DFS - Air Traffic Control

Federal Supervisory Authority was informed of the outcome of considerations

Today, DFS Deutsche Flugsicherung presented the Noise Abatement Commission (FLK) with the outcome of its considerations for arrival and departure routes at the new Berlin Brandenburg International Airport (BBI). DFS previously submitted the outcome of its considerations to the Federal Supervisory Authority for Air Navigation Services (BAF), which is the decision-making body in such cases. The FLK has acted as a consultation body for DFS in regard to the flight procedures since September 2010. In a press conference after the FLK meeting today, the public was also informed of the result. In the next few months, the BAF will assess the outcome of the considerations to subsequently make a decision on the flight routes in consultation with the Federal Environment Agency.

The head of the air navigation services in Berlin, Hans Niebergall, praised the cooperation, which he viewed as intensive and constructive, and thanked the FLK. DFS has the statutory obligation to handle the existing and future air traffic in a safe, orderly and expeditious manner, and, at the same time, to protect the people from unacceptable aircraft noise. "We have gone to great lengths so that as few people as possible will be affected by as little noise as possible," Niebergall said. "At the same time, we must guarantee the traffic volume that is approved in the zoning decision through appropriate routing.”

For many of the routes, DFS has completely followed the recommendation of the FLK in its considerations. In some cases, this was admittedly not possible because some recommendations which came from the FLK were contradictory, due to the different interests involved. In other, but few, cases, the wishes of the FLK could not be followed due to safety and operational reasons as it would otherwise be impossible to reach the airport capacity set out in the zoning decision.

Arrival and departure routes for both operating directions were presented. For both operating direction 25 (westerly weather patterns) and operating direction 07 (easterly weather patterns), there are departure routes for aircraft that gain altitude relatively fast and for those aircraft, such as long-haul aircraft, that climb slower. DFS has published the routes that were proposed to the BAF on its website at http://www.dfs.de. The charts show the average altitudes, the routes and the number of aircraft using the routes.

DFS Deutsche Flugsicherung GmbH, the German air navigation service provider, is a State-owned company under private law and has 5,900 employees. DFS ensures the safe and punctual flow of air traffic over Germany. Staff coordinate up to 10,000 aircraft movements in German airspace every day, and nearly three million movements every year. This makes Germany the country with the highest traffic volume in Europe.

DFS operates control centres in Langen, Bremen, Karlsruhe and Munich. In addition, DFS is represented in the Eurocontrol Centre in Maastricht, the Netherlands, and in the control towers of the 16 international German airports. DFS provides training and consultancy services around the world and develops and sells air traffic management systems. The company's portfolio also comprises flight-relevant data, aeronautical publications and aeronautical information services.

DFS has the following business units: Control Centre, Tower, Aeronautical Solutions and Aeronautical Information Management.