Talking to Steven Moore and Yolanda Portillo from the EUROCONTROL Network Manager

As Europe heads into another busy summer season, the EUROCONTROL Network Manager continues to work closely with aircraft operators, air navigation service providers and airports to prepare for peak traffic levels and manage growing pressure on the network.

In this episode, podcast host Anita Zech is joined by Steven Moore, Head of Air Traffic Management Operations at EUROCONTROL, who oversees network operations, transformation and resilience across Europe, and Yolanda Portillo, Head of the Network Manager Operations Centre, responsible for the 24/7 delivery of central air traffic flow management services and operational performance at network level.

Together, they explain why summer operations are increasingly challenging—from traffic growth and airspace constraints to geopolitical disruptions and weather—and how the EUROCONTROL Network Manager plans months and years ahead to balance capacity and demand safely. The discussion explores how capacity and weather‑based procedures are improving network stability, reducing delays and helping the system shift from reactive to more proactive operations.

Steven and Yolanda also share practical advice for airlines, airports and ANSPs as part of the #thinkNetwork campaign, highlighting why individual operational decisions matter for the network as a whole—and why safety remains the overriding priority, even under peak pressure.