An annual Eurocontrol audit report shows that Belgocontrol meticulously applies the established runway use at Brussels Airport. Every deviation during the observation period was justified.
Since 2012 Eurocontrol annually audits Belgocontrol runway use at the national airport. It is Belgocontrol itself that initiated this initiative. It allows Belgian air traffic controllers to be externally surveyed in complete independence.
Eurocontrol verifies whether the Preferential Runway System (PRS) is applied correctly. It is described in detail in an operational manual for air traffic controllers. The guidelines also mention under which circumstances aircraft are allowed to deviate from the preferential runway use.
In September of last year Belgocontrol requested a new audit with Eurocontrol. There it was decided to examine the week from 21 to 27 July 2014 because in that period more deviations from the PRS occurred than usual. The findings of that investigation are published in a voluminous report.
For the extensive audit, the Eurocontrol airport experts drew on logbook data, weather forecasts and real wind measurements at the airport during the period in question. It was found that aircraft deviated 14 times from preferential runway use because of the wind. Those deviations were justified every time. The rest of the week the PRS had been perfectly observed.
Eurocontrol’s conclusion is that Belgocontrol operated at very high quality standards and consistently with the PRS and that all deviations were justified given the actual wind figures and airport scenarios.
