ENAIRE improves airspace manoeuvres at the Tenerife South Airport by implementing the NIVARIA Project

In October, ENAIRE, the national air navigation service provider, implemented a restructuring of airspace manoeuvres in the Tenerife South Airport (NIVARIA project) that has improved the operability of all flights at this airport and its approach sectors, as well as its connections with other airports in the Canaries.

The aim of the project is to comply with European regulatory requirements and optimise air traffic management, while also enhancing the efficiency of air operations. It has also made the airport more accessible, since the flight procedures implemented rely on the concept of performance-based navigation (PBN), minimising the current dependence on land-based navaids, with the financial savings and operational advantages that entails.

Safer, more sustainable

The implementation of this project includes modifications and improvements to the instrument departure, arrival and approach procedures at the Tenerife South Airport, and to connections to other airports in the archipelago, which was made possible by the most advanced technologies in airspace design.

The expected benefits of implementing the project are of various natures and influence different relevant actors in air transport. With regard to operational safety, the implementation of the NIVARIA project will result in more predictable manoeuvres as these become more standard, and will decrease the complexity of air traffic management, which will benefit both aircraft crews and the controllers responsible for air traffic management.

From an environmental point of view, the new airspace structure of NIVARIA and its associated procedures allow aircraft to fly more efficient profiles. In this regard, since the proposed changes will improve air traffic management and flows to and from the airport, the result will be shorter flight distances and times, and thus lower fuel consumption and atmospheric emissions of polluting gases.

Financial and service quality improvements

The NIVARIA project also entails a series of improvements directly related to on-time performance and reduced delays, which will consequently yield economic savings for airlines.

The NIVARIA project allows operations to be managed more efficiently, which translates into shorter distances flown by aircraft. This will result in burning less fuel and lower emissions of polluting gases into the atmosphere. Moreover, the use of satellite navigation will allow land-based installations to be streamlined in the future, which will make it possible to reduce the costs of maintaining and replacing these installations.

In short, the implementation of the NIVARIA project will provide great benefits from the point of view of safety, efficient operations, and environmental sustainability.

The implementation of the NIVARIA project and the modernisation of the procedures associated with it will make it possible to adapt to the regulatory requirements that are currently planned for 2024 and 2030 in European Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/1048, with regard to the need to have instrument departure and arrival routes based on the PBN concept, as well as approaches that rely on satellite technology.

The project has undergone the relevant environmental analysis and required user consultations, and it has been approved by Spain's National Aviation Safety Agency (AESA) and the Inter-Ministry Commission on Defence, Transport, Mobility and the Urban Agenda (CIDETMA) before being included in the aeronautical information publication (AIP-Spain).

During the first few weeks after implementation, a transition plan is in place, approved by AESA, in order to confirm the proper implementation and adaptation of the new procedures.

About ENAIRE

ENAIRE is the air navigation service provider in Spain.

As a company of the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and the Urban Agenda, it provides en route control services for all flights and overflights from five control centres in Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Canary Islands and Balearics, as well as approach services to every airport in the country.

In addition, 46 airports receive ENAIRE's communication, navigation and surveillance services, and 21 airports, including the country's busiest, rely on its aerodrome control services.

ENAIRE is Europe's fourth largest air traffic manager and participates in the A6 Alliance, a coalition of air navigation providers responsible for over 80% of European air traffic, and which is seeking to modernise the air traffic management system. It is also a member of other international alliances promoting the Single European sky, such as SESAR Joint Undertaking, SESAR Deployment Manager, iTEC and CANSO.

ENAIRE, as the entity appointed by the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda to implement the U-space system in Spain, will be the provider of the Common Information Services (CIS), which are essential for administering U-space services to drones and Urban Air Mobility, in interaction with local air traffic control services, so that all types of aircraft can fly safely in the same airspace.

ENAIRE has received the highest score in Europe on the aviation safety key performance indicator. It has also been awarded the EFQM 500 Seal for its safe, efficient, innovative and sustainable management of air navigation services.