Air traffic rebounds in core European airspace

An average air traffic growth of 4% in the airspace controlled by the Maastricht Upper Area Control Centre (MUAC) in the last four months clearly shows that the aviation industry is starting to recover, says Karl-Heinz Kloos, Director MUAC. MUAC handles air traffic in the upper airspace of the Benelux and North-West Germany.

So far, the month of July recorded the highest traffic upturn of the year, with a growth of close to 5% on 2009. The year’s peak day was 9 July with 4,822 flights, which is close to the all-time high of 5,024 flights recorded on 4 July 2008.

Despite dramatic reductions in air traffic due to the Icelandic volcanic eruption in the spring and unfavourable weather conditions during the summer months, traffic levels from January to August 2010 remained at the level of the previous year. The ash cloud resulted in a reduction of more than 21,000 flights in MUAC airspace owing to the unprecedented total or partial airspace closures.

“Currently 99.7% of the aircraft using the MUAC airspace are enjoying a delay-free service. The forecast for 2010 is for a 2% growth and our objective is to keep this excellent level of performance which requires an ongoing focus on efficiency,” Karl- Heinz Kloos added.