As head of one of the most important airport facilities in Europe, what changes and impulses do you expect from the Single European Sky2 legislation?

The draft of the SESII Regulation is a good basis for the discussion on improved regulation of air navigation services. Nevertheless, in its current form it is not enough to be able to create a form of regulation that is fit for purpose. The Commission still needs active support in the design of the Single European Sky. The Single European Sky can only be a success if the Commission, the States and the ANSPs share a common understanding of the objectives, significant principles (such as consolidation vs competition) and the structures required.

ANSP punctuality performance is improving and can further be optimized only at the rate of the elimination of bottlenecks on airports. What are the operational challenges you face in Munich's terminal area?

The Munich handles 90 movements per hour in CAT I conditions. The main operational challenge is the impact by weather. Located close to the Alps, Munich has to deal with CBs in summer, snow in winter and fog in spring and fall. Together with the airport and the major airline, DFS is constantly improving procedures. For example, an additional de-icing area was established at the opposite end of runway, increasing the de-icing capacity by 6 aircraft/h, and implemented new CATIII procedures, reducing fog delay by 40 %.

Munich is one of the first airports in Europe to have introduced A-CDM; what are the benefits that resulted from it ?

The major benefits are optimized turn-around times, reduced waiting time at the runway and reduced impact of arrival delays on departure delays. Due to very precise Target Start-up Approval Times, the slot adherence quality reached 95%. The data exchanged with the Network Manager in Brussels is more accurate, so the whole European Network benefits from A-CDM. The more airports introduce A-CDM, the better for all.

What are the main challenges that you believe the European hubs currently must face?

Covered that building additional runways is difficult because the public discussion about aircraft noise is becoming more important. A positive dialogue with all parties involved is a key factor for success.