“One year after the implementation of the largest reorganisation of the airspace of the Lisbon Terminal Area (TMA), overall delays in the Lisbon region have fallen by more than 30%, translating into a cumulative saving of more than 200 thousand minutes of delay thanks to the Point Merge System (PMS) launched by NAV Portugal in May 2024”.

Arguing that this new air traffic sequencing model “transformed the approach to Humberto Delgado Airport and the Greater Lisbon airport system”, NAV highlights that, in July 2024, the month in which the system entered “full operation”, the impact “was immediate” and delays fell by 25% compared to the same month in 2023.

As he emphasizes, this value was repeated or exceeded “in almost every subsequent month”, with the reduction in delays reaching 38% in April 2025.

NAV Portugal highlights that the PMS performance was “even more significant,” taking into account only the delays directly associated with air traffic control – namely “ATC Capacity”, “Aerodrome Capacity,” and “Airspace Management” – and disregarding the impact of meteorology, for example.

“In this regard, there were more significant monthly drops, ranging from 40.5% in the first month of full operation of the PMS, to a reduction of 91.6% last March.”

Quoted in the statement, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of NAV Portugal considers that the PMS represented “a qualitative leap” in the management of airspace in the Lisbon region: “The results achieved demonstrate that it is possible to respond to the growth in demand with greater efficiency, predictability and sustainability”, says Pedro Ângelo.

The PMS replaced traditional circular holding patterns with more direct, predictable and efficient trajectories, with continuous descents and optimised speeds. Based on a single-point merge approach, this system allows lateral and vertical separation of traffic flows.

Meanwhile, and in conjunction with airlines, NAV Portugal says it has already implemented or is preparing two phases of optimisation of this system.

The first has been in force since the 15th and introduced adjustments to altitudes, speeds and routes, with a focus on fuel efficiency and reducing carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions.

The second optimisation package is scheduled for October 2 of this year and reinforces airspace management with new contingency waiting zones and sectoral adjustments, in order to increase “the resilience and flexibility of the air traffic control operation”.

In parallel, and in compliance with the Council of Ministers resolution no. 58/2025, of March 18, NAV Portugal is analysing, in conjunction with the National Civil Aviation Authority (ANAC), “a new configuration for takeoffs in the north direction, with a view to mitigating the impact of noise on the population through a technically viable and balanced solution between operational efficiency and environmental sustainability”.