| Year | ATCO-hour productivity1 | Employment cost per ATCO hour2 | Support staff ratio3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 0.83 | €112 | 3.20 |
| 2016 | 0.84 | €113 | 3.10 |
| 2017 | 0.88 | €114 | 3.10 |
| 2018 | 0.93 | €115 | 3.10 |
| 2019 | 0.97 | €118 | 3.10 |
| 2020 | 0.47 | €131 | 3.10 |
| 2021 | 0.60 | €126 | 3.20 |
| 2022 | 0.89 | €133 | 3.06 |
| 2023 | 0.93 | €142 | 3.08 |
| 2024 | 0.98 | €153 | 3.12 |
| 1 Unit: composite flight-hours per ATCO-hour | |||
| 2 Unit: euro per ATCO-hour in OPS | |||
| 3 Unit: gate-to-gate ANS staff to ATCOs in OPS | |||
| Source: EUROCONTROL PRU, ATM Cost-Effectiveness (ACE) Benchmarking Reports | |||
33 ATM cost-effectiveness indicators
33.1 EUROCONTROL recommended values
This section considers some key performance indicators of cost-effectiveness and productivity for the Air Navigation Services Providers (ANSP) in the EUROCONTROL area.
Table 33.1 shows the average values for the European system for the years 2015 through 2024. On top of these values, 2024 key performance drivers of financial cost-effectiveness for ANSPs are summarised in Figure 3.14 of ACE Benchmarking Report 2026 Edition. [1]
Furthermore, a wide variation per ANSP can be observed in ACE Benchmarking Report 2026 Edition. [1]
ATCO productivity ranges from 0.22 to 2.23 (Figure 3.18)
ATCO in OPS employment costs vary from a minimum of €32 to a maximum of €375 per ATCO-hour (Figure 3.22)
Support cost ratio varies from 0.36 to 1.33 in 2024 (Annex 3, Table 0.1)
The ACE benchmarking reports [1] comprise data about and analysis of cost-effectiveness and productivity for the ANSPs in EUROCONTROL’s Member States. The key performance drivers of cost-effectiveness are (i) productivity, (ii) employment costs and (iii) support costs, comprising costs for non-ATCOs in OPS employment, non-staff operating costs, exceptional costs, depreciation, and capital-related costs
Note
The employment costs above refer to gate-to-gate cost (i.e. en-route and terminal costs) and are expressed in nominal prices.
33.3 References
[1]
EUROCONTROL PRU, “ATM Cost Effectiveness (ACE) Reports.” [Online]. Available: https://ansperformance.eu/publications/prc/ace/