In its Single European Sky II legislation, the European Commission created the Network Manager function so as to optimise the aviation network’s performance.

The Network Manager addresses performance issues strategically, operationally and technically. Its overarching mission is to contribute to the delivery of air traffic management’s (ATM) performance in the pan-European network in the areas of safety, capacity, environment/flight efficiency and cost effectiveness.

The European Commission nominated EUROCONTROL as Network Manager in July 2011 until the end of the second Reference Period of the Performance Scheme - that is, until 31 December 2019. EUROCONTROL will seek re-designation for the period beyond 2019.

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With a unique vantage point of the European ATM network and in-depth expertise, the Network Manager’s priority is to forge operational partnerships and to foster cooperative decision-making, both of which are needed to achieve the performance targets.

The European ATM network includes all the European Union’s 28 and EUROCONTROL’s 40 Member States, as well as others which have bilateral agreements with the Network Manager.

The NM functions

The Network Manager (Function) has been created by the Single European Sky II legislation and is granted 4 main functions :

• to develop and create Route Network Design
• to provide a central function for Frequency Allocation
• to coordinate improvement of SSR Code Allocation, and
• to organise the management and operations of the functions, including ATFM.

In addition to the functions listed above, the Network Manager shall "contribute to the deployment of SESAR according to the European ATM Master Plan."

Eurocontrol was nominated as Network Manager for these functions via a Commission Decision on 7th July 2011 (C(2011) 4130 final) following consultation of the Single Sky Committee. This nomination will run out to the end of the second Reference Period (i.e. 31st December 2019) and may be extended.

Tasks

It adds value to Europe's air traffic management (ATM) system by:

• helping air navigation service providers, civil/military airspace users and airports enhance their Europe-wide network performance;
• jointly drawing up a strategy, plans and priorities;
• helping to make routes more efficient;
• balancing demand and capacity;
• managing scarce resources;
• consolidating information into centralised ATM databases;
• helping to underpin collaborative decision-making;
• forecasting, monitoring and analysing network performance;
• dealing with network challenges centrally - weather, major events, hotspots, crises.

Performance targets

The Network Manager contributes to the construction of the Single European Sky by contributing to good performance network-wide.

The European Commisison intends to ensure that the Network Manager is subject to the provisions of the Performance Scheme and contributes to improvements in the 4 Key Performance Areas, therein:

• safety - the Network Manager uses a safety performance approach to fulfil its role: identifying network hotspots, analysing root causes and proposing action plans to minimise or avoid risk
• capacity – a reduction of the average en-route air traffic flow management delay to reach a maximum of 0.5 minute per flight in 2014;
• environment – a reduction of 075% of the average horizontal en-route flight efficiency indicator as compared with the situation in 2009;
• cost-efficiency – a reduction of the average EU-wide determined unit rate for en-route air navigation services from 59.29€ in 2011 down to 53.93€ in 2014 or an average reduction of 3.5% per year.

Governance

The actions of the Network Manager are agreed and supported by the Network Management Board (NMB) on which sit representatives of ANSPs, airspace users, the military, and airport operators. The Network Manager generates Strategic and Operational Plans for the Network.

One of the Network Manager’s tasks is to develop, maintain and implement the Network Strategy Plan. The Network Strategy Plan is the strategic tool for managing the European ATM network.

The plan defines those strategic operational objectives needed to achieve the requisite levels of ATM performance.

The Network Strategy Plan is endorsed by the Network Management Board, following the Single Sky Committee’s positive opinion, prior to its adoption by the European Commission.

The Network Strategy Plan:

• provides a common understanding of the way the ATM network as a whole will achieve the performance targets, while preparing for the next reference period;
• identifies the roles and responsibilities of the various operational stakeholders in implementing the plan;
• serves as a reference for the activities to be carried out by the Network Manager and its operational stakeholders;
• is aligned with the ATM Master Plan.

“In achieving its network performance objectives, NM has built a strong foundation: solid cooperation with its stakeholders, appropriate governance structures and a network-centric approach aimed at continuous improvement.” Joe Sultana, Director Network Manager