Background

Pursuant to EU Regulation No 2019/123 the Network Manager shall identify operational safety hazards at network level in cooperation with operational stakeholders and assess the associated network safety risk and report them to the EASA. To discharge this obligation the Network Manager implemented dedicated risk identification and monitoring process.

Operational Safety Hazard Identification Process

The process supports aviation service providers (ANSPs, Aircraft Operators and Airport Operators) in their proactive risk management. It is a cyclic process and includes the following steps:

• collection of accident and serious incident (severity A and B) data reported to and investigated by the service providers;
• data coding and analysis by means of a comprehensive set of barrier models – Safety Functions Maps (SAFMAPs);
• conduct of targeted in-depth risk analysis and surveys on specific topics;
• identification and prioritisation of the ATM operational risks;
• monitoring, analysis and update of the risk priorities, as appropriate.

The collaborative process for identification of operational safety hazards is run by the EUROCONTROL Operational Safety Group (SAFOPS) and supervised by the EUROCONTROL Safety Team and the Network Management Board.

ATM Top 5 Operational Safety Priorities

The current ATM Top 5 operational risk priorities identified in 2025 (based on the 2024 A&I sample) are:

• Controller Blind Spot;
• Restricted airspace infringement;
• Flight without transponder or with dysfunctional one;
• Controlled airspace infringement;
• Controller detection of potential runway conflict.

ATM Operational Safety Studies

The operational safety studies are targeted risk studies and surveys carried out to support the analysis of the Network Manager Top 5 operational risks. Every operational safety study focuses on a particular issue and examines in detail the incident scenarios and associated safety risk, available or potential prevention barriers and their effectiveness.

All operational safety studies carried out over the years can be viewed here:

• Landing without ATC clearance
• Detection of manoeuvring area conflicts by air traffic controllers
• High energy runway conflicts
• Airside vehicle drivers impact on runway safety
• Aerodrome hot spot identification on aerodrome charts
• Risk of operation without transponder or with a dysfunctional one
• Impact on ATC from a loss of aircraft transponder function - safety considerations
• Blind spot – inefficient detection of conflict with aircraft in close proximity
• Detection of conflicts at the interface to adjacent ATC sectors

Further reading

• EUROCONTROL SAFOPS Top 5 Annual Review 2025
• EUROCONTROL SAFOPS Top 5 Annual Review 2024
• EUROCONTROL SAFOPS Top 5 Annual Review 2023
• Controller Blind Spot - EUROCONTROL Network Manager Top 5 Operational Safety Review, 3 March 2022.
• EUROCONTROL NM Top 5 Operational Safety Review: Controller Detection of Potential Runway Conflict, by EUROCONTROL, 2022