Airspace Performance
The reduction in traffic levels as a result of Covid has had a profound impact on the efficiency of the UK domestic network. We saw arrival holding almost entirely vanish, direct routeing increase, and constraints impacting the vertical flight efficiency largely disappear.
XXX Continuous climb chart XXX
XXX Horizontal efficiency chart XXX
Figure X Continuous climb is a measure of airspace efficiency between 0- 10,000ft across the UK. A flight has achieved a continuous climb if it performs a smooth continuous climb without levelling off. We saw a 15% increase in fuel efficient climbs following Covid. Figure represents monthly averages for all departures across 22 (Sustainable Aviation) airports.
XXX Continous descent chart XXX
Figure X: Continuous descent is a measure of arrival fuel and noise efficiency near to airfield level in the UK (local height definitions apply). Performance levels have been able to be maintained over the past year. 100% is achieved when every aircraft achieves a continuously descending profile without levelling off. Figure represents monthly averages of all arrivals across 22 (Sustainable Aviation) airports.
XXX 3Di chart XXX
Figure X: UK flight efficiency performance, as measured by 3Di. A zero score represents zero inefficiency. Figure represents monthly averages of all flights in UK domestic airspace.
The improved tactical delivery to flights post Covid led to the lowest scoring 3Di days and months we have ever seen, with the average score being up to 50% lower than in pre-Covid times.
The NERL target for calendar year 2020 was 27.8 (threshold for bonus and penalty being 26.4 and 29.2 respectively) and the actual performance registered was 23.9. It was clear that the performance regime quickly became void for such low traffic levels and did not provide any additional incentives to NERL. As a result, NERL proposed to set aside the performance incentive scheme for the current RP3 period, during which traffic has been and is forecast to continue to be significantly below the levels against which the financial incentives were originally calibrated.
Our challenge now is to facilitate the expected increase in air traffic in the months and years ahead, while providing the most fuel-efficient flight profiles possible. Our role in supporting the industry to build back better is to ensure the improvements we can make retain some of the recent gains seen in airspace efficiency.
Across the reporting period we continued to develop and implement specific changes to improve airspace efficiency. As a result of these improvements and the actions of air traffic controllers in supporting improved tactical performance, we have helped enable almost 40,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions savings, representing savings of £3.5 million in fuel costs for airlines.
Description* |
FY 2020-21 (or CY 2020) |
FY 2019-20 (or CY 2019) |
FY 2018-2019 (or CY 2018) Baseline Year |
Service performance and resilience |
|
|
|
3Di (calendar year) |
23.9 |
29.0 |
- |
Environmental performance |
|
|
|
Scope 1 (location-based tonnes CO2e) |
3,706” |
3,477 |
4,094 |
Scope 1 (Direct emissions from the consumption of gas-green gas / biogas (market based) |
2 |
2^ |
- |
Scope 2 (location-based tonnes CO2e) |
12,500” |
15,301 |
16,561 |
Scope 2 (market-based tonnes CO2e) |
668 |
1,064 |
21,024 |
Total scope 1 + 2 (location-based tonnes CO2e) |
16,206” |
18,778^ |
20,655 |
Total scope 1 + 2 (market-based tonnes CO2e) |
670 |
1,066^ |
21,024 |
Total scope 1 + 2 intensity metric (location-based tonnes CO2e per £m of revenue) |
19.7” |
21.0 |
23.3 |
Scope 3 categories 1, 3, 4, 6 and 7 emissions (tonnes CO2e) |
6,111” |
15,878^ |
19,666 |
Total scope 1, 2 and 3 categories 1, 3, 4, 6, 7 (tonnes CO2e) – location based |
22,317” |
34,656 |
40,321 |
Percent reduction of CO2e against 2018-19 baseline towards net zero 2035 target (scope 1 and 2 emissions)** |
-22% |
-9% |
- |
Percent reduction of CO2e against 2018-19 baseline towards net zero 2035 target (scope 3 categories 1, 3, 4, 6, 7)** |
-69% |
-19% |
- |
Percent reduction of CO2e against 2018-19 baseline towards net zero 2035 target (Scopes 1, 2 and 3 categories 1, 3, 4, 6, 7)** |
45% |
14% |
- |
Scope 3 category 11 emissions (tonnes CO2) |
7,146,000” |
24,405,000 |
|
Avoided / modelled enabled ATM-related CO2 reduction in tonnes)*** |
39,785” |
30,379^ |
|
Water consumption (m3) |
45,091” |
54,500 |
64,285 |
Energy consumption (gas + electricity) MWh |
63,864” |
71,686 |
71,262 |
“ Verified to ISO 14064
^ restated due to inclusion of additional information, improvements to modelling accuracy and data quality.
* The Responsible Business statement and the environment metrics reported above have been prepared in accordance with non-financial information reporting guidance from the Financial Reporting Council, the European Commission, the Climate Disclosure Standards Board and the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures. An operational control approach is taken to non-financial information using the same boundary as NATS Holding Limited.
** Our net zero target applies to total scope 1 and 2, plus and 3 (categories 1, 3, 4, 6, 7) CO2e location-based emissions by 2035, using a 2018-19 baseline.
*** Modelled enabled ATM-related CO2 reductions represent the saving in CO2 emissions from improvements to the ATM network, such as technical changes which enable us to provide more fuel-efficient flight profiles, based on projections of the volume of flights likely to take advantage of the improvements. The enabled reduction in emissions is reported in full in the year in which the improvement is made. This is modelled based on industry best practice and is outlined in detail in our GHG report, available at www.nats.aero/environment/cr