussed extend beyond summer, participants agreed to continue discussions within regular meetings, with a potential additional meeting scheduled for Q4 to reflect on further lessons learned and identify areas for improvement.

In the downloads section in the top right, you can find the EASA and EUROCONTROL presentations given at the meeting (locked for members only)

ERA will be holding a webinar [1] with EUROCONTROL on the upcoming summer season from a ATM perspective focussing on the planning, forecast delays and operational hotspots on 28 February.

This topic will also be discussed during the next Air Safety Group meeting which will be held in Luxembourg on 24 and 25 April (registrations expected to open towards the end of this February).