EUROCONTROL Maastricht handles 1.79 million flights in 2024, sees 5% traffic increase

The EUROCONTROL Maastricht Upper Area Control Centre (MUAC) successfully managed 1,794,971 flights in 2024, marking a 5% rise compared to the previous year. The summer months saw the highest volumes, with 669,774 flights handled from June to September, driven by seasonal demand and major sporting events in Germany and France. July recorded the busiest day of the year, with 5,649 flights on July 11, nearing the all-time daily record from 2018.

Despite the traffic surge, MUAC maintained operational efficiency, reporting an average delay of just 0.20 minutes per flight, lower than the projected 0.23 minutes. This was achieved through advanced Air Traffic Flow Management (ATFM) and the use of MUAC’s iFMP system. The busiest routes in MUAC’s airspace connected major European hubs, including Amsterdam, London Heathrow, Frankfurt, Paris, and London Stansted.

MUAC also advanced environmental initiatives, implementing Continuous Descent Operations (CDO) into Frankfurt and expanding ATS B2 technology for optimized flight paths. Additionally, contrail prevention trials one in partnership with Google leveraged AI and satellite data to mitigate aviation’s environmental impact. As traffic is expected to surpass pre-pandemic levels in 2025, MUAC remains committed to safe, efficient, and sustainable air navigation services.