For DFS, the German air navigation service provider, 2024 was a successful year. Despite difficult external conditions, key objectives were achieved and landmark projects launched.
Punctuality despite demanding conditions
Punctuality in air traffic improved once again, while delay was reduced by 30 percent compared to 2023, amounting to just under 50 seconds per flight.
This was achieved despite challenging circumstances, such as the ongoing war in Ukraine, significantly higher regional traffic volumes and an increase in severe weather events. Delays due to air traffic control are usually caused by airspace capacity constraints. However, these types of delays only contribute to a limited extent to overall delay figures.
Traffic figures
With just under three million flights in German airspace (2024: 2.969 million), traffic volumes are around four percent higher than the previous year (2023: 2.838 million), but still below the peak of the pre-COVID-19 period (2019: 3.334 million). This clearly shows the extent to which the aviation industry in Germany has been negatively affected by multiple factors, such as a lack of aircraft capacity and the weak economic environment in Germany.
The busiest day in German airspace in 2024 was 15 July, the day after the UEFA European Football Championship. On this day, there were 9,979 flight movements in German airspace and 754 take-offs and landings at the capital's Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER).
Commenting on the year, DFS CEO Arndt Schoenemann said: "We can look back proudly on a good year, even in the midst of difficult external conditions for the aviation industry. Our operational and technological innovations have helped us to play a pioneering role in Europe. We will continue to shape the future of aviation in 2025."
Sustainable recruitment strategy
Another success in 2024 was in the recruitment of new staff. Although the labour market in Germany remains challenging, DFS was able to fill all its training positions.
A total of 136 young people began training to become air traffic controllers, ten of whom will also complete an integrated bachelor's degree in air traffic management as an integral part of their training. Another 60 talented young people started technical and commercial apprenticeships or began dual-study degree programmes in the fields of information technology, engineering or air traffic management at DFS. An additional 24 junior employees, some of whom were recruited internally, began their careers in specialised operational professions.
This means that almost 300 young people are currently undergoing training at the Headquarters site in Langen, near Frankfurt Airport.
A look ahead: Innovations and projects to make DFS fit for the future
DFS has made significant progress in the areas of innovation and digitalisation.
The vision of DFS to organise air navigation services in a cloud-based, virtualised and more flexible way using modular data centres has attracted international attention. The first steps towards achieving these ambitious goals were taken in 2024.
Media contact:
Robert Ertler
Telephone: +49 (0)6103 707-4160
E-mail: presse@dfs.de
DFS Deutsche Flugsicherung GmbH (DFS), the German air navigation service provider, is a State-owned company under private law with 5,800 employees as at 31 December 2024. Around 2,200 air traffic controllers guide more than three million flights through German airspace in peak years, up to 10,000 every day. The company operates control centres in Bremen, Karlsruhe, Langen and Munich as well as control towers at the 15 designated international airports in Germany. The subsidiary, DFS Aviation Services GmbH, markets and sells products and services related to air navigation services, and provides air traffic control at nine regional airports in Germany and at Edinburgh Airport in the United Kingdom. DFS is working on the integration of drones into air traffic and has set up a joint venture, Droniq GmbH, with Deutsche Telekom. Other subsidiaries include R. Eisenschmidt GmbH, which markets publications and products for general aviation, and Kaufbeuren ATM Training GmbH (KAT), which provides training for military air traffic services personnel. The joint venture FCS Flight Calibration Services GmbH offers flight inspection services.