journal of the civil air navigation services organisation
ISSUE 01 QUARTER ONE 2008
AIRSPACE PEOPLE
Scott Carson CEO Boeing Commercial Aircraft ENVIRONMENT
The next steps for ANSPs SES 2
Progress in 2008?
CUSTOMERS AND MARKETS
How new aircraft and new economies are changing ATM forever PLUS
News, Comment and Information from ANSPs worldwide AIRSPACE
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AIRSPACE
CONTENTS COMMENT journal of the civil air navigation services organisation
ISSUE 0 QUARTER ONE 2008
AIRSPACE PEOPLE
5 EDITOR’S NOTE An introduction to this first issue of Airspace from editor Chris Goater
Scott Carson CEO Boeing Commercial Aircraft ENVIRONMENT
The next steps for ANSPs SES 2
Progress in 2008?
11 THE CANSO COLUMN Alexander ter Kuile looks at why ANSPs need to focus on performance
10 THE CEO COLUMN Airways New Zealand’s Ashley Smout talks about uniting Asia’s skies
CUSTOMERS AND MARKETS
How new aircraft and new economies are changing ATM forever
ATM NEWS
PLUS
News, Comment and Information from ANSPs worldwide AIRSPACE
QUARTER ONE 2008
Airspace No. 1 Published by CANSO, the Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation Transpolis Schiphol Airport Polaris Avenue 85e 2132 JH Hoofddorp The Netherlands Telephone: +31 (0)23 568 5380 Fax: +31 (0)23 568 5389 Editor:
Chris Goater chris.goater@canso.org
Advertising Manager: Gill Thompson gill@falsten.com Design: i-KOS Telephone: +44 (0)1322 277255 Web: www.i-kos.com The entire contents of this publication are protected by copyright, full details of which are available from the publishers. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any other means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission of the publishers. The views and opinions in this publication are expressed by the authors in their personal capacity and are their sole responsibility. Their publication does not imply that they represent the views or opinions of CANSO and must not be interpreted as such. The reproduction of advertisements in this publication does not in any way imply endorsement by CANSO of the products and services referred to herein. Copyright CANSO 2008
6 THE LATEST INFORMATION ON CANSO’s new publications, NATS’ huge consultation, industry environmental co-operation, European ATM delays (and who is to blame), and co-ordination in the Asia-Pacific region
FEATURES 12-14 ANSPS AND THE ENVIRONMENT: THE NEXT STEPS The environment, particularly CO2 emissions, is a major issue for aviation. What steps are ANSPs taking and what more needs to be done?
19-21 SINGLE EUROPEAN SKY: HOPES FOR REAL PROGRESS IN 2008 With SES becoming an increasing priority for the European Commission, States, ANSPs, and their customers are going to have to work together and show real political will if progress is to be made
PEOPLE 16-18 SCOTT CARSON Executive Vice President of the Boeing Company and Chief Executive Officer, Boeing Commercial Airplanes
24 SALEH AL-GHAMDI Head of Business Planning and Development, General Authority of Civil Aviation/Air Navigation Services, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
TECHNOLOGY & OPERATIONS 22-23 NEW CUSTOMERS, NEW MARKETS Ultra-long-haul aircraft and ATM
29-30 AIRPORTS COLLABORATIVE DECISION MAKING
INSIDE CANSO 27-28 FOCUS ON… Serco. A profile of this CANSO member, in particular its activities in the Middle East
34 WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE DO Information on joining CANSO and benefits to members
civil air navigation services organisation
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09
AMSTERDAM RAI • 17-19 MARCH 2009 E X H I B I T I O N
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C O N F E R E N C E
09
See you next year www.atcevents.com Organised by
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EDITORS NOTE
n marks the ew publicatio n is h T . e’ ac gage in the f ‘Airsp world and en rst edition o e fi th ry ss ve ro e ac th t Welcome to s to reach ou NSO’s effort A C f o anagement. e ag st nex t g air traf fic m in ap sh e ar that selves, vital debates wardly at our in ng ki o lo n cused more o formance ations have fo omer and per ic st un cu m a m f o co n o ur ade, ur visi Previously, o it s second dec to embrace o s to in SP s N A ve o er m th o ANSO e on the encouraging s mostly agre But now, as C t. SP N en A . nm ns ro io vi en ssure unicat oriented ATM increasing pre of our comm h e it p o w e sc e ac p th rs roaden in a global ai chnology we need to b industr y – that rocedures, te ur p o f o ng n o ci ti fa sa e ni s of rmo key challeng – both in term and safety, ha SO ce N an A C rm f fo o er n tio ws that now on capacit y, p wing recogni at ICAO – sho vital. The gro us is at ns st io er at rv ul g se Ob ace’ will be and re ip, and official nce, and ‘Airsp sh ie d er b au em er m id w increasing message to a e to take this m ti ht g ri e th is doing so. our means of the field, each by exper ts in en tt ers ri w d an , agers and lead an produced m d p an to d h it ne w ig s des on the most epth interview Professionally ions, features ill feature in-d at w er e’ p o ac d sp ir an y ‘A e of the log edition of ions from som e latest techno in th p o n o d ns an , io SP ss N in ATM, discu a par ticular A es, a focus on su is agement. an M T m A fic ng af burni in air tr le p eo p g in -think Amsterdam, most forward lobal, held in G TC A h it w at the de issue to coinci ngth, speaking st re fir st is in th e er ed th be We’ve produc and D40 0 – uarters. We’ll d see us at st has it s headq an e SO m N co A C se re whe ents. Plea d at tending ev Conference an you. ard to meeting we look forw
Chris Goater Editor
AIRSPACE
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ATM NEWS CANSO news
CANSO REVEALS NEW PUBLICATIONS STRATEGY • New magazine ‘Airspace’ to reach wider audience • ‘CANSO News’ to be re-launched as focused newsletter CANSO has launched a new magazine and refocused its communications strategy following an internal review of its current mix of publications. The review, which concluded just before Christmas, identified a number of potential opportunities for CANSO to target new audiences for its messages. Director of Communications Chris Goater explained: “CANSO is still a relatively young organisation but the time has come to take its communications to a new level. We are hoping our new journal ‘Airspace’
will reach a fresh audience beyond those who read the current ‘CANSO News’. We will retain and enhance ‘CANSO News’ to more accurately reflect the work of the organisation, while ‘Airspace’ will tackle the high-level policy discussions, senior industry interviews, and in-depth technology and operations articles.” civil air navigation services organisation
‘Airspace’ is expected to be produced three times in 2008, before going quarterly in 2009. It is accompanied by a new website, which will also be rolled out in two stages over 2008/9.
CANSO’s new communications strategy also includes a refined logo and house style
Environment
ENVIRO.AERO ENHANCEMENTS UNDERWAY Delays increase… but who is at fault?
Performance
EUROPEAN DELAYS INCREASE: AIRLINES BLAME ATM The Association of European Airlines has called for further reform of European ATM following the release of the latest delay statistics for 2007. The number of Intra-European departures delayed by more than 15 minutes increased for the fourth year running, to 22.7%, with Heathrow once against the worst performer.
ATAG, the coalition of industry bodies which campaigns on behalf of aviation, has been discussing plans for a reform of the enviro.aero website, which forms the basis of the group’s information and outreach on environmental issues. The website, which went live in April 2007, has proved a success, with increasing traffic flows and a user review indicating that the core message of the industry – that it is working hard to minimise its small but growing contribution to climate change – is getting across.
While admitting that more than 40% of the time delays were because the aircraft was not ready, the AEA chose to highlight the proportion of the remaining delay that was the responsibility of ATM, although it was unable to give a precise figure for ANSPs, due to the large number of other determining factors, such as weather and airport congestion.
However, the user review also highlighted areas where the site could be improved, and this work is underway with the consultancy Fleishman-Hillard. In addition, the group has taken the decision to increase its interaction with the so-called ‘blogosphere’, through the use of an enviro.aero blog which will enable the public and the industry to interact far more easily on this vital debate.
CANSO Secretary General Alexander ter Kuile commented: “While we sympathise with the AEA’s call for further impetus towards a Single European Sky, it seems inappropriate for European Airlines to focus on ATM as the main cause of delay, when this manifestly is not the case.”
Work on the changes is expected to take several months, but ATAG hope the first fruits of the redesign will be seen in time for the Environment Summit in Geneva on 22-23 April.
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Environment
FAA, AIRWAYS NZ, AIRSERVICES AUSTRALIA ASPIRE TO ENVIRONMENTAL IMPROVEMENTS The Federal Aviation Administration, Airservices Australia, and Airways New Zealand, have signed an historic trilateral agreement to accelerate the development of air traffic control procedures to reduce aviation’s environmental footprint worldwide. Signed at the Singapore Aviation Summit in February, the agreement is titled ‘ASPIRE’ – the Asia and South Pacific Initiative to Reduce Emissions, and aims to provide a regional platform to showcase the region’s leadership in global aviation emissions reductions to ensure that, as aviation grows, its environmental impacts are reduced over time. Airways New Zealand Chief Executive and CANSO Chairman Ashley Smout was encouraged by the agreement: “The Federal Aviation Administration, Airservices Australia, and Airways New Zealand have been at the forefront of technology and procedure development for numerous advanced air navigation service enhancements in the oceanic environment, that are already reducing fuel burn and carbon dioxide emissions on individual flights” he said. “With ASPIRE, we have committed to move forward to foster implementation of this programme along key Asian and South Pacific routes and will welcome the participation of other key stakeholders as we proceed.”
CANSO news
NEW ASIA-PACIFIC OFFICE FOR CANSO A meeting of CANSO Chief Executives in the Asia-Pacific region has approved the creation of the long-awaited CANSO Asia-Pacific Office. The office will be located in Singapore and supported by Aerothai, Airservices, Airways, CAAS, the FAA and possibly AAI. For 2008, the duties of the Asia-Pac Regional Office will be to oversee the delivery of the ANSP Regional Conference and the joint CANSO-IATA ADS-B initiative, as well as the communication with and recruitment of new members in the region. Airways New Zealand and CANSO Chairman Ashley Smout commented: “this agreement on the next stage of CANSO’s involvement in Asia-Pac is a historic moment for the development of ATM in the region. We look forward to supporting the further harmonisation of systems, the encouragement of a performance-based approach, and the development of policies to improve safety and reduce environmental impact.”
The Pacific offers numerous opportunities for airspace efficiencies
ANSP news
NATS ANNOUNCES BIGGEST-EVER AIRSPACE CONSULTATION NATS, the UK air navigation service provider, has announced a major airspace change consultation, covering air routes across the South East of England. In the biggest consultation NATS has ever held, the company will proactively contact more than 3000 stakeholders and groups, as well as handle responses from parties concerned with routes to London City, Stansted, Luton, and Heathrow airports. The change is crucial to the development of further capacity in one of the world’s most complex airspace systems, and is designed to reduce delay while maintaining safety and improving environmental performance. NATS’ Director of Operations Ian Hall said: “Redrawing the routes enables us to make them more efficient to reduce delay. It also gives us the opportunity to reroute them to avoid flying over as many towns and villages as possible, especially at lower levels. That means less noise for people living underneath. Overall we will reduce by some 20% the number of people affected by noise from departing aircraft flying below 4,000ft.” AIRSPACE
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COMMENT
The CEO column Ashley Smout Let’s Unite Asia’s Skies It is part of the Chief Executive’s lot that he ends up continually speaking at or attending conferences. At just such a gathering recently in Hong Kong I was struck by the many references made to the Single European Sky, the opportunities it presents, and the problems it is facing. Reflecting on this, it seems to me that if solutions in Europe appear frustratingly out of reach, then at least let’s learn from Europe’s experiences, and avoid the same mistakes in Asia. Indeed Giovanni Bisignani said recently that “We need Asia to step in and help move the industry forward, because Europe and the US have lost the vision that makes them natural leaders.” In my view, the time is right for Asia to begin looking seriously at the future of air navigation services provision in the region. Regional leadership will increasingly be required to avoid the pitfalls, while learning from other regions’ experiences. To do this, the ANSPs will require a regional structure to effectively co-ordinate their expertise, while at the same time engaging the aircraft operators. This is necessary because Asia has an opportunity to “future-proof” itself against further turmoil – an opportunity that should be grasped with both hands. CANSO offers ANSPs the opportunity to co-operate on a shared vision for the future of ATM. It is ideally equipped and experienced to facilitate regional ANSP co-operation in the Asia-Pacific region. The organisation can facilitate the issues, work through individual ANSP concerns, leverage political support and work towards long-term Asian ANSP co-operation. If we want to achieve efficient and effective “future-proofed” Asian skies, to benefit the aviation industry as a whole, our political masters will have to enter the debate. And just as they have created organisations like APEC and ASEAN, they should consider the building blocks for a Single Asian Sky. The obstacles to achieving a Single Asian Sky will be largely political, and will be connected to national security, prestige, jobs, and funding. The last two issues can be solved quite easily with some good business thinking. The first, national security, and how to meet the needs of the military, will prove more difficult. So while a Single Asian Sky may not happen in my lifetime, we should at least work towards it. Because without addressing the key issues, the Asia-Pacific region will face serious capacity problems similar to the experiences of the USA and Europe – delays, increased fuel consumption and emissions, and possibly a rise in incidents. This is a good reason for politicians and the industry to act now and build the aviation highway before it’s too late. Ashley Smout is CEO of Airways New Zealand and CANSO Chairman
AIRSPACE
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COMMENT
The CANSO column Alexander ter Kuile Performance: The Inconvenient Truth Performance will be the key word for Air Traffic Management in 2008, not only on the service delivery side of the ATM community, but also for CANSO itself. Around the world regulators and operators are focusing on how to improve ATM performance. Good ATM performance sounds straight forward, but is in fact quite complex to achieve. First of all, only an optimised regulatory environment will support high levels of Air Traffic Management performance. Though global aviation policies have been harmonised for many years, the ATM community still suffers from variances in key domestic policy and regulatory areas, as these remain the prerogative of individual States. To outsiders this may seem something of an anomaly, as the demand for ATM in each nation’s airspace is fundamentally similar. With a homogenous demand for air traffic control, the key service provision drivers are largely identical everywhere in the world. And yet, ANSPs are subject to a wide variety of unique domestic policies and regulations, and this directly translates into the fragmented service provision that we witness today. Luckily in 2008 States and ANSPs are increasingly aware of the need to harmonise domestic institutional and ANS governance issues to deliver a seamless airspace experience to the world’s airline community. In recent years CANSO Members have developed an understanding of the key drivers for good ANS performance. We now know that good performance results from the simultaneous and correct application of a range of different policy instruments, and with this knowledge it is relatively easy to establish whether a state’s policy instruments are optimised to support a high performance ATM environment. Broadly, the key indicators of a high-performance ANS system are professional, independent governance; qualified experienced management; a culture of rewarding good performance; mature and transparent customer relations; and harmonized data collection for internal and external use. But moving towards these five indicators, welcome as it would be, will not deliver a highperformance ANS alone. Over the past years the focus of states has been on the detailed harmonisation of ATM technology and procedures rather then on creating a stimulating performance framework for ANSPs. Since the earliest days of aviation, the widely accepted notion of “One State/One ANSP” has driven airspace fragmentation in some parts of the world with the resulting variations in service provision dictated by the different national ATM policies. True structural change in global ANS provision will only result from policies that permit and induce ANSPs to co-operate and integrate ATM service provision at a purely operational level. If this is not possible, or desired by States, they will need to accept the consequences and admit the inconvenient truth that airspace fragmentation – and suboptimal ATM performance – will continue to dominate the political agenda many years to come. Alexander ter Kuile is Secretary General of CANSO
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AIRSPACE
QUARTER ONE 2008 11
FEATURE
ANSPs and the Environment: The Next Steps There can be few people in the aviation business who have not become aware in recent years of the concern expressed about the effect of aircraft emissions on climate change. The environmental journalist George Monbiot has gone as far as to write: “every time someone dies as a result of floods in Bangladesh, an airline executive should be dragged out of his office and drowned.”1
Climate change is an issue that ANSPs are no longer ignoring. Pressure from politicians and customers is forcing some innovative work from ANSPs, but more fundamental reform of ATM is needed to make substantial progress.
But while the bulk of the criticism has mainly fallen on airlines and airports, ANSPs have remained slightly above the storm clouds because most NGOs and policy makers believe they are neither a major part of the problem, nor the solution. But this state of affairs is changing.
but Stollery warns that it will not be easy: “The potential for 12% efficiency gains has been identified and much work has gone into trying to realise this but with the complexity of a congested airspace and a highly political arena, changes are only able to take place gradually” he says.
Policy makers have realised that air traffic management could be a fertile ground for ‘quick wins’, and IATA Chairman and CEO Giovanni Bisignani has challenged the ATM community, saying: “As partners, you must be part of the solution. Inefficient air traffic management results in 12% extra CO2 emissions, and at current fuel prices the 12% inefficiency is a US$13.56 billion cost.”2
63% of route extension was attributable to network design within states
In response, CANSO has moved environmental issues to the top of its agenda, and the Chairman of its Environment Workgroup, Phil Stollery, agrees that ANSPs have got off comparatively lightly so far: “ANSPs are service providers to airlines and airports and this means they have not been directly in the public eye on environmental issues” he says, “But ANSPs have a significant part to play and ought to be highlighting their contribution publicly.” In 2007 CANSO members agreed an Environmental Code of Practice, which will form the basis of its response to the emissions challenge. It calls for ANSPs to recognise the need to deliver air traffic services in ways that mitigate the impact of aircraft operations on 12 QUARTER ONE 2008
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Giovanni Bisignani: “As partners, you must be part of the solution”
the environment. In terms of climate change, the Code sets a goal for ANSPs to contribute to the reduction of the impact of greenhouse gas emissions through better understanding the impact of aviation on climate change, and supporting the development of metrics to demonstrate a reduction in impact. But is that commitment enough? It is clear that many in the aviation world – and, increasingly, many outside it as well – are focusing on ATM as the part of the system with the greatest capacity for a near-term step-change in performance. Bisignani’s claim of 12% inefficiency in ATM, and call for improvements in airspace design to begin immediately, are widely shared,
There is evidence to back this stance up. The Performance Review Unit of Eurocontrol recently released a study of the comparative responsibility for airspace reform in Europe. They concluded that 63% of route extension (the extra distance flown compared to an absolutely optimised route) was attributable to network design within states, 9% was attributable to interfaces between States within regional airspace, and 28% of route extension was down to interfaces within regional airspace. Exactly how much of this loss of efficiency is related to military designated areas outside the ANSPs control is open to debate, but clearly State politics and bureaucracy have a major role to play.
The Guardian, 5th December 2006. 2Regional ANS Conference, Australia, 18th August 2006
1
These wider difficulties have a direct impact on the efforts of ANSPs to make dramatic improvements in emissions reductions. The most eye-catching recent initiative was the announcement by NATS that it intends to reduce ATMrelated emissions per flight by 10% by 2020 (see box below), but the new Head of Environmental and Community Affairs at NATS, Ian Jopson, is keen to point out the challenges his company faces in trying to reach its target. “Let’s be clear, NATS can’t do this alone, we’ll need to enrol the commitment and engagement of the entire industry, governments and our regulators to make real progress” he says. “One of the principal problems is that airspace management is not exclusively down to the control of the ANSP. There are political considerations, military requirements, and national boundaries, which all conspire against efficiency in the system”. Jopson says that in the USA, the NextGen project, designed to help increase efficiency and reduce delays in airspace, has a 12 year timeframe and billion-dollar budget, and it doesn’t have the problem of small
national airspace blocks such as are found in Europe. The Single European Sky project is attempting to resolve these complex issues, but political progress has been slow.
NATS’ Ian Jopson is also CANSO’s representative on ICAO’s Committee for Environmental Protection
The NATS challenge: 10% reduction in fuel burn On 16th January NATS announced what it believes is the first example of an ANSP setting itself a target for a reduction in emissions from aircraft under its control. Building on benchmarks set out by both the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the European SESAR programme, NATS believes it can reach its 10% CO2 reduction target through improvements in routing efficiency, expanding the use of continuous decent approaches, more advanced sequencing tools and improved airspace design – though it admits the precise details have yet to be worked out. NATS CEO Paul Barron is clear that ANSPs have to act: “We have set ourselves a huge challenge here, and we’re the first ANSP to do this. We are going to spend 2008 benchmarking our current operation – when we’ve done that we’ll be able to plan the delivery against this target. I firmly believe we have a moral responsibility to do what we can to reduce the impact on the environment, grow our business, and support our partners in a sustainable way.”
CANSO Secretary General Alexander ter Kuile has consistently called for greater political progress in the delivery of airspace reform to help ANSPs deliver their share of the improvements in fuel efficiency that the world expects to see. He is firm on where ANSPs need to contribute to the debate. “If you look at IATA’s four pillars of environmental action: technology, operations, infrastructure and economic instruments, it is clear that CANSO members need to be involved in the third pillar”, says ter Kuile. “We are a crucial element in the infrastructure and only when it is operating efficiently will ANSPs be affecting genuine environmental performance.”
The potential for 12% efficiency gains has been identified… As part of CANSO’s engagement in ICAO’s environmental process, the organisation has committed to being involved in the Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection (CAEP). NATS’ Ian Jopson has been asked to lead the CANSO involvement in CAEP, and he is excited by the opportunity to influence the debate on behalf of his industry: “The world has been dragging its feet for a long time on environmental standards,” he says, “but now it seems that things are changing. With ANSPs also expected to deliver improvements, it is vital that we are able to show the steps our industry is taking, through initiatives like the Code of Practice, and the work of individual ANSPs.” Despite the political difficulties, there are things that can be done by ANSPs alone, as Stollery points out: “Significant gains have already been made, for AIRSPACE
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FEATURE
example with route optimisation, RVSM, CDA, the use of Flex Tracks and more direct routing made possible through the Flexible Use of Airspace. CANSO members are also working on further initiatives such as more extensive use of ‘Collaborative Decision Making’.” Over long distances of homogenous airspace some innovative work in routeing aircraft has resulted in surprising reductions in fuel burn. Even where co-operation between different ANSPs is needed, results can still be impressive – a recent study into Atlantic routes concluded that aircraft were on almost optimal headings.
At the moment the trade-offs between safety, capacity, and optimal environmental performance are not well defined
According to the airline SAS, a CDA approach made by one of its Airbus A330s on a flight from Newark in December 2007 saved about 470 kilos of CO2. LFV and SAS are part of the AIRE project, a joint US-EU initiative to reduce emissions on flights across the Atlantic. In addition, plans are underway to increase the number of European city pairs operating green routes.
Phil Stollery, CANSO Environmental Workgroup Chairman: “significant gains have already been made.”
In Sweden, LFV have been leading the way with Continuous Decent Approaches into Stockholm Arlanda airport, where they have announced a venture with Airbus to complement the testing that has been done on a Boeing 737 over the last eighteen months.
The CANSO Environmental Workgroup Mission The CANSO Environment Workgroup promotes the need to deliver air traffic management in ways that mitigate the impact of aircraft operations on the environment. It is therefore committed to the following goals for improving aviation sustainability: 1) To develop metrics and targets for the reduction of environmental impact. 2) To define and advance best practice in environmental management for ANSPs and to promote implementation as widely as possible. 3) To influence environmental policy, regulations and legislation to balance capacity, efficiency and the environment, without compromising safety. 4) To enhance understanding of ATM’s environmental impact and mitigation measures.
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In the US, where historically the focus has been on reducing noise, recent work on CDA has produced a pronounced fuel burn saving, which companies such as UPS, flying out of Louisville, note have an advantage both to the environment and the bottom line. At Louisville UPS calculates its new efficient approaches save up to 465 gallons of fuel per landing, which equates to hundreds of thousands of dollars a year. But while reduced route length and more efficient approaches and departures are good news for the bottom line of the airlines, and the environment, there is no similar correlation for ANSPs. At the moment the trade-offs between safety, capacity, and optimal environmental performance are not well defined. In theory shorter routes, resulting in fewer charges, are actually financially counterproductive for ANSPs, unless the result is higher capacity. As CANSO members bring environment further up the agenda, it may be that they need to work with their customers towards an institutional framework that incentivises good environmental performance. ANSPs have already achieved some significant improvements, but ultimately it will take a step-change in reform, both within ANSPs and their governing states, as well as with their customer partnerships, if the full potential of a seamless sky, with all its environmental promise, is to be realised.
FEATURE | AIRSPACE
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PEOPLE
Scott Carson CEO Boeing Commercial Airplanes Scott Carson is Executive Vice President of The Boeing Company and President and Chief Executive officer of Boeing Commercial Airplanes. He is responsible for all of the company’s commercial airplanes programs and related services, which in 2006 generated record orders for new business, and revenues of more than $28.4 billion. Carson joined Boeing in 1973 as a financial analyst and moved into management in 1976.
Aircraft manufacturers are witnessing unprecedented aircraft order books. What are your views on the challenges facing the aviation industry at the moment, especially with regard to the potential ‘capacity crunch’ looming?
the public’s desire and need to travel. It is a complex road that lies ahead of us. We must remain focused on the need to work together to fund, integrate and implement the technologies and operational changes that are necessary.
One of the key challenges for our industry is ensuring that the global air traffic management system can safely, securely and efficiently increase capacity. Air travel demand is expected to double or triple over the next two decades. As our skies grow more crowded, demands on the air transportation system are dramatically increasing, and the system is struggling to keep up. Congestion has already reached crisis levels in some regions.
The aviation value chain tends to operate along disjointed silos resulting in capacity mismatches. Aircraft manufacturers have gained immense experience in the development of integrated supply chains and in the management of hugely complex projects. Do you think there are any lessons to be applied from Boeing’s integration experiences in boosting the performance of the aviation industry through closer coordination between the different sectors (airlines, airports, ANSPs and manufacturers)?
I think we can all agree that the current air transportation system cannot be scaled to meet forecasted demands. A transformation of the way the system is operated is required. To achieve success, we will also need to transform ourselves as an industry. We need to change the way we work together to implement the necessary integrated solutions. Thoughtful and collaborative approaches to capacity increases are the only effective solution to balancing 16 QUARTER ONE 2008
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True transformation of the global air traffic system will require all of us to roll up our sleeves and work together. While technological changes are necessary, transformation is more than the implementation of new technologies. Without changes to the way the system is operated, the benefits of technology improvements
will be significantly limited. For this reason, we cannot continue to work in our own silos and hope that everyone is doing their part to have it all come together in the end. In addition, transformation is a global challenge, and it cannot be handled regionally or in isolation. Global interoperability is critically important for aviation. Our planes fly all over the world, crossing numerous service boundaries along the way. For safety and efficiency we need to ensure that flights can operate seamlessly around the world. To ensure this happens, governments, regulatory agencies, air navigation service providers, operators and manufacturers will need to work together across organisational, regional and political lines.
At Boeing we have put best practices of working together into our airplane development process. We recognised some time ago during the development of the 777 that when you are designing and building airplanes, detailed customer knowledge and focus is critical. We recognised that we could not design a revolutionary airplane in a vacuum and we could not design an airplane based on what we think the customer needs and wants. We included our customers and other manufacturers in the design process, and the results of our working together philosophy are the 777 and the 787, two very successful products. The transformational solutions being developed in NextGen and SESAR are going to require significantly more
integration of the aircraft with the ground automation systems. The solution to the antiquated air traffic management system requires all facets of the aviation community and governments to work together to ensure seamless operations throughout the world. Environmental issues have come increasingly to the fore in recent years, and in this issue of ‘Airspace’ we are exploring some of the innovations introduced by ANSPs to reduce fuel burn. Boeing has also got programmes under way that will deliver significant fuel savings in its forthcoming and the next generation of aircraft. Will these activities be enough to convince policy makers that aviation is doing enough to mitigate its environmental impact? If not, what
other steps will the aviation industry have to consider? Similar to the capacity challenge before us, the environmental challenge sounds a familiar and critically important refrain – it demands strong working partnerships between industry and world governments. Collectively, we must take an ownership role in defining how we can work together to meet the challenges of aviation and the environment. We have a strong environmental track record as an industry. Over the past 40 years, we’ve reduced community noise by 90%. We’ve improved fuel efficiency by 70% thereby reducing CO2 emissions by 70%. We’ve virtually eliminated hydrocarbon emissions and soot. AIRSPACE
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PEOPLE And aviation’s carbon footprint today is limited to 2% of global CO2 emissions. But we recognize that addressing this issue will require a holistic approach, because there is no silver bullet solution. We must tackle the problem from all areas: pioneering new technologies for improved aircraft and engine designs, new solutions such as alternative fuels and improved operational and air traffic system efficiency. At Boeing we are working hard to design more fuel efficient airplanes. Our 787 Dreamliner is 20% more fuel efficient than comparable models and we have set a target for ourselves to continue to build even more fuel efficient airplanes. Even with more efficient airplanes, we will still need to look for additional ways to reduce aviation’s carbon footprint. This is why we are investing in research for alternative fuels. Boeing conducted the first biofuel demonstration on a commercial airplane with Virgin Airlines in February. This is part of our work
to unlock the potential of future environmentally progressive fuels. We are partnering with others around the globe on similar activities.
I see great value in the CANSO organization. Working together is the key ingredient for success Of course, putting efficient airplanes into an inefficient air traffic system does not let us take advantage of the improved aircraft efficiencies. Air traffic management improvements represent the greatest short-term opportunities for reducing the impact of aviation on the environment. That is why Boeing is working with industry to improve air traffic management operational efficiencies, including streamlined routes, reduced delays
and more fuel efficient approaches. Trials of these operational concepts have indicated that significant fuel savings are achievable, which translates to dramatic reductions in CO2 emissions. Can you talk a little about Boeing’s commitment to CANSO and its involvement in the wider ATM community – what do you see as CANSO’s prime objective, what are the advantages to the industry, and where is the value to a company like Boeing? Boeing and CANSO have a common commitment to global interoperability and ATM transformation. Our airplanes fly all around the world in the air traffic systems managed by CANSO members and it is critical for us to work together closely. Because CANSO represents over 80% of the world’s air navigation system providers, it can provide a consolidated view of the global air traffic management system. This is where I see great value in the CANSO organisation. Working together is the key ingredient for success.
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18 QUARTER ONE 2008
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FEATURE
Single European Sky – Hopes For Real Progress In 2008 “Airspace users expect a high quality and a cost-efficient service from air navigation services. The current fragmentation of the air traffic management industry in a patchwork serving a global industry is an obstacle to efficient service provision. Member states must overcome fragmentation and create regional providers to take advantage of economies of scale. It is the duty of the commission to recall member states to their obligations,” Jacques Barrot, EU Commissioner for Transport and Energy, March 2007. Jacques Barrot’s warning last year to European States engaged in the Single European Sky project is a clear indication that the stakes have been raised over SES Phase 2 – the second package of SES regulations, for which the Commission intends to communicate a regulatory proposal in June. With capacity, costs, and environmental pressures on EU airspace mounting, real progress is going to be needed on the key deliverables if the high expectations for SES are to be met.
Single European Sky now has attention at the highest levels of the EU, who feel the current slow rate of progress must improve. CANSO has a vital role to play in bringing together not only the European ANSPs, but also other stakeholder groups in order to progress SES package 2.
elements of European ATM. It included requirements for the separation of regulation and provision; the certification of all European ANSPs based on one European standard; the licensing of all European air traffic controllers to one common standard; and a requirement to introduce functional airspace blocks rather than
an airspace design based on national borders. On the adoption of the first SES package member states were required to implement the regulations over a five year period, using a ‘bottom up’ approach with the close involvement of ANSPs and staff. The SES also includes non-EU countries such as Norway and Switzerland.
The origins of Single European Sky date back to the late 1990s when European Air Traffic Management suffered some of its biggest ever delays as a result of high air traffic growth rates. At the time delays peaked to such an extent that a public outcry was inevitable, and politicians had to respond.
…delays peaked to such an extent that a public outcry was inevitable, and politicians had to respond. The first package of SES regulations, adopted in 2004, dealt primarily with the institutional, legal, service provision and airspace design
The European Union is expected to publish the second SES package in June
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FEATURE
a Communication entitled ‘First report on the implementation of the Single Sky Legislation: achievements and the way forward’ on 20 December 2007. This has been followed by further consultation, including the ‘Towards a More Performing European Aviation Framework’ conference which was held in January 2008.
Alexander ter Kuile, CANSO Secretary General. “The second package contains all the elements for successful enhancements of ATM performance provided we continue with a broad stakeholder approach”
In 2006 Barrot, noting the slow progress in the implementation of the first SES package, took a renewed initiative to progress the implementation of SES under what is called SES Phase 2. To support the Commission’s thinking for this second package, he invited a High Level Group consisting of both State and Industry representatives (including the CANSO Secretary General) to advise him on its content. In July 2007 the HLG published its recommendations, which focused on raising ATM performance and considered the key policy areas that trigger improved performance in European airspace. The proposals covered both State regulatory performance, European network performance, and industry operational performance. On the State side this considered issues such as safety oversight, competency, and co-operation between States to achieve harmonised standards. On the operational side the proposals addressed such issues as ANSP governance, the governance of regional service provision, and economic regulation. After extensive consultation of all stakeholders, the Commission released 20 QUARTER ONE 2008
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“In terms of the current proposals, there is much that we support” says CANSO’s Director of European Affairs Marie Desseaux. “Single European Sky is a major project for European ATM; it has changed the culture of staff and management; many challenging international discussions are taking place. The new initiatives of the Commission should help to accelerate implementation and address the hurdles that still exist. We agree with the suggestion that all European safety regulation be combined in a single European safety regulator,
EASA. On the subject of economic regulation CANSO recognises that the application of economic regulation will vary between states and that ‘no one size fits all’. In addition, CANSO fully supports the recommendation that greater responsibility be given to industry in the governance over the pan-European functions and the cooperative network design that are presently undertaken by Eurocontrol.” CANSO’s position is that in a performance-based ATM system a service provider that performs better than the agreed targets should be rewarded and should be able to retain a financial return. Co-operation between states is fundamental for the acceleration of SES implementation, and consistent guidelines for ANSPs and the homogenous interpretation of SES regulations by the various states is seen as essential. On the environment,
SES 2: The Eurocontrol View Eurocontrol’s Director General David McMillan indicated in January that Eurocontrol priorities will change. McMillan considers that Pan-European action in ATM can be best implemented in combination with the intergovernmental approach brought forward by Eurocontrol and the Community Method which permits enforcement and power in driving large-scale programmes such as SESAR. To ensure this combination, Eurocontrol will work towards to a closer coordination with the Community and will focus its activities on its core business:
• Co-operative network design • Optimisation • Performance review • Supporting to regulatory activities
This will lead to a change in working arrangements, to a better alignment of Eurocontrol budgetary and business planning processes. This will also lead to a strengthened involvement of ATM stakeholders in setting Eurocontrol strategy and priorities and in the decision-making process whenever possible.
SES 2: The Airport View ACI Europe believes that the High Level Group recommendations are workable and that the solutions proposed are realistic in promoting real change. However, airports do not support the EC approach on airport capacity. ACI Europe suggest that instead of focusing on optimisation, there is a need to build new infrastructure and to incentivise airports to do so.
CANSO is urging the EU Commission to take a global approach into consideration before drafting specific measures for European ATM.
European CANSO members face challenging internal discussions in the coming months CANSO has been essential to securing a common line from ANSP management, but for SES to succeed it is vital to strike an accord between all stakeholders. In 2004, as the approval of SES was being debated in the EU Parliament, it was a joint statement by CANSO
and the labour unions, supporting SES, which tipped the balance in favour of approval of the package. The European Commission recognises that the social dimension of SES is key to the success of its plans, and Barrot has taken the initiative, calling for a Social Forum in March 2008 in order to consult on the key elements of the new SES package. For CANSO Secretary General Alexander ter Kuile, agreement between all parties on the way forward is crucial: “For the last five years CANSO has been working closely with the European labour union representatives on developing joint positions on the most important SES issues” he says. “These joint social partner positions have been highly influential in the adoption of the ‘bottom up’ approach to Functional Airspace Block development and the licensing of Air Traffic Control Officers.” The 2004 joint social partner statement between CANSO and the
SES 2: The Military View The military have a vital role to play. Since decisions relating to military operations and training do not fall within the sphere of competence of the Community, Member States signed a common declaration in 2004, in which they committed to facilitate co-operation between civil and military authorities on SES military issues. The military has called for a true civil-military partnership which treats each partner equally. At the Institutional level, the military have asked to be involved at all stages and at operational level, they have asked for a balanced consideration of the civil and military requirements. The military support FABs and asked not to consider sovereignty as a show stopper.
SES 2: The Aircraft Operators View Civil airspace users agree with a stepped approach but consider that there is an urgent need for action. They believe that the real enhancer for a performing system will be the economic regulation of Air Navigation Services Provision. In this regard, they ask for a rebalance of the relationship between users and providers and for the definition of European and local performance targets. Airlines also consider that investment plans should be co-ordinated at European level. They ask for a greater involvement in target setting at European level and in monitoring of the implementation of those targets at national level.
Marie Desseaux, CANSO Director of European Affairs. “The new initiatives of the Commission should help to accelerate implementation and address the hurdles that still exist”
ETF (European transport workers federation), called the ‘Palermo Agreement’, on the basic ingredients of SES implementation, allowed for further agreements on institutional arrangements, consultation processes, and a Just Culture environment, and ter Kuile believes that further social dialogue between ANSP management and their staff will be instrumental in the delivery of improvements to European ATM. “The second package contains all the elements for successful enhancements of ATM performance provided we continue with a broad stakeholder approach” he says. As the consultation process continues, the key challenge will be to reconcile the broad-based approach with the Commission’s understandable desire to see swifter progress. In SES Phase 2 the key issues for social partner agreement will be the unbundling of services, economic regulation, the consolidation of centres, and incentivising performance. In view of the often difficult social discussions about national consolidation of facilities, it is clear that cross-border consolidation will be a subject of much debate. The next steps for the Single European Sky look anything but certain yet. AIRSPACE
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TECHNOLOGY & OPERATIONS
New Customers, New Markets: Ultra-long-haul aircraft and ATM Traditionally, the organisation of Air Traffic Services mirrored the route network of the classic pre-World War Two air transport system. Air Services largely followed the trade patterns of the Western Colonial powers, and aircraft performance dictated air routes; for example, in the days of the DC4, transatlantic air travel included stops in Shannon and Gander. With the advent of the jet age these patterns began to change, as the world witnessed non-stop intercontinental flights on a regular basis, and it was the arrival of the Boeing 747-400 which permitted the first non-stop flights between Asia, Europe and the North American continent. Now, with the delivery of new ultra-long-haul aircraft such as the Airbus A380 and Boeing 777-200LR, the forthcoming delivery of the Boeing 787 and Airbus A350, and increased demand driving never-before-seen air routes, ATM is witnessing a new customer with new requirements for truly global Air Navigation Services. As the latest long-range aircraft bring the whole globe within the reach of a non-stop flight, ANSPs are experiencing a new demand for global ANS: routes such as Singapore-Newark, Bangkok-New York, and Dubai-Sao Paolo. Not only do these ultra-long-haul flights connect new city pairs, they also bring air traffic to parts of global airspace where no demand for traffic has ever been before (similar to the opening of trans-polar routes in the 1990s that permitted direct flights between Asia and North America). The major change that is emerging today, in line with the dramatic growth in air traffic in developing economies, is for new routes between Asia/ Middle East and the other continents. For example, Africa is witnessing a new demand for East-West overflights, when its airspace is designed to serve the traditional North-South routes between Europe and the Cape (see figure 1). These new long haul routes are demanding a fresh approach to airspace design and for more advanced operational procedures and flexibility than the classic airspace model has ever needed to deliver. An example of this requirement is the new Emirates Airlines flight from Dubai to Sao Paolo, which crosses the African continent. Current airspace design requires the Emirates 777-200LR to fly due East across Saudi Arabia and Egypt, up to the Libyan border, where the aircraft then turns South-East along established airways across Chad, to Nigeria to commence its transatlantic crossing. Not only does this route add significant distance, but the aircraft also has to climb and descend along the way to meet FIR handover procedures. Airlines operating these types of long-haul routes are increasingly looking for regional co-ordination among ANSPs to ensure a continuous Future Air Navigation Services (FANS) airspace is in place to introduce the ability to operate flexibly across the region. For ANSPs this means 22 QUARTER ONE 2008
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Fig 1: M ap showing the classic North-South routes across Africa, with new East-West routes overlaid in black
global airspace is increasingly a collective concern, and a co-ordinated and joint approach to airspace management is required to deliver dynamic and flexible capacity. This will require increasing military and civil co-operation and multiple exit and entry points to FIRs, as well as linkages between overflight permissions and ATC charging. One of the best examples of the benefits to an airline of operating flexibly along ultra-long-haul routes are the ‘flex tracks’ offered by Airservices Australia to Emirates Airlines. Between June 2005 and April 2006 Emirates operated 592 FANS flights between Dubai and Sydney or Melbourne, using the flex tracks. In this period the airline saved 57 hours of trip time and 628 tonnes of trip fuel, compared to operations along the traditional air ways. A comparison of the most western and most eastern flex track routes flown by an Emirates A340 between Dubai and Sydney, shows the aircraft operating over Singapore and Bali in the month of February, and 2692 nautical miles further west (approaching Australia from the south) on a typical day in July (see box and figure 2). Another example of the significant change in aircraft routes offered by more flexible use of airspace are the new nonstop flights between the US and India, which overfly Norway, Sweden and Finland one day, but may appear in Portuguese, Spanish and North African airspace the next day, depending on weather and prevailing jet streams.
Ultra-Long-Haul aircraft like this Emirates 777-200LR are creating a new market for Air Traffic Management
With fuel prices at a record high, airlines are in effect abandoning their traditional flight patterns based on lowest-cost NAV-charge routes, to routes which offer the lowest overall fuel burn. This new phenomena is leading ANSPs to witness changes in traffic patterns that have not been witnessed before, driving a new global market for ANS, with calls for greater attention to the harmonisation of communication and navigation, especially in airspace where few long-haul flights have appeared in the past. While airlines have never been keener to file flight plans directly
Flex Tracks A Flex Track is an air route which allows an aircraft to take advantage of favourable weather conditions, such as jet streams, even if the aircraft subsequently appears to fly miles off course. Even though route length is often extended, fuel (and time) savings can be considerable. In its first Flex Track trial in June 2004 an Emirates flight from Dubai to Sydney achieved a saving of 8408kg of fuel with the flight arriving 43 minutes quicker than the best fixed route.
into an ANSPs flight data systems, better ground-to-ground communications between neighbouring FIRs will create the flexibility required to offer these ultra-long-haul flights optimum flight profiles. On the navigation side, GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) provides high-integrity, high-accuracy and all-weather worldwide navigation capability – a four-dimensional navigation accuracy that these highly capable GPS-equipped long-haul aircraft require to make the utmost of their range capabilities, while circumnavigating the globe without relying on ground-based navaids. Though much of this technology was originally designed for oceanic or remote terrestrial airspace, these new aircraft are demanding these capabilities in all airspace worldwide, and ADS for position reporting and situational awareness will enhance the ANSPs ability to handle these flights throughout each FIR. These new requirements are placing unprecedented demands on ANSPs; for example ultra-long-haul flights may appear en mass in a certain piece of airspace experiencing favourable weather conditions. The increase in air traffic can vary on a day-to-day basis and this places demands on an ANSPs ability to adjust available capacity with the fluctuations in weather conditions. In some cases ATCO rostering may influence the ability of an ANSP to accommodate large numbers of long-haul flights. What is clear is that as more ultra-long-haul aircraft are delivered, ANSPs will be called upon to create more flexibility in their system capacity, to permit dynamic flight planning and optimum flight profiles, and to move Collaborative Decision Making from a pure airport capacity issue to a focus on upper airspace total system capacity. The introduction of ultra-long-haul aircraft is leading to a new market: a market that requires increased capacity in airspace, with greater flexibility to accommodate the constantly changing routes required for optimum fuel burn. The challenge for ANSPs will be to work towards regional ATM systems that are able to deliver the flexibility that these aircraft require.
Fig 2: M ap showing a Flex Track route optimisation of a Dubai – Sydney flight
Slides and information on the Emirates Airlines flex tracks used with kind permission of Ekkehard Gutt, Aeronautical Services Manager, Planning and ATM, Emirates Airlines.
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PEOPLE
The 60-Second Interview: Saleh Al-Ghamdi Head of Business Planning and Development General Authority of Civil Aviation/Air Navigation Services, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Could you describe the operations of GACA in the Kingdom? GACA/ANS provides the Air Navigation Services for the whole of Saudi Arabian airspace, covering 28 airports around the Kingdom. We currently have one ACC centre located in Jeddah, which controls the whole FIR, and six Approach services units. GACA/ANS also provides search and rescue services for the whole Middle East region. We have approximately 1500 employees including ATCOs, engineers, technicians, and support staff. Air traffic movements are increasing rapidly due to the expansion of commercial airlines within Saudi Arabia and the region. Air Traffic movements increased to a total of around 750,000 in 2007, a rise of approximately 15% over 2006. Is GACA planning for any new developments or systems? Yes, GACA/ANS is planning to replace many navigational aids and enhance its communications systems, as well as its surveillance technology. At the moment we have new ACC’s being installed in Jeddah and Riyadh, which have state-of-theart technology, including the new satellite based systems such as ADS, ADS-B, and CPDLC. The dual ACC in Riyadh and Jeddah will control the upper and lower airspace respectively. There is also a strategic plan for the implementation of GNSS.
Being a member of CANSO brings various benefits to every ANSP in the world…
In your view, what are the most significant challenges facing GACA/ANS at the moment? The most important challenge facing us is to cope with increasing traffic while maintaining the highest level of safety and efficiency, as well as satisfying customer needs. We are also moving towards a performance and customer-focused organisation, and that is a significant change for us. In addition, transforming from being a government entity to a corporatised entity is a huge task in itself. What advantages do you think membership of CANSO brings to GACA? Being a member of CANSO brings various benefits to every ANSP in the world, in particular the sharing of knowledge, information and experiences. CANSO represents ANSPs with one global voice on both regulatory and industry issues. It also has a direct communication channel with ICAO, IATA, and other international and regional bodies. In addition, it helps to improve the performance of ANSPs by adopting key performance indicators that are co-ordinated and agreed by other ANSPs to support the development and promotion of best practice. From GACA’s point of view, we also value the opportunity to keep up-to-date with industry trends through the regular meetings and workshops that are organised by CANSO. As a new member of the Association, we are looking forward to exploring the experiences and trials of other ANSPs in order to improve our performance and quality of service by applying best practices in air traffic management.
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PEOPLE
AIRSPACE
Could you describe the operations of GACA in the Kingdom? GACA/ANS provides the Air Navigation Services for the whole of Saudi Arabian airspace, covering 28 airports around the Kingdom. We currently have one ACC centre located in Jeddah, which controls the whole FIR, and six Approach services units. GACA/ANS also provides search and rescue services for the whole Middle East region. We have approximately 1500 employees including ATCOs, engineers, technicians, and support staff. Air traffic movements are increasing rapidly due to the expansion of commercial airlines within Saudi Arabia and the region. Air Traffic movements increased to a total of around 750,000 in 2007, a rise of approximately 15% over 2006. Is GACA planning for any new developments or systems? Yes, GACA/ANS is planning to replace many navigational aids and enhance its communications systems, as well as its surveillance technology. At the moment we have new ACC’s being installed in Jeddah and Riyadh, which have state-of-theart technology, including the new satellite based
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TECHNOLOGY & OPERATIONS
Airports Collaborative Decision Making As the pressure for improvements to the environmental performance of ATM increases, ANSPs across the world are looking at innovative solutions to reduce fuel burn and noise both at altitude and close to airports. One such project is Airports Collaborative Decision Making (A-CDM), a solution which NATS has installed at London Heathrow Airport to improve airport operational management by reducing delays, fuel burn, improving the predictability of events and optimising the utilisation of airport community resources. Airport CDM allows NATS and its customers to optimise their decisions in collaboration with other airport partners. The decision-making by Airport CDM partners is facilitated by the real-time sharing of timely and accurate information via adapted procedures and tools. A-CDM has already brought improved communications benefits and situational awareness which will, in turn, allow users to make better informed decisions. In addressing these shortcomings individually, CDM will bring a cultural change to Heathrow in the way information is shared. The benefits of implementing CDM at an airport have been identified through operational trials at a number of European airports. Pre-CDM, not all partners would have possessed a full understanding of the particular operations and priorities of others. This is a normal situation in the world of aviation and is one that CDM has addressed. An enhanced situational awareness and better quality decisions by all users ensures that system capacity and partner resources are utilised more effectively and efficiently. In tactical operations, these improvements translate into improved predictability and punctuality, leading to fewer missed connections, reduced delay, reduced turn-around times, and better utilisation of staff and equipment. This leads to reductions in noise and engine emissions while aircraft are on the ground. Network benefits are gained from providing the Central
Flow Management Unit (CFMU) with more timely and accurate information, in order to utilise the slot allocation system to its full potential. Benefits such as these will grow as the number of airports implementing CDM increases. Whilst the benefits of CDM are widely recognised, when it comes to actually sharing information or establishing links for closer cooperation, openness is of the utmost importance. It is essential that all partners incorporate a programme of internal education and provide active support in the daily running of CDM. In essence, CDM works by building a commitment and willingness to work towards the greater good of the airport community. The airport and aircraft operator’s main input into the process will be the provision of a Target Off-Block Time (TOBT). The aim of the TOBT is to give a timely, accurate and reliable assessment of the off-block time to the airport community as a whole, which in turn will allow the CDM platform to formulate a sequencing process by issuing a Target StartUp Approval Time (TSAT). It is fundamentally important to the CDM process to reflect up-to-date information to the airport as a whole. This information has to be available at many locations around the airfield where computers may not be available. It is for this reason that NATS commissioned a software build to allow this information to be displayed on a mobile phone. The build is now complete, and it is using this technology on a daily basis at Heathrow. Since A-CDM requires a large amount of important information to be exchanged between parties, it is crucial that all CDM partners can access the data securely, and users are prevented from viewing each other’s sensitive operational reports. At the same time, as noted above, it is vital that information is delivered swiftly to multiple receivers. With A-CDM, delivery of timely information is achieved through electronic channels such as web browsers and email. The security of this information has been afforded the highest priority and the CDM platform has been independently tested in conjunction with NATS Corporate Security Services.
Benefits
A-CDM users can view live radar images of the airfield on the internet
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• Arrivals/Departures are accurately predicted and provided to Airport partners and the CFMU • Reduction in congestion in cul-de sacs/taxiways with full TSAT planning. • Reduced emissions and fuel burn • Improved utilisation of push back tugs • Better planning for AO/Pilot/CFMU • Reduction of taxi time when stand availability permits • Flexible pre-departure planning • Improve on time performance • Reduce ground movement costs.
INSIDE CANSO
Focus on… Serco Serco joined CANSO in 2005 and currently control over six million movements and operate seventy towers. As the world’s largest non-state, commercial provider of air traffic services, Serco has strength in depth across all aeronautical disciplines operating across 80 sites on four different continents. Uniquely, we are the only non-state organisation that authorises the issue of Air Traffic Control Officers’ (ATCO) licences on behalf of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) signatory nations.
experience of working closely with customers at all levels within the aviation industry.
With extensive expertise in the field of aviation, particularly in the provision of aeronautical services, we handle more than six million aircraft movements annually. Serco employs over 700 air traffic control specialists, 350 fire service personnel and numerous staff in related aeronautical and engineering disciplines. We have been providing air traffic services (ATS), consultancy, training and support to clients worldwide for over 50 years.
• Provision of ATC services and the training of customers staff to certified ATC standards; • Development of an auditable framework for the maintenance of ATC standards and disciplines. This includes such elements as documented training programmes with internationally recognised milestones, annual competency checking of all ATCO staff and development of emergency continuation training systems. Preparation of all necessary unit documentation to ensure integrity of operation; • A transparent and auditable investigation and analysis of aircraft occurrences, followed by recommendations for any remedial action to minimise the possibility of re-occurrence; • Regular comprehensive and detailed ATC audits of the ATS unit to determine integrity of service and compliance with internationally recognised standards and practices. A written consultancy document would highlight any areas where remedial action was required; • Introduction of safety management systems to ensure compliance with ICAO legislation; • Identification and establishment of any training or refresher courses required by the air traffic control staff.
In all its activities Serco is dedicated to providing the highest possible standard of service and has considerable
The experience and expertise within Serco provides the following services:
Aviation safety management systems (ASMS) have been implemented across our aviation contracts globally,
including Bahrain and at six facilities in the United Arab Emirates. Building on this experience, Serco has provided consultancy to put in place ASMS at Cairo and Doha airports. A further contract to implement ASMS at Sharm El Sheikh, Hurgadha and Luxor International Airports together with quality management accreditation for AIS, Engineering and ATC in Cairo is being completed. Safety management consultancy assists customers in providing robust, systematic and documentary evidence of appropriate levels of safety assurance in activities associated with air traffic services.
Serco is the only non-state organisation that authorises the issue of Air Traffic Control Officers’ (ATCO) licences With 60 years’ experience in delivering aeronautical services, Serco Middle East is a leading player in the dramatic expansion of the region’s airport infrastructure. It is a rapidly moving AIRSPACE
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INSIDE CANSO
business. In 2006, aircraft movements were up over 7% per cent, and almost 29 million air passengers landed safely at Dubai airport alone, thanks to the expertise of our air traffic controllers. They have helped Serco Middle East forge a strong reputation for its worldclass aviation safety management systems (ASMS), which the business has already implemented across all its Middle East aviation contracts.
29 million air passengers landed safely at Dubai airport alone, thanks to Serco’s expertise We wholly support the governments of the UAE and Bahrain in their commitment to boost the employment of nationals. Through our training, we strive to prepare nationals with the skills and knowledge in all disciplines associated with air traffic services. The results have been extremely successful; at our Abu Dhabi contract alone, we have trained over 50 ATCOs during the last 15 years. Some of our airport contracts now employ a large number of UAE nationals who are highly certified in aeronautical services. Our experience in the Middle East has enabled us to support aviation growth in the region and we actively engage our customers in order to face the continuing challenges they will face in the years to come.
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Air Navigation Service Providers are facing a world of change. Business developments require ANSPs to harmonise regulations. At the same time, the pressure is on to be more cost effective, environmentally friendly and customer oriented. Shared knowledge of business performance figures is essential to make this possible. Airport Insight provides the tools for all stakeholders - ANSPs, airports, airlines and regulators to assess airfield business performance, based on solid real time surveillance data. For example, Airport Insight provides: • detailed analysis of taxiing times to optimise operations; • real-time information on delays for arrivals and departures to optimize your flow; • analysis of delay causes to prevent unnecessary fuel consumption. Airport Insight also provides a real time traffic overview. This common operating picture is an important step towards CDM and makes communication between airport services and airline operators more efficient. Setting up Airport Insight in your organisation is simple. All we require is access to airfield traffic data. Authorised users can then access the system through a standard web browser. No hassles, no further installations. Instant benefits.
Innovative Technology See for yourself what Airport Insight can do for you. Visit us at Stand 316 of the ATC Global in Amsterdam, March 11 - 13.
HITT Traffic P.O. Box 717, 7300 AS Apeldoorn, The Netherlands tel: +31-55-543 25 00,ONE fax: +31-55-543 AIRSPACE QUARTER 2008 29 25 53 e-mail: sales@hitt.nl, website: www.hitt.nl
INSIDE CANSO
Who We Are and What We Do
Red area illustrates airspace controlled by CANSO members
CANSO – The Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation – is the global voice of the companies that provide air traffic control, and represents the interests of Air Navigation Services Providers worldwide. CANSO members are responsible for supporting over 80% of world air traffic, and through our Workgroups, members share information and develop new policies, with the ultimate aim of improving air navigation services on the ground and in the air. CANSO also represents its members’ views in major regulatory and industry forums, including at ICAO, where we have official Observer status.
JOINING CANSO
contribute to CANSO Workgroups, delivering the standards and policies that will drive the future development of Air Navigation Services. Full (ANSP) Membership is open to all ANSPs, regardless of whether or not they are autonomous of their government. Associate members can apply for either Gold or Silver status, which brings differing levels of event and advertising discounts and access to CANSO Workgroups. All members get a free listing in the CANSO Yearbook, and have access to the Global ATM Net, an extranet that is the hub of CANSO’s activities, and home to an extensive member database.
The membership of CANSO is drawn from a wide range of ANSPs and companies involved with the delivery of air traffic services. Membership offers them the chance to network formally and informally, exchange best practice, and
For further information on joining CANSO, please contact Marc-Peter Pijper on +31 (0)23 568 5380 or email marc-peter.pijper@canso.org
Full Members
Associate Members
Aena – Spain AEROTHAI – Thailand Airports Authority of India Airservices Australia Airways New Zealand ANS of the Czech Republic ATNS – South Africa ATSA – Bulgaria Austro Control – Austria Avinor – Norway AZANS – Azerbaijan Belgocontrol – Belgium CAA Uganda CAAS – Singapore DFS – Germany DHMI – Turkey DSNA – France EANS – Estonia ENAV S.p.A. – Italy Federal Aviation Administration – USA GACA – Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Georgian Air Navigation Ltd HungaroControl Irish Aviation Authority
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ISAVIA – Iceland Kazaeronavigatsia – Kazakhstan LFV – Sweden LGS – Latvia LPS Slovak Republic LVNL – the Netherlands MATS – Malta MoldATSA – Moldova NAMA – Nigeria NANSC – Egypt NATS – UK NAV CANADA NAV Portugal Naviair – Denmark OACA – Tunisia Oro Navigacija – Lithuania PANSA – Poland ROMATSA – Romania Serco skyguide – Switzerland Slovenia Control SMATSA – Serbia State ATM Corporation – Russia UkSATSE – Ukraine
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Gold Members Boeing Era Corporation FREQUENTIS AG Lockheed Martin Raytheon SELEX Sistemi Integrati S.p.A. Sensis Corporation Thales ATM Silver Members Adacel Inc. Airbus ARINC ATCA – Japan Aviation Advocacy Sarl Barco Orthogon AG Booz Allen Hamilton Comsoft GmbH Entry Point North ESR Technology Aviation Helios Technology HITT Traffic Ifield Computer Consultancy Ltd Indra Sistemas
Integra Intelcan Technosystems Inc. ITT Radar Systems – Gilfillan Jeppesen L3-Communications ESSCO Lochard Ltd The MITRE Corporation-CAASD Naverus, Inc. PA Consulting Group A/S Park Air Systems AS QinetiQ Quintiq SITA Sun Microsystems, Inc. U.S. DoD Policy Board on Federal Aviation
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