Air Traffic in Germany Mobility Report 2020 the Year in Figures
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Air traffic in Germany Mobility Report 2020 The year in figures The year 2020 Air traffic in German airspace Size of German IFR IFR take-offs Peak airspace flights and landings day 390,000 1.461 0.986 8,797 square kilometres million million IFR flights 21 February Safety Punctuality Environment Infringements of separation ATFM delay en-route Horizontal flight efficiency (en-route) Per 1 million flight hours Delay per flight in minutes Deviation from the direct route (RAT ABC) (ATC-related) Benchmark 35 Benchmark 1.55 Benchmark 1.6% 2019 15.55 2020 6.29 2019 1.19 2020 0.16 2019 1.16% Infringements of separation ATFM delay arrival (terminal) Also includes runway Delay per flight in minutes incursions per 100,000 aircraft (ATC-related) movements (RAT ABC) Benchmark 1.37 Benchmark 0.1 2020 0.85 %* 2019 0.89 2020 0.45 2019 0.014 2020 0.003 *ca. 2.9 km 2 Mobility Report 2020 A year of negative records The history of aviation has long been one of growth. The year 2020 was another record year – but in the negative sense. In the year of the COVID-19 pandemic, DFS registered a total of 1.46 million take-offs, landings and overflights under instrument flight rules (IFR). This was the lowest level since DFS was established in 1993 and triggered a shift of focus. In one fell stroke, the delays caused by the traffic growth of the past were no longer an issue and the focus shifted to the significance of air transport itself. Air transport not only guarantees people‘s mobility, but above all it safeguards the supply of important goods. Air navigation services are critical to any country‘s infrastructure and DFS, with its approximately 5,400 staff members, is ready for the comeback after the pandemic. In this year‘s Mobility Report, we present you with one perspective on the state of the aviation industry in 2020. Horizontal flight efficiency Deviation from the direct route Mobility Report 2020 3 Contents Air transport sector Air traffic in Germany ............................................................ 5 Air traffic in Europe ............................................................. 11 Passengers and freight Passenger numbers ............................................................ 13 Air freight ..................................................................... 16 Safety Air traffic safety statistics ....................................................... 18 Safety in German airspace ....................................................... 20 Safety on the ground ............................................................ 22 Unmanned aircraft systems ...................................................... 24 Punctuality Delays in air traffic .............................................................. 25 Environment Air traffic and environmental protection ........................................... 28 4 Mobility Report 2020 Air transport sector 2020 – A bleak year for aviation Germany has one of the busiest and most complex airspaces in the world. Ordinarily. However, in 2020, a year dominated by coronavirus, traffic volumes fell to pre-1989 levels. The year 2020 brought with it an unprece- traffic in Germany, as well as in neighbouring dented challenge for all players in the aviation European countries, came to a standstill. industry. Since spring 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a firm grip on the world, This development is reflected in the number with public life and travel severely restricted of aircraft movements. In German airspace, a almost everywhere. The year had started total of 1.46 million flights under instrument 56.2 completely normally. While a lockdown had flight rules (IFR) were recorded in 2020, PERCENT already brought air traffic in China to a virtual 56.2 percent fewer than in the previous year. fewer flights standstill, German aviation started the year The first quarter accounted for almost half of than in the with only minor restrictions. In the first quarter, the traffic volume with around 609,000 flights. previous year only a slight decline in controlled flights was The second quarter was the weakest, with just were logged observed in Germany, which, according to the 149,000 flights. On 12 April, the busiest day of i n G er m a n y. International Air Transport Association (IATA), the year, only 756 flights were logged across was at least partly due to the restrictions Germany – the same number of aircraft on aviation in Asia. In mid-March, however, movements Düsseldorf Airport normally the lockdown followed in Germany, too. Air records on a single day. In the third and fourth Mobility Report 2020 5 Air transport sector Traffic over the long term 11 SEP 2001 Start of the Coronavirus Terrorist attacks financial crisis pandemic in the USA 3.5 3.0 2.5 2.0 Controlled flights in millions Controlled 1.5 1.0 DFS Source: 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2.561 2.488 2.548 2.719 2.866 2.983 3.115 3.150 2.927 2.971 3.060 2.994 2.953 2.980 3.029 3.109 3.212 3.346 3.334 1.461 In 2020, air traffic controllers handled 1,460,768 flights under instrument flight rules in German airspace, a decrease of 56.2 percent over the previous year. This meant traffic volumes fell below the level of 1989. Traffic by month Peak day: Trough: 4 July 2019 25 December 2019 11,012 flights 4,410 flights 2019 2020 350 300 250 200 Trough: 12 April 2020 756 flights 150 100 Peak day: Controlled flights in thousands Controlled 50 21 February 2020 8,797 flights 0 DFS Source: April May June July March August January February October September November December Jan. Feb. March April May June July Aug. Sep. Oct. Nov. Dec. 234,000 223,000 152,000 36,000 48,000 66,000 123,000 146,000 139,000 126,000 84,000 85,000 With just under 457,000 controlled flights in January and February, the year 2020 started normally. After the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, traffic volumes in German airspace declined massively. The trough was reached in spring. With around 36,000 controlled flights, April was the weakest month of the year. 6 Mobility Report 2020 Traffic segments 25.7% 24.7% 10.0% 12.1% 2019 38.7% 2020 38.5% 25.7% 24.7% Entries Exits Overflights Domestic flights DFS Source: For the first time in a long time, the share of domestic flights rose year on year. The share of entries and exits, on the other hand, decreased. Main domestic connections 2,000 1,500 1,000 500 Passengers in thousands Passengers 0 Statistical Office Federal Source: – Berlin Tegel – Düsseldorf h h Munich – Hamburg Munic Frankfurt – Munich Munic Frankfurt – Hamburg Stuttgart – Hamburg Frankfurt – Berlin Tegel Stuttgart – Berlin Tegel Düsseldorf – Berlin Tegel Cologne Bonn – Berlin Tegel 2019 2020 According to the German Federal Statistical Office, only 4.97 million passengers travelled on a domestic route in 2020. In 2020, the routes Hamburg-Munich, Frankfurt-Berlin Tegel and Munich-Berlin Tegel remained the ones with the most passengers. This chart is based on the last known destination of the passengers – feeder flights to a hub airport were therefore not taken into account. Mobility Report 2020 7 Air transport sector quarters, the number of recorded IFR flights flights to Germany‘s capital have been handled increased slightly again, but still remained far at Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER). behind the figures of the previous year. Leipzig Halle Airport stood out from the crowd, The reason for this dramatic drop in flight recording only 17.5 percent fewer take-offs and numbers was the measures taken to protect landings compared with the previous year. The against the COVID-19 pandemic. The number reason for this is that Leipzig Halle is a major of tourist trips declined sharply due to cargo airport and air freight has not been as stringent restrictions and, in many places, badly affected by the crisis as passenger the quarantine requirements on entry. In traffic. The decline at Erfurt Weimar Airport addition, many companies replaced business was also below average at 23.1 percent. This, trips with video conferencing to protect their however, was due to the fact that traffic at the workers. Demand was reduced even more by airport had already slumped in 2019 following the dynamic course of the pandemic, which the bankruptcy of the carrier Germania and the hindered reliable planning on the part of decline in 2020 no longer had such a strong airlines and passengers. In addition, there was impact. In addition, Airbus used the airport as the fear of catching the disease despite all the a parking area for undelivered aircraft, which protective measures on board aircraft. generated take-offs and landings. 985,842 This was noticeable in a shift in traffic Overall, aircraft movements at the desig- take-offs and segments. In contrast to previous years, the nated international airports decreased landings were share of domestic flights in overall traffic by 58.7 percent over the previous year. recorded at increased in 2020. In total, 12.1 percent of all The picture was somewhat better at the German airports. flights logged over Germany took place within regional airports in Germany. Here, the Germany, which is 2.1 percentage points more decline was 35.5 percent. The outlier was than in the previous year. The share of entries Mönchengladbach Airport, which recorded and exits, on the other hand, decreased by one growth of 7.6 percent due to an increasing percentage point each to 24.7 percent, while number of business aircraft and a mainte- the share of overflights remained stable at nance company stationed at the airport. 38.5 percent. In contrast to civil air traffic, the number of Such declines could also be seen in 2020 at military aircraft movements was only slightly the 16 designated international airports in below the previous year‘s level at around Germany where DFS operates.