One year of Point Merge System: Delays in Lisbon TMA down by over 30 per cent

One year after the implementation of the most extensive airspace restructuring ever carried out in Lisbon Terminal Manoeuvring Area (TMA), overall delays in the Lisbon region have dropped by more than 30 per cent, with a cumulative reduction of over 200,000 minutes thanks to the Point Merge System (PMS) introduced by NAV Portugal in May 2024.

The PMS – a new air traffic sequencing model that transformed approaches to Humberto Delgado Airport and the wider Lisbon airport system – became fully operational in July 2024. Its impact was immediate: delays in that month alone dropped by 25 per cent compared to July 2023, with similar or greater reductions recorded in nearly every subsequent month. In April 2025, the reduction reached 38 per cent.

Performance was even more significant when looking solely at delays directly attributable to air traffic control — including ATC Capacity, Aerodrome Capacity and Airspace Management — excluding, for instance, meteorological impacts. In this specific category, monthly reductions ranged from 40.5 per cent in the first full month of PMS operation to 91.6 per cent in March 2025.