journal of the civil air navigation services organisation
ISSUE 24 QUARTER 1 2014
DELIVERING THE FUTURE: World ATM Congress 2014
ANSP Business Models A direct route to a Single European Sky PLUS: The FAA on eliminating distraction, the safety gains from a Just Culture, the need for revenue management, Solar Impulse and ATM, the benefits of benchmarking, service priority, competition in controller training, plus the latest ATM news and comment. .
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CONTENTS services organisation journal of the civil air navigation
ISSUE 24 QUARTER 1 2014
DELIVERING THE : FUTURE Congress 2014
IN THIS ISSUE
SOLAR IMPULSE 18 The solar-powered aircraft’s Mission across America provided some crucial lessons for its planned first round-theworld solar flight.
World ATM
ANSP Business Models A direct route to a Single European Sky , the safety gains from a Just PLUS: The FAA on eliminating distraction nt, Solar Impulse and ATM, Culture, the need for revenue manageme controller service priority, competition in the benefits of benchmarking, and comment. training, plus the latest ATM news .
Front cover: University of Washington Human Interface Technology Laboratory, Seattle demonstrates virtual reality in ATC systems. ©Peter Menzel Airspace No. 24 ISSN number 1877 2196 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 Editorial content: Quentin Browell Quentin.browell@canso.org Advertisement Manager: Gill Thompson gill.thompson@canso.org Telephone: +44 (0)1273 771020 Design: i-KOS Telephone: +44 (0) 7928 2280 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.
DIRECTOR GENERAL
TRAINING
5 This year’s World ATM Congress will look at the challenge of delivery.
20 Competition in controller training can bring benefits in terms of safety, cost and harmonisation, says Andrew Charlton, Managing Director, Aviation Advocacy.
ANSP BUSINESS MODELS 6 Improved ANSP performance is the key no matter how you get there, writes Graham Newton.
BENCHMARKING 24 The latest Global ANS Performance Report is more than a set of results. It provides a crucial insight into the benefits of benchmarking.
WORLD ATM CONGRESS 2014 8 CANSO reports progress on its commitments to industry partners.
OPERATIONS
SINGLE EUROPEAN SKY
26 First come, first served requires a radical change in thinking, not technology, argues Gus Nezer, Chairman, CANSO Operations Standing Committee and Director, FAA Air Traffic Organization.
12 Richard Deakin, CEO NATS, says the potential reach of the Single European Sky stretches far beyond Europe if the industry is to be harmonised on a global scale in the future.
REVENUE MANAGEMENT
COMMENT
28 Mark Figgitt, Airways New Zealand, believes the emergence of revenue management for ANSPs is inevitable.
14 Teri Bristol, Acting Chief Operating Officer, FAA Air Traffic Organization, looks at the Partnership for Safety programme and its role in eliminating workplace distractions.
ATM News 30 The latest news from around the world.
SAFETY
100 YEARS OF COMMERCIAL FLIGHT
16 A commitment to Just Culture would begin to bridge the gap between legal and practical understanding.
32 Scheduled commercial aviation celebrates its 100th birthday in 2014. What role did air traffic control play?
The CANSO Executive Committee APC3: Asia-Pacific CANSO CEO Committee
EC3: European CANSO CEO Committee
LAC3: Latin America and Caribbean CANSO CEO Committee
Paul Riemens
Massimo Garbini
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, LVNL
Member at Large and Director General, ENAV S.p.A.
Yap Ong Heng
Teri Bristol
MEC3: Middle East CANSO CEO Committee
AFC3: Africa CANSO CEO Committee
Maurice Georges
Chair, EC3, and Chief Executive Officer, DSNA
Micilia AlbertusVerboom
Neil Planzer
Ed Sims
Thabani Mthiyane
Chair, LAC3 Director General, DC-ANSP
Associate Member Representative and Vice President ATM, Boeing Air Traffic Management
Capt. Mohammad Amin Al-Mustafa Chair, MEC3 and Chief Commissioner CARC
© Copyright CANSO 2014
civil air navigation services organisation
Vice Chairman and Chair APC3 and Director General, CAAS
Member at Large and Acting Chief Operating Officer, FAA-ATO
Richard Deakin Member at Large and Chief Executive Officer, NATS
Member at Large and Chief Executive Officer, Airways New Zealand
Chair AFC3, Chief Executive Officer, ATNS
AIRSPACE
QUARTER 1 2014 3
EFFICIENCY FLEXIBILITY HUMAN FACTORS SAFETY
INNOVATION PERFORMANCE
PARTNERSHIP COMMITMENT
EXPERIENCE OUR COMMITMENT
AIR TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS & NETWORKS
TOWER & AIRPORT AUTOMATION SOLUTIONS
ENROUTE PRODUCTS & SERVICES
AERONAUTICAL INFORMATION MANAGEMENT
SOLUTIONS FOR MILITARY ATC
SYSTEMS INTEGRATION & TURNKEY DELIVERY
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FROM THE DIRECTOR GENERAL
civil air navigation services organisation
It seems hard to believe that a year has passed since we last met in Madrid for the inaugural World ATM Congress, at which I made a number of commitments on behalf of CANSO to our partners and stakeholders. CANSO is publishing a report, to coincide with this year’s World ATM Congress, on the progress that has been achieved against the commitments we made last year. It is pleasing to see that although there has been a lot of change and other pressures, the CANSO community has indeed made a lot of progress. Notably, we have agreed the first ever strategic framework for the ATM industry, Vision 2020; and we had a very successful ICAO General Assembly that saw the adoption of the Global Air Navigation Plan, which sets out the path to the aviation system block upgrades, or ASBUs. At the CANSO AGM in Curacao, we launched a number of safety initiatives, showing that our industry is taking a leadership role in ensuring safer, more efficient air transport for all. By any standards, these are momentous achievements. It is also worth a strong reminder that what has not changed is our commitment to work with our industry partners. We saw that co-operation in action in Montreal at the ICAO General Assembly, and we see it every day in the work done with ACI and IATA, as well as ICAO, to improve safety and efficiency around the world. Another industry partner with whom we are delighted to work is the Air Traffic Control Association (ATCA). Together, we have built the world’s largest, best, ATM event, the World ATM Congress, in Madrid. Our first year was a huge success. This year is even bigger, and better. That success, like all successes, is built on hard work, trust and dedication. Those could be the defining features of our industry – and they define how we want to work with the rest of the industry. Our partners certainly agree with these words. I am delighted that World ATM Congress provides a welcoming forum for ATM industry partners – not just air navigation service providers but also airspace users, airports and regulators. I am encouraged that there is growing understanding that we all need to work together to ensure that we can deliver our future, and growing willingness to do so. It is very appropriate therefore that the theme of the conference at World ATM Congress this year is ‘Delivery’. It will look at all parts of the value chain and the ATM process to see how all stakeholders can better deliver. The challenge of delivery can present itself in a number of ways, including when we face major disruptive events, such as a natural disaster or something like the challenges of the Olympics. They always call for hard work, trust and dedication to deliver. Other challenges can include disruptive technologies, such as unmanned vehicles and new ways of flying. The conference will look at both – how to deliver service for UAVs and the entirely solar-powered aircraft, Solar Impulse. They are disruptive technologies today, but likely to be part of the future of air traffic management. Our time together in Madrid promises to be a revealing window on how the future might look. In the exhibition area our members and their suppliers are showing attendees what they think the future will be like, and how best to meet that future. In the conference room, delegates will discuss delivery both now and in the future, for the benefit of airspace users, the travelling public and the many industries, businesses and communities that depend on air cargo. Through hard work, trust and dedication I am confident that together we will deliver the future. Let’s go! Jeff Poole CANSO Director General
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ANSP Business Models
The end justifies the means Improved ANSP performance is the key no matter how you get there, writes Graham Newton ANSP business models has become a hot topic. The discussion is digging deep into the relative merits of the various models, agonising over the details in the context of the modern economy, the regulatory environment and the aims of the industry. Broadly speaking, ANSP business models fall into one of the following categories: 1. ANSPs within a government department 2. ANSPs as a separate branch of government 3. Corporatised ANSPs still fully owned by government 4. Corporatised ANSPs partially owned by government 5. Fully privatised ANSPs But is any one of these models better than the others at driving performance that has safety, cost and environmental benefits?
Commercial progress In some quarters, emphasis has been placed on the advantages of the fully commercial model – most obviously seen in the likes of NATS in the United Kingdom and Airways New Zealand. The incentive is transparent, it is argued, and enticing enough to ensure quality development in all areas. Clearly, there are some potential benefits. Innovative strategies and a faster rate of change are more obviously aligned with commercial practices. “We would all be better off if some of the disciplines and principles of the 6 QUARTER 1 2014
AIRSPACE
commercial model were adopted more widely,” believes Richard Deakin, CEO NATS. “For example, ensuring public interest in the most effective use of airspace, delivering reliably high service quality at appropriate cost, providing quality employment and a reasonable return on capital all seem to me to have had a very positive effect on NATS over the past decade.” But Deakin accepts that this does not mean an ANSP must be privatised. Indeed, he notes that it is hard to envisage a single business model that can encapsulate the socio-economic and political variety seen not only on the global stage but even in a single region such as Europe. Every ANSP is different and responding to a different culture, a different set of national regulations and different circumstances. And besides, commercialism may not solve every problem. While it may supply management with a greater range of options it comes at a cost, both financial and otherwise. The rationalisation of support services, for example, could drive improvements without necessarily being commercially delivered. And even if ANSPs could outsource more of their services, it would not affect the major cost centre in the business; staff. In a truly competitive market, it could be that labour costs would actually rise as organisations sought to avail themselves of highlyqualified and relatively scarce personnel. Furthermore, many ANSPs following other business models seem to be working perfectly well. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is often
touted as a benchmark for Europe in terms of operational efficiency, having a single ATCC for an area broadly comparable in size. But the FAA cannot properly be described as a commercial organisation. Nordic Unified Air traffic Control (NUAC) – with air traffic control centres in Copenhagen, Malmo and Stockholm – is one of the more efficient set-ups according to the latest figures and yet doesn’t have commercial origins. But state-controlled ANSPs rarely achieve such lofty heights. The main problem is the political will of governments that often look to the headlines of jobs and airspace control without considering the less tangible effects of an efficient airspace system. The incentive to increase efficiency is hard to see and the situation is only made worse if the owners of ANSPs get to decide what their performance targets should be.
The right incentives Even if it’s accepted that no one business model is superior, a larger question looms about the ability of these disparate organisations to collaborate and push airspace improvements on the regional and global level. Can a state-run ANSP get along with a privatised partner, agreeing targets for implementation and investment levels? Aside from the political will involved – or rather the lack of it – the different procurement, legal and regulatory structures might make co-operation difficult between organisations at
opposite ends of the spectrum. They might not agree on the benefits being pursued either. And, of course, two commercial ANSPs could see each other as competitors rather than potential partners. “The difficulty is on agreeing that a regional initiative is the better solution and ensuring that public procurement rules do not get in the way,” says Mike Shorthose of Helios. “The right incentives could increase the efficiency of any co-operation between commercial and governmentrun ANSPs. Once the vehicle is in place there is no reason why commercial and non-commercial entities can’t get along!” Examples of “getting along” are growing by the day. As mentioned, NUAC has proved what’s possible. It leads the harmonisation initiatives in the Danish-Swedish Functional Airspace Block (FAB) and according to the organisation, has already made progress on harmonising ATM systems, leading to cost savings, airspace efficiency and environmental benefits. Through NUAC, Naviair and LFV each expect to save €13 million annually by the end of 2016.
The COOPANS alliance was established way back in 2006. IAA (Ireland), LFV (Sweden), Naviair (Denmark), Austro Control (Austria), Croatia Control (Croatia) and supplier, Thales expect to reduce system development costs by 30 percent. The COOPANS partners are also benefiting from other operational initiatives based on a harmonised working platform. Another noteworthy case is the Borealis Alliance which is a commercial grouping of nine northern Europe ANSPs. Deakin points out that it is self-formed, international and inter-FAB. “It has the potential to achieve very significant progress in areas such as free-routeing or AIM,” he says. In general, a focus on outcomes and not on business models would, in Deakin’s view, generate more rapid progress. Virtual centres seem to encapsulate this concept. As the name suggests, these are a virtual consolidation of air navigation services and rely on standardisation more than a particular business strategy. Virtual centres allow more innovative operating hours and rostering as well as generate economies of scale and scope. Skyguide has already
done some work on the subject and describes the virtual centre as “a plus for operational flexibility, business continuity and cost-effective technical evolution”.
Good governance Such developments are only possible with successful and efficient ANSPs and can be further enhanced through cooperative alliances. “We are very clear on what are the industry best practices across the various aspects of air traffic management,” says Jeff Poole, CANSO Director General. “The challenge is to interpret and deliver those at the local level. “Ownership of ANSPs should not matter if they are governed well with a focus on performance outcomes and allowed to operate as normal businesses,” he adds. “The exact business model adopted and the levels of consolidation, co-operation and outsourcing would then be natural and logical consequences rather than dogmatic requirements. And flexibility to meet the diverse and considerable challenges of air traffic management makes much more sense than “One State, One ANSP”, “one size fits all” and an over prescriptive regulatory framework.” AIRSPACE
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WORLD ATM CONGRESS 2014 CANSO delivers on its commitments By CANSO Director General Jeff Poole
It is appropriate that the theme of World ATM Congress 2014 is ‘delivery’ as CANSO will be reporting back on the commitments it made to its industry partners at last year’s Congress. At that event, CANSO asked ICAO and its industry partners what they expect from the ATM industry. They made a series of requests and proposals, which were then shaped by CANSO into a comprehensive set of actions, with measurable deliverables, to improve the performance of ATM globally. CANSO committed to take action in three broad areas: safety, operations and policy. We promised to report back on these commitments at World ATM Congress in 2014 and we shall do so in a report to be published in March. On safety, the industry’s number one priority, we worked with industry partners to launch the Runway Safety Initiative in June 2013. This provides a runway safety checklist for airports and air navigation service providers as well as key tips for both pilots and air traffic controllers. We have also released recently two publications that will make major contributions to enhancing safety in air traffic management. CANSO’s Standard on Common Safety Methods on Risk Evaluation and Assessments for ANSPs is a vital tool to standardise risk evaluation and assessments conducted by ANSPs. CANSO’s Standard of Excellence in Safety Management Systems is a tool to measure SMS maturity from basic ICAO Annex 19 compliance to a mature safety management system. CANSO is preparing a Statement on “Commitment to Just Culture”, to encourage a culture in which staff feel secure that their 8 QUARTER 1 2014
AIRSPACE
organisation will treat them justly and fairly when they report safety mistakes and errors. In addition, we are exploring options for a possible CANSO Safety Certificate. In the operations area, following the approval of ICAO’s Global Air Navigation Plan in November, we are focussing on the implementation of the ICAO Aviation System Block Upgrades (ASBUs). As support for ASBU implementation, we have recently launched a guide to ASBU implementation, which provides a comprehensive explanation of the initiative as well as tips on implementation; and have launched a training course. Around the globe, CANSO is working with industry partners on issues such as service priority, the roll-out of performancebased navigation, continuous climb and descent operations, airport-
World ATM Congress 2013 Exhibition Hall
collaborative decision making (A-CDM) and air traffic flow management (ATFM). These and many other initiatives, which come under the ASBU umbrella, will help us take steps towards our vision of achieving seamless airspace globally. CANSO has also been active on the environment. It has published documents that provide best practice on minimising and measuring the environmental impact of air transport; as well as guidance on assessing noise impacts. On the policy side, CANSO is making steady progress towards airspace harmonisation. CANSO has played a full role and influenced the outcomes of some important policy developments over the past year, including ICAO’s Global Air Navigation Plan and Global Aviation Safety Plan. The CANSO initiative for better regulation is being promoted through representations to
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WORLD ATM CONGRESS 2014
governmental organisations, speeches, articles and other means. CANSO continues to work hard to persuade States that harmonisation of airspace is not incompatible with State sovereignty. It is pleasing that these and other commitments have either already been delivered or are making good progress, thanks to impressive work by many representatives of CANSO Members. The commitments vary from those with a short-term timeframe for completion, such as production of guidance and best practice on important issues like
10 QUARTER 1 2014
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runway safety, ASBU implementation and Just Culture, to those that will take many years to complete, such as military-civil cooperation and better regulation. This is only natural given that the ATM industry is long-term, complex and diverse technically, geographically, culturally and in terms of maturity, with different business models and regulatory frameworks. Many of the commitments require the support and commitment of third parties including industry partners and States. CANSO will continue to work in partnership with other stakeholders
to deliver on its commitments, through CANSO’s Vision 2020 and the associated CANSO Work Plan. The CANSO commitments from World ATM Congress 2013 were all incorporated into Vision 2020, which provides the first ever strategic framework for the ATM industry. It is supported by the CANSO Work Plan which captures 126 supporting activities planned at global and regional level, each with detailed actions, deliverables and timescales. CANSO is committed to delivery and will continue to provide updates on progress.
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SINGLE EUROPEAN SKY
A direct route to a Single European Sky
Richard Deakin, CEO NATS
we are to harmonise our industry on a global scale in the future. The SES initiative seeks to establish a future European ATM system that works on the basis of operational efficiency rather than national boundaries. Today’s invisible borders in the sky are very real in terms of ATM service provision, adding complexity and costs to airspace users and making it harder to optimise routes within Europe.
Critics of the air traffic management system in Europe often repeat a story about the cost of ATM in the United States, which is roughly half what it is in Europe. What they don’t say, however, is that while the cost may be half, the service provision also falls far short of Europe’s. In the United States over the past year, 92 million system delay minutes are estimated to have resulted in $7.2 billion in direct additional costs to airlines – not something airlines operating in European airspace would want to see mirrored. But that is a long way from saying the European system is working well. In fact, it isn’t a system at all but a collection of systems that are joined together rather imperfectly. So a more coherent whole is most definitely required – a Single European Sky (SES). For airspace users anywhere in Europe, the Single European Sky is the single most important initiative for the future of our industry. Its potential reach stretches far beyond Europe, too, if 12 QUARTER 1 2014
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The European Commission has tried to tackle this through a combination of legislation and regulation, with performance targets for safety, environment, capacity and cost efficiency. They have attempted to defragment Europe’s airspace by legislating to ensure neighbouring ANSPs collaborate through a series of Functional Airspace Blocks (FABs). There are nine FABs in Europe now – the UK/Ireland FAB was the first to be created in 2008 and in its first four years enabled around €70 million of savings to airlines, including more than 70,000 tonnes of fuel. Despite the Commission’s best efforts, progress towards the SES has been frustratingly slow, however, largely because of lack of consensus within the wider industry on what needs to be prioritised.
Finding a balance Delay costs airlines dearly but there is always a balance to be achieved between service quality and what customers are prepared to pay for it. This was illustrated last summer when
we at NATS consulted our customers on our draft business plan for the five years from 2015. Much as customers wanted price reductions, they also wanted to ensure high quality service and investment in future technologies. They recognised that this means tailoring their expectations on price cuts. Certainly, the best way to make most progress is by acknowledging what can be tackled through SES and what can’t. This will focus effort and resource on the areas that can truly drive change and deliver the greatest benefits. Technology has had most focus and as a result is unsurprisingly where the greatest progress has been made. The Single European Sky ATM Research Project (SESAR) was established to focus efforts on developing a modern air traffic control infrastructure that could be integrated across Europe, with interoperable systems operating to consistent standards. The ATM industry is taking a leading role in SESAR. For instance, NATS is involved in over 70 SESAR projects and leads the work package focusing on Terminal Operations. NATS is four years into a ten-year programme of terminal airspace redesign, delivering the CAA’s Future Airspace Strategy to deploy SESAR into the United Kingdom. It will enable us to introduce Performance Based Navigation (PBN) and other modern technologies into our ATM system. It will mean less noise as aircraft will climb higher more quickly on departure and stay higher for longer on arrival.
It will also involve less cost to airlines, as they will burn less fuel, and reduced environmental impact as lower fuel burn will create fewer emissions. The United Kingdom has now endorsed a move to an 18,000ft Transition Altitude (TA) – the level at which pilots change altimeter settings between feet above sea level, and flight levels based on barometric pressure settings. This is the same level as the United States and we hope very much that we can persuade the rest of Europe to follow suit. It would be a major step to breaking down cross-border barriers and a major step to achieving a global TA. That would be a real demonstration of intent!
Models for success Partnership, of course, is central to achieving economies of scale and integrated operations, particularly in technology development. And while the FAB concept has been successful to a point, there are other models for pursuing common interests. The SESAR Joint Undertaking (JU) was established to ensure that the whole industry is working together to deliver SESAR and NATS chairs the A6 – an alliance of ANSPs represented in the JU. The A6 has members in five of the nine FABs, collectively accounting for 70 percent of Europe’s traffic and is working closely together to drive progress on projects that will deliver the biggest benefits. Other commercially-based alliances such as The Borealis Alliance of nine ANSPs in northern Europe are
exploring ways to work together to drive down cost at the same time as improving interoperability.
one country are not automatically compliant with the regulations of another, thereby driving up costs.
But radical change requires radical thinking, and that means being bold. Technology, frankly, is the easy bit. The real inhibitors to change are the political, social and regulatory factors. These require political will and real incentive for ANSPs to do things differently.
Focus on Performance
First, we need to address the notion that one State necessarily equals one ANSP. The current system involves a lot of duplication and creates little or no incentive for ANSPs to see if anyone else can offer ideas on doing it better. We could create more incentive for ANSPs to collaborate, innovate and optimise resources and services. Second, we must be aware of the social dimension and the difficult reality that new technologies will change the way we provide ATM, just as they have changed many other walks of life. Over time, it is likely to mean we need fewer people and constructive engagement is needed now with our trades unions so that we work together to achieve this. Third, the current regulatory environment has over 40 different regulatory agencies in Europe, all imposing different standards on their local service delivery model at a time when we are living and breathing the need for harmonisation. For instance, training requirements and standards are specified at a European level but subsequently re-interpreted at State level, meaning the standards set by
Overly-prescriptive regulation can lead to a focus on process and compliance rather than on performance and customer value. The regulatory environment should stimulate, rather than stifle. And it must provide the incentives for ANSPs to drive down costs. In short, it should provide a framework that encourages ANSPs to operate as businesses. Essentially this means creating a model that puts customers at the heart of what we do, rather than politics; that encourages innovation and performance improvements; and that incentivises ANSPs to find new ways of doing things that will improve the service they offer. This would drive a shift in thinking towards managing Europe’s airspace as more of a common resource, while respecting national sovereignty and competition. It would also facilitate performance-driven cooperation between ANSPs and separate service provision from regulation. And crucially, it would drive efficiencies with harmonised standards. The aviation industry is the most dynamic to have emerged in the last century and is richly innovative. Air traffic management has the best opportunity now to harness new technologies to take innovation to the next level. And it is down to us, not governments, to do it. AIRSPACE
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COMMENT
Letter from America
Teri Bristol, Acting Chief Operating Officer, FAA Air Traffic Organization The FAA’s Air Traffic Organization (ATO) is committed to a proactive approach to ensuring aviation safety. Our focus is on identifying and mitigating safety risk. As part of our safety process, we’re pooling safety data from multiple sources, employing sophisticated analytical methods and devising informed corrective actions. The ATO’s Partnership for Safety (PFS) program is a big part of this effort. PFS is a joint initiative between the ATO and the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, the union that represents US air traffic controllers. Through PFS, we call upon local employees to devise local solutions to mitigate local safety concerns. As part of the program, each air traffic facility sets up a local safety council that must include at least one management employee and one union representative. Councils vary in size, typically having about six to eight members at a large facility and usually two to four at a smaller one. After the council is trained on how to proceed, it acquires access to the ATO’s Safety Data Portal. The portal contains data and automated analysis tools that provide the status of various operational trends at a glance, daily facility overviews (eg traffic counts, weather reports, traffic management initiatives, runway use, missed approaches), and a “dashboard” that displays safety data in simple, easy-to-understand charts and graphs. The portal also includes data collected from the Air Traffic Safety Action Program (ATSAP), the ATO’s voluntary safety reporting program for air traffic controllers. Through the ATSAP database, controllers can confidentially report safety information without fear of punishment. In the Safety Data Portal, ATSAP content includes both aggregated data generated from more than 75,000 reports, as well as de-identified narrative summaries. When a controller files an ATSAP report, he or she has the option of checking a box to have a de-identified copy of their narrative included in the portal. Local safety councils are using the Safety Data Portal to identify potential safety hazards, discuss causal factors, and craft solutions. For example, Atlanta TRACON – one of the world’s busiest facilities – identified a trend in which aircraft were occasionally overshooting final approach courses. These flights ran the risk of losing safe separation distance from a plane landing on an adjacent parallel runway. Within hours after spotting the trend, the safety council issued a memo alerting all controllers to this issue. Since the memo was issued, the number of overshoots and the average overshoot distance have been significantly reduced. Local safety councils also gain access to ATC InfoHub, a database where facilities publish information about their risk mitigation efforts. This gives all facilities a means to learn from each other that is both simple and direct. Just last year Chicago en route center’s local safety council posted information about efforts to reduce risk associated with skydiving flights through airspace used by airline flights heading to Chicago. This issue became a greater concern after there were a number of safety incidents between skydiving flights and airline flights, and controllers had submitted ATSAP reports. To address the problem, Chicago Center brought together airline pilots, controllers, FAA regulatory officials, and all of the local skydiving companies. The fruit of this process was a memo to controllers about drop zones, wind direction and the best phone numbers to reach skydiving operators if necessary. Also, they worked with skydiving operators to find ways for the skydiving flights operating under visual flight rules to avoid the arrivals operating under instrument flight rules. Bringing everyone to the table was key. By publishing efforts like this on InfoHub, we’re enhancing our proactive safety culture throughout the whole workforce.
Tools of the trade We’re in the process of conducting national training for all safety councils. The training includes a two-hour webinar and is conducted remotely, a more cost efficient method during these tough budget times. The PFS national team discusses the best uses of the safety data and tools and stresses that it’s not to be used to identify or punish any employees. More than 100 air traffic facilities have completed the national training and we expect all facilities to complete the training by June. 14 QUARTER 1 2014
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The ATC InfoHub helps document risk mitigation efforts
As part of the training, local safety councils are assigned to use PFS tools to tackle the safety risk posed by workplace distractions. Distraction can result from many factors, including non-operational discussions or activities in the control room, an untimely interruption by a co-worker or supervisor, loud shouting, equipment failures, alarms, tour groups, cleaning crews (including vacuuming and trash collecting) and personal electronic devices (such as smartphones and tablets). We’ve identified distractions as one of five top hazards to address in 2014. Also, the US National Transportation Safety Board, an independent federal agency that investigates all civil aviation accidents in the United States, included “Eliminate Distraction in Transportation” on its 2014 Most Wanted List. Research confirms that our focus on this issue is well placed. The likelihood of having an automobile crash is 23 times greater if people are texting while driving, according to the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute. According to the National Safety Council, a US non-profit organization, even small amounts of time spent switching focus lead to delayed reaction time. Additionally, according to workplacepsychology.net, distractions from electronic devices have effects on responsiveness equivalent to losing a night of sleep, with more than twice the effect of drugs or alcohol. On ATC InfoHub, more than 30 air traffic facilities have documented their risk mitigation efforts against distraction. Some of their efforts include conducting safety briefings to raise awareness about the impact of distraction, greater use of training and relocating equipment in the control room to minimize distraction. Local employees are the experts when it comes to local safety concerns. Through the ATO’s Partnership for Safety program, we’re putting key safety data in their hands. In doing so, we’re driving down safety risk. AIRSPACE
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An atmosphere of trust
A commitment to Just Culture would begin to bridge the gap between legal and practical understanding, argues Graham Newton Safety is the overriding principle for all aviation stakeholders. Just Culture argues that it should also be a prime concern for the judiciary. In other words, there must be a balance between safety and justice that takes a step away from a punitive culture and instead promotes the positive benefits of learning from mistakes. “You cannot judge an incident by the outcome alone, you must also judge behaviour and the intention behind that behaviour,” suggests Job Brüggen, Safety Manager at LNVL. This is not to say that aviation must operate a non-punitive environment. Gross negligence and criminal intent must still cross over into the legal system. But rather, any opportunity to improve safety should not be missed. And where a blame culture exists, the evidence suggests that such opportunities are indeed falling by the wayside. In 2002, in the Netherlands, three air traffic controllers were convicted for a runway incursion incident four years earlier. As there were no injuries and no damage relating to the incident, the court decided against any punishment. But for years afterwards, the reporting of safety incidents in the country fell dramatically. The conviction had served as a deterrent and people were scared of being prosecuted if they made an error. “There are no safety benefits to this approach and indeed it actively harms safety,” argues Brüggen. “The Netherlands learned from this negative experience and has actively embraced Just Culture. We now have a legal system that understands it must ask first how we can improve safety rather than simply look for someone to blame.” 16 QUARTER 1 2014
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For Brüggen, if someone makes a mistake it is better for them to report it and ask how a similar situation can be avoided. This would help out colleagues who may fall into a similar trap. That person then becomes a hero for improving safety and not a villain for making a mistake.
Adapting to the local environment While the notion of Just Culture is widely accepted, its adoption will not be straightforward. The first point is that it is not a one-sizefits-all approach. It has to be adapted to local circumstances and company values to achieve the best result. Some countries have a deep-set blame culture and can be litigious in the extreme, for example. Just Culture in such places would have a different feel compared with those countries that have a different legal environment. Brüggen also points out that it must be accepted that there is no such thing as a black and white situation. “We will always talk about shades of grey and just what should be done in each individual case,” he says. “But with work over time, I am sure we can reduce the number of shades and start to see some guiding principles.” And Just Culture cannot be imposed top down. The line between acceptable and unacceptable behaviour should come from the professionals themselves. The respect for the work they do ensures they will set the bar high. But by far the biggest challenge for Just Culture is winning over the
judiciary. It has happened to a large extent in the Netherlands but that remains the exception and not the rule. The gap between legal and practical understanding must be bridged. While ICAO Annex 13 sets out how safety investigation material should and shouldn’t be used, the fact is that the same report can draw two very different readings from an aviation safety expert and a judge. A missed approach is a case in point. Engaging with the judiciary would help them understand why a missed approach does not necessarily jeopardise safety and can be an entirely appropriate decision by a pilot. Getting the tone and content of the messaging of Just Culture right will be essential to its acceptance in the legal field. This has been an issue to date. It has been pointed out, for example, that a desire to prosecute is not a desire to impede safety. Cases that result in the cancellation of an operator’s licence show that legal proceedings and safety can go hand-in-hand. Brüggen insists that a working solution is possible and that the concept of Just Culture is a way forward for safety. It is, he says, a positive step in an area of operations that can never rest. “Just Culture aims to maximise safety benefits by providing protection to those looking to assist safety investigations but does not offer immunity to those behaviours which are deemed unacceptable,” he concludes. The importance of this subject is such that CANSO is preparing a statement on “Commitment to Just Culture” to encourage the widespread adoption of ‘Just Culture’ across ANSPs.
Image source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Lonpicman
SAFETY
AIRSPACE
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SOLAR IMPULSE
Mission across America
Nik Gerber, Solar Impulse ATC Coordinator Starting in May 2013 the world’s first solar airplane, able to fly day and night powered solely by the sun, began its mission across America. Over the course of two months, HBSIA made its way from San Francisco (CA) via Phoenix (AZ), Dallas (TX), St. Louis (MO), Cincinnati (OH), Washington D.C. to New York City. Difficult weather conditions, particularly strong winds, made the landing in Dallas difficult. A violent storm destroyed the roof of the hangar in St. Louis, forcing the team to operate its inflatable mobile structure for the first time during a mission. Finally, during the flight to New York, an 8 ft. / 2.5m tear in the fabric of the left wing forced the plane to land without completing the planned photoshoot around the Statue of Liberty. From an ATC point of view, the mission presented its own challenges. All routes were planned in close collaboration with the weather specialists and the simulation team of Solar Impulse. It then fell on the ATC team (Mike Masserey, Yves Fasel and Nik Gerber) to work the routes from departure to final approach, taking elements such as populated areas and the very special altitude profile – VFR up to FL280 – into account. Four out of the six stages, from Moffett (CA) to Cincinnati (OH), were organised with procedure specialists from each of the Air Route Traffic Control Centres (ARTCC) and Terminal Radar Approach Control units along the way, more than 20 in total. The East Coast flights on the other hand, particularly the arrival in Washington Dulles and the leg between there and New York, were planned with the help of the Eastern Service Center 18 QUARTER 1 2014
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as a single point-of-contact. The FAA felt this was best, given the airspace complexity and the traffic density in the region. In all, it took hundreds of e-mails and phone calls between the Solar Impulse team and FAA staff, as well as dozens of teleconferences between Switzerland and the United States.
Despite not being part of the original schedule, we were able to organise everything within two days. While missing a hanger to store the aircraft overnight, the municipal airport was extremely accommodating, not only to us, but to the general public wanting to see the aircraft as well.
To illustrate some of the challenges that we tackled: certain restricted areas were completely off-limits for HB-SIA, even if it could fly high enough to avoid them. Having picked destinations in, or close to, densely populated cities also complicated our planning. At 30 knots IAS and extremely susceptible to wake vortexes of other aircraft, our arrival and departure routes had to avoid populated areas. We had to stay outside areas with heavy traffic and we were required to delay our approaches until commercial traffic had stopped for the night. In the morning, we had to make sure to be gone before the start of the morning rush.
It was an important lesson: for “The First Round-the-World Solar Flight”, planned for 2015, we should try to avoid the main airports as much as possible. Instead, we need to look at destinations where arrangements can be made at short notice, still taking the specific needs of the aircraft, its crew and its mission into account.
These constraints and many others were the subject of long exchanges, negotiations and discussions and resulted in some pretty complicated routes. As if that doesn’t sound bad enough, coordinating and monitoring the mission was done from our Mission Control Centre in Switzerland, adding time zone differences of up to nine hours into the equation. Luckily, we could count on the professionalism and goodwill of everyone involved in the adventure, including that of the authorities on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean.
Short notice In sharp contrast, our stopover in Cincinnati (OH) was a walk in the park.
Lastly, I’d like to highlight the excellent co-operation from all air traffic controllers and their supervisors along the way. During the flight, we were nearly permanently in contact with the relevant operation room. Our dealings with the people at the operational end were extremely professional, heartwarming and above all co-operative. While weather, wind, turbulence and other unpredictable factors meant we couldn’t always stick to procedures, their flexibility and goodwill meant we never had to compromise on safety during any of the flights. The challenges and obstacles along the way not only show the team’s resourcefulness and flexibility but also provided a perfect rehearsal for what lies ahead in the circumnavigation of the globe. Thanks to all those who helped to make this possible, and hopefully see you again in 2015!
Across America 1st leg from Moffett Field to Phoenix Sky Harbour, Solar Impulse is flying over the Bay. © Solar Impulse | Merz | Rezo.ch
Solar Impulse Facts and Figures 2010: First ever solar-powered night flight 2011: First international flight 2012: First intercontinental flight, Europe to Africa 2013: Mission across America 2014: Unveiling and flight tests with the new aircraft, HB-SIB 2015: The First Round-the-World Solar Flight. It will head east, starting from the Middle East
Last checks and adjustments before take-off, 2011. © Solar Impulse | Revillard | Rezo.ch
Across America Itinerary Map with Phoenix stop over. © Solar Impulse
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TRAINING
Opening up the training market Competition in controller training can bring benefits says Andrew Charlton, Managing Director, Aviation Advocacy It is well known that the Single European Sky package of proposed changes, known as SES2+, is facing a number of challenges. One area that is attracting a lot of attention is the proposal that the provision of services ancillary to core air traffic management (ATM) services be unbundled and subject to competition. One of the ancillary services most often identified as ripe for unbundling is that of controller training. There has been fierce resistance to the proposal, which makes Entry Point North’s (EPN) announcement that it will begin ATC training operations at Shannon, Ireland, in January 2014, all the more striking. Sweden-based EPN is the largest independent ATC training company in Europe, and will provide the training under its local subsidiary name of Entry Point North, Ireland. It has already set up Entry Point Central in Budapest in partnership with HungaroControl to train controllers in central Europe.
Outsourcing savings Aviation Advocacy, which did a study on this topic, estimates that by outsourcing this activity a mediumsized ANSP in Europe could save as much as 14 percent of the €7 million spent annually on controller training. Multiplied across Europe, the savings would be considerable. All the large national ANSPs: UK NATS, France’s DSNA, Germany’s DFS, Italy’s ENAV, and many smaller ones, provide internal and external courses. Of the 16,993 air traffic controllers in Europe in 2012, just over 500 were new entrants. 20 QUARTER 1 2014
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According to the Eurocontrol Performance Review Commission report, each five-year training course for newcomers costs around US$600,000, and the market value in total is put at close to US$440 million yearly. Retraining adds another US$150 million to the total, so this sector is a major target for unbundling. Dedicated providers predict that competitive bidding in the private sector would cut that expense by nearly half at no loss of quality. In fact, competitive bidding for ATM training is slowly gaining ground across Europe. In addition to EPN, Flight Training Europe, Resource Group, and Global ATS compete in the European market. If these services are not unbundled, however, state-owned training schools and national ANSPs can benefit from cross-subsidies and bid well below free market pricing just to get the work. One small European ANSP, for example, opened a tender for refresher training in 2012 expecting to pay approximately €180,000. The two lowest tenders were from a European government-owned ANSP and a state-owned training academy, both clearly bidding far below cost in the €75,000 range. According to one private sector competitor, the bids cover the cost of hotels and transport but not the training itself, adding “There is no functioning market yet.”
The lack of transparency ATC training in Europe suffers from the lack of an integrated syllabus, the lack of integrated licensing and lack of cost transparency. This leads to
higher costs, hidden protectionism and major safety concerns. The solution is a transparent, Europe-wide set of controller training standards for training, accreditation and licensing. This will lead to more competition, lower costs and greater safety if implemented in combination with an open and transparent market and regulation of training academies. To achieve this EU-wide target, supranational effort is needed from the European agencies, including the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), Eurocontrol and the European Commission. Yet some EU Member States hesitate or refuse to accept another country’s licence regardless of the European State of issue and despite EU law requiring mutual recognition of professional accreditation. This adds to costs by effectively banning competition in training courses. Private sector companies are forced to compete with government academies that operate not only for the benefit of their national ANSPs but then offer government-subsidised training services on the open market. But an ANSP’s in-house training facility is unlikely to achieve the benefits of both scale and scope that a dedicated, full time academy is able to achieve. This potentially makes the actual costs for training much higher than a dedicated training facility and also discourages innovative training techniques. By cross-subsidising the cost of training, the market is distorted. The full and true training costs are absorbed elsewhere in the ANSP, usually, in the en-route charges to carriers.
TRAINING
Consistent quality As Europe evolves towards greater integration and greater efficiencies of scale, the controller workforce must handle the growing volume of air traffic while at the same time delivering safe and efficient control. Furthermore, traffic and complexity of airspaces may differ. So beyond certain basic levels, required skillsets also may differ. Nevertheless, it is critical that quality is consistent and secure while defining the skills actually needed in a specific region. A controller in the Canary Islands needs less expertise in handling icing conditions at ground level than a Finn. An Italian or Icelandic controller may need to be more aware of ash components in the atmosphere than a controller in Luxembourg. True enough, Europe currently has the ‘Common Core Content’ (CCC) programme established by Eurocontrol, which defines the different elements that make up the controller training syllabus and describes the different modules that lead to different controller licences. This is a major step forward compared with a decade ago but the interpretation of the CCC varies widely across member 22 QUARTER 1 2014
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states and Eurocontrol countries. There is no real harmonisation. The problem is that the CCC tackles theory with very little description of simulator exercises covering practical topics such as traffic density or airspace layout. A CCC course (one rating) can last between eight and 20 weeks within European ANSPs. The aircraft traffic load at the end of the course can also vary from 20 aircraft per hour to 60 aircraft per hour. The theory content in the courses is the same but the skills that students possess when graduating from such courses are widely different and non-standard. If training academies were operated in a competitive environment, separated from ANSPs, the market would be very different. A European standard, supported and regulated by EASA, would oversee delivery of certified training courses and a fair and equal accreditation process. The result would be a decrease in the number of training institutions in Europe, and this is in line with the creation of SES functional airspace blocks. The ANSPs are in a similar situation to legacy carriers at the advent of the low cost carriers. They must redefine themselves in a competitive marketplace to the economic benefit
of governments, carriers, passengers, and safety. Arguably, easyJet and Ryanair have done more for European integration than the Euro, and the same could happen in the ATC arena. The challenge rests with agencies such as the Commission, EASA and Eurocontrol to facilitate the change.
Key Facts A medium-spaced ANSP in Europe could save €7 million annually There are 16,993 air traffic controllers in Europe
A five-year training course for a new comer costs US$600,000 The training and retraining market combined is worth nearly US$600 million
civil air navigation services organisation
BENCHMARKING
A window on the world
The latest Global ANS Performance Report is more than a set of results
An increase in revenues per IFR flight hour hints at a sustainable future for ANSPs. The 1.5 percent improvement is highlighted in the fourth and latest Global ANS Performance Report. The report includes performance data related to productivity, cost effectiveness, price, revenue and profitability for 23 ANSPs from around the world. It reveals a challenging but successful year. The following table is based on the 20 participating ANSPs that included data for both 2011 and 2012, using combined values for continental and oceanic, or ANSP totals, where applicable. The report highlights that while lifecycle replacement and technology improvement costs are important, it is
Year-over-Year Change Total IFR Flight Hours
Total ATCOs in Operations
Total Air Navigation Service Total ANS Revenues
labour charges that remain the major issue as the sector continues to pursue efficiency and cost-effective service provision. The Report notes that total numbers of air traffic controllers (ATCOs) are up 1.2 percent over the previous year. “One of the unique limitations of air navigation service provision, compared with other industries, is the difficulty in staffing to demand,” states the report. “ANSPs cannot quickly respond to changes in traffic as the development of new ATCOs requires between two to three years of training with often high failure rates.” So although traffic can drop in an instant due to external factors such as economic downturns, the ATCO workforce cannot be right-sized accordingly. In any 2011 to 2012 case, with a two to three year training -1.0% horizon, it may not be prudent to cut 1.2% staff as an upturn can easily happen Costs -1.2% just as quickly.
IFR Flight Hours per ATCO
Total Cost per IFR Flight Hour
Total Revenue per IFR Flight Hour
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2.1%
-2.2%
-0.2%
1.5%
Staffing levels are further complicated as ANSPs are constantly trying to maintain a balance in terms of age and
experience and the workforce is not particularly mobile. A move requires learning new sectors or areas, involving another lengthy training process.
An essential tool But the report is not just important for what it reveals; equally vital is what the report represents. It is an essential tool in the drive for progress, supporting CANSO’s advocacy for national, regional and global policies and regulatory practices that will help air navigation service providers improve their performance. Crucially, it allows ANSPs to benchmark themselves against industry best practice. “Performance measurement and benchmarking is an important core activity for CANSO,” says Jeff Poole, CANSO Director General. “It supports CANSO’s strategic objective of transforming global ATM performance, and is a central value-creating activity of Vision 2020. Benchmarking provides invaluable information on performance and helps identify industry best practice. The annual Performance Report provides Members with a reasoned basis for comparison of performance in the key performance areas of productivity, cost-effectiveness, pricing, revenue and profitability. It remains one of the most effective management tools to support improvements in the provision of air navigation services. It also supports CANSO’s advocacy for policies and regulatory practices by States that will
Productivity
Key Performance Indicator
Benchmarking itself is about more than providing a simple snapshot of an industry. According to Pauline Lamb, Chief Operations Officer of Airways New Zealand, benchmarking across the industry provides us with a mechanism to drive performance, evaluate value and gauge what may or may not be reasonable. “It facilitates investment decisions and enables data-led conversations with our stakeholders,” she says. “By utilising the data available it should drive better performance across the industry.”
Cost Effectiveness
help air navigation service providers improve their performance.”
CANSO is also exploring the possibility of having a third-party service provider perform the task of data collection, analysis and reporting on behalf of the organisation. It is anticipated this would guarantee the long-term sustainability of the annual reporting process, while at the same time providing greater valueadded content and insight into ANS performance issues.
Revenue
With such lofty ambition, improving the report becomes essential. Development work is underway to include additional information on performance in the areas of safety, operations, environment and human resource management.
Providing greater value, though, will ultimately come through great membership participation in benchmarking activity.
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OPERATIONS
Fair play
Gus Nezer, Chairman, CANSO Operations Standing Committee and Director, FAA Air Traffic Organization
fast-paced ever changing world we live in today. And now the time seems ripe to challenge the fairness paradigm in the global aviation system.
Staying in the lead But first, some context seems in order.
First come, first served. The notion that there is inherent fairness in providing service to the “first in line” is a commonly held value across the planet. In fact, this sense of fairness is so much a part of our daily lives, we don’t even see it as it is occurring. But we are quick to recognise when this accepted norm is violated. A case in point is to watch the response that comes from otherwise calm people when they witness someone move ahead of them in the queue or, as we like to say in the United States, “cut in line.” At least in my part of the world, the public response tends to be loud, swift and universally insistent. Complete strangers will rally together to make known their displeasure with a violation of the accepted norm. But in spite of this strongly held value, there is also global acceptance for exceptions. They come in the form of the even-sicker patient at the hospital’s emergency room or the airline passenger in the ticket counter line with the earlier departure time. Yes, we accept the notion that fairness is important – but it has its limits in the 26 QUARTER 1 2014
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By almost any measure, the world’s air traffic management system owes its entire structure to the notion of first come, first served. Airport design was based on the idea that the aircraft nearest to the active runway would depart first. Taxiways were engineered to make this so. Airport gates, and the philosophy by which they are managed, reflects this same thinking. The surrounding airspace, both in the terminal and enroute environments, was crafted and regulated so the lead airplane stayed in the lead – and all others took their appointed slot behind the leader. Moreover, the traffic flow management system was built on this same precept. And this is just on the infrastructure side of the issue. On the human side, air traffic controllers, from the earliest days of their professional training, are taught first come, first served. It is reinforced in facility’s standard operating procedures, and emphasised in training syllabi across the aviation system. A controller’s competence is often judged against this standard. The notion of first come, first served is also a strongly held value within the other major aviation stakeholder group: pilots. Airmen are taught, and
the system constantly reinforces, the notion of a lead aircraft being first. And with being first comes expected benefits: flight planned speed; preferred altitude; minimum time tracks; and so forth. Pilots that believe another aircraft is receiving preferential treatment will often comment or question why. But the culture of first come first served has outlived its usefulness. First come, first serve must evolve. Airlines and ANSPs have invested heavily in new equipment that can improve airspace efficiency. But to fully utilise that equipment means moving away from first come first served because that concept locks in old patterns and limits progress. Imagine an aircraft that cannot make a continuous descent approach because of the legacy systems being used by the aircraft in front. Faced with arguably the greatest period of technological and procedural change, the world’s air traffic management system must adapt culturally to take advantage of capabilities that were unheard of just a few short years ago and deliver much-touted financial and environmental benefits.
All change But changing the notion of first come first served will not be easy. Airports must find a way to create multiple paths to active runways and at the same time find acceptable holding areas for those that will be required to wait. This will allow the better equipped to go to the head of the line, saving time, fuel and emissions.
Airspace specialists must create parallel routes in already highly congested terminal areas to allow the user community to make maximum use of their technological investments. Such benefits may come in the form of optimised profile descents for arrivals or early turn outs and continuous climbs for departures. Oceanic track loading will require different algorithms than those employed today to recognise and account for the better equipped. And of course, there is the significant challenge that comes with new techniques and processes for air traffic controllers, pilots, dispatchers and others,
in a mixed fleet environment. These are real changes that will require real work to accomplish. But what are our options? For years now, the operator community has been clear in communicating their concerns about spending significant sums in advance of receiving the expected benefits, only to be disappointed. There are air navigation service providers having to answer these same tough questions from their regulators and operators too. The bottom line is that benefit should follow closely behind investment. In far
too many examples, that has not been the case in our industry. And parties on both sides of this value proposition agree, first come, first served has stood in the way. The time is right. We’re deep in the throes of a renaissance of sorts. We’re focused on the technologies. We talk quite a bit about the infrastructure. Let us now evolve the culture of aviation. And may the best equipped be best served. That seems fair to me. AIRSPACE
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REVENUE MANAGEMENT
A commercial necessity
Mark Figgitt, Airways New Zealand, believes the emergence of revenue management for ANSPs is inevitable safer skies resulted in greater indirect economic growth in other areas – for example, in mining, oil and tourism. But following the global financial crisis many governments find themselves trying to manage spiralling levels of debt and as a result are forced to cut ANSP spending.
Whether an ANSP is a government department or is privately-owned, there is absolutely no argument that the primary objective is the provision of ATM services to facilitate the safe and efficient transition of aircraft within its airspace.
In years gone by, many ANSPs were government departments that were not concerned with balancing investments and costs with their revenues. This was based on the government preferring to take the macro-economic view that 28 QUARTER 1 2014
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This is a very different paradigm for many ANSPs and old practices and systems do not lend themselves easily to this new way of doing business. Simple billing systems do not provide for the differential billing models that the airlines are demanding. Inefficiencies in billing customers and revenue management can cost ANSPs around 6 percent of their revenue, and in some cases, significantly more. This inefficient management of data is not only costing the industry money, but is taking up too much valuable time that could be better spent on safety and efficiency initiatives. Current pricing mechanisms and systems for providing revenue must evolve to support more efficient billing as well as the more complex charging models of today. Added to that, today’s typically one-size-fits-all ANSP charging systems are constraining financial sustainability and hampering ANSP business evolution and emergence into commercial entities, including the ability
It would also be fair to say that many of the changes being introduced by the ANSPs and airlines have resulted in a rebalancing of investment and workloads. Major levels of investment and effort are now being directed at managing the lower airspace (below 26,000 feet). As a result of this rapid industry evolution and technology change, many ANSPs are now looking towards IT for systems that enable them to bill customers with greater accuracy and manage their existing revenues more effectively. These new systems should as a minimum address the six hidden costs of billing and revenue management identified below, which all need to be resolved to achieve the required level of commercial viability. Airways New Zealand
There is constant demand, however, for more efficient and cost effective ATM, which requires significant investment in new processes, procedures and technologies. The strategic imperatives of reducing delays, addressing environmental impacts and changing global standards – all of which coincide with incessant demands from the aviation community to lower costs or at least provide transparency on the return on investment (ROI) being applied – have placed the whole area of ANSP billing, collection and revenue management under a bright spotlight.
It would appear that global growth has returned, although it is far from certain. And in any case, governments have learned their lessons and will not be as liberal with their spending. Many have gone a step further, with their ANSPs given notice that they must take steps towards becoming fully commercial. This means they would need to implement cost recovery through effective revenue management strategies.
to fund investment in new operational technologies and outcomes.
There is increasing pressure for efficient, costeffective ATM.
Airways New Zealand
ANSP services need to be billed more accurately.
• The inability to apply flexible policies and pricing models can stop ANSPs from raising charges even if they’ve made significant investment • The processing of incomplete data is where missing information leads to overlooked or incorrectly processed charges. • Data entry errors lead to invoice delays and mistakes • Invoices delays hamper cash flow and compound the issue of ANSPs producing a fair return on capital. • Invoice disputes can waste a significant amount of time and resources • Payment delays are all but inevitable when many systems are based on paper invoices and statements, sent through the post and subject to monthly cheque runs. As aviation capacity rises inexorably, the ANSPs’ inability to come to grips with managing their billing and revenues effectively is clearly threatening their profitability. This is particularly poignant as more of them become commercial operations. In some cases ANSPs are deploying a full financial management information system, which is not designed for the aviation industry and does not address the six hidden costs or cater for revenue management.
Simplifying and automating the billing process The deployment of full billing, collection and revenue management capabilities mean ANSPs can fine tune their charges to help recover costs and investments. That way they can optimise the use of their existing infrastructure and ensure a ROI. This new approach would mean that charging can be more granular, transparent and efficient, while allowing for new methods such as performancebased pricing to be introduced. A new way of managing revenue has become critical for the commercial development and future growth of ANSPs. But the first step for many would be to improve the fundamentals of the way their income is collected. As industry demands grow, particularly with price pressures from the airlines, ANSPs increasingly need to find a more effective means of collecting revenues and managing profits, using simple, automated approaches. One possible solution is Flightyield, a new service from CANSO that is powered by SITA’s ATI Cloud infrastructure and involves Airways New Zealand as a key partner. Flightyield has the capability to transform aviation revenue management
and will lead to reduced costs and increased efficiency. The system is a significant development in ANSP revenue management, enabling organisations to simplify and automate the billing process, and to keep pace with the rapid transformation of commercial aviation. Instead of ANSPs manually collecting overflight fees from each airline separately, Flightyield provides a single point of contact to automatically capture, calculate, rate, invoice and collect overflight fees from all airlines. Flightyield is already producing results, with ANSP users reporting higher returns and lower costs. The most important benefit and key value proposition of the Flightyield service, however, is its ability to support the introduction of sophisticated charging regimes, without a resulting increase in cost and complexity. ANSPs can offer premium and performance-based services and increasingly granular ‘user-pays’ pricing. That’s a significant financial and operational benefit to ANSPs whose existing systems don’t allow for differential charging based on individual flight profiles. With systems such as Flightyield in place, we will see the emergence of commercial ANSPs that are not only sustainable but also meet the complex demands of the industry. AIRSPACE
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ATM NEWS E MIRATES-AIRWAYS NZ PARTNERSHIP ADDRESSES GLOBAL SHORTAGE OF ATCOS Airways New Zealand and Emirates Aviation College (part of Emirates Group) have joined forces to deliver air traffic control training in Dubai, one of the world’s largest air transport hubs.
a critical gap in the Middle East region caused by the global shortage of air traffic controllers and growing air traffic in the region.
The joint venture will see Airways delivering air traffic control training to up to 200 students per year at the College’s new purpose-built campus in Dubai over the next five years.
Airways brings its SureSelect controller selection programme to guarantee that only the very best students are selected, while its state-of-the-art Total Control simulators provide students with outstanding opportunities to practice different scenarios on real-world software.
Vice Chancellor of Emirates Aviation College, Dr Ahmad al Ali, said that the partnership to train air traffic controllers fills
CANSO TOOLS TO ENHANCE SAFETY IN AIR TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT
CANSO has released two new tools that will make a major contribution to enhancing safety in air traffic management. The first enables air navigation service providers (ANSPs) to manage risk in a standard way; and the second enables ANSPs to improve their safety management systems. CANSO’s Standard on Common Safety Methods on Risk Evaluation and Assessments for ANSPs (CSM) is a tool to standardise risk evaluation and assessments conducted by ANSPs. This tool can be utilised to streamline risk assessments across FIR and State boundaries and can formalise risk evaluation processes for ANSPs that do not yet have a formal system in place. CANSO’s Safety Management System Standard of Excellence (SMS SOE) is a tool to measure SMS maturity from basic Annex 19 (ICAO’s industry wide annex on safety management) compliance to a mature SMS. The SOE provides the next steps for ANSPs to achieve a more mature SMS. States can review ANSP SMS performance based on the independent audit results conducted annually, which should greatly
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help States in their oversight responsibilities.
FRENCH CIVIL AND MILITARY AUTHORITIES COLLABORATE TO ENHANCE FLIGHT SAFETY AND OPTIMISE USE OF AIRSPACE The airspace in Northern France is one of the busiest and the most complex airspaces in the world. To manage a high density of both general and military air traffic, the French civil and military authorities are working together to enhance flight safety and to optimise the use of airspace. To improve direct communications between civil and military controllers, DSNA and the French Air Force have successfully assessed a more effective real-time civilmilitary coordination system, “Military Coordination and Control Center (CMCC)” in Reims Upper Area Control (UAC). This includes military positions in the civil operations room, and allows the civil and military control methods to get closer without modifying their own responsibilities. The system provides military controllers with tools with the same functionalities as civil tools, enhancing the
AIRSPACE
efficiency and the speed of real-time coordination. A Military Control Coordination Officer liaises with the civil supervisor, and can work on the configuration of military areas according to civil or military needs. First generation CMCCs were implemented in Bordeaux, Brest and Marseille ACCs in 2008. Paris ACC will test a more advanced version of the CMCC similar to the one in Reims UAC in March 2014.
NEW GREEN AVIATION ROUTES ACROSS ASIA-PACIFIC SKIES Seven new ‘green aviation routes’ have been introduced across Asia Pacific, under the ASPIRE (Asia and South Pacific Initiative to Reduce Emissions) programme. The routes have been developed by Airways New Zealand as part of its international commitment to decrease aviation’s environmental footprint in the region. The seven ASPIRE-Daily City Pairs are: Auckland-Singapore return; ChristchurchSingapore return; Los Angeles-Auckland return; and San Francisco-Auckland. IATA awards a ranking of between three and five stars to each ASPIRE-Daily City Pair, indicating the level of environmental benefits
provided by the route. Five of the city pairs have a four-star rating with the SingaporeChristchurch and SingaporeAuckland routes being awarded a three-star rating. Airways is a founding member of ASPIRE and works with airlines and other partners to reduce the environmental impact of a flight by developing the best possible operational procedures and standards. Other ASPIRE partners are Airservices Australia, FAA, Japan Civil Aviation Bureau, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore, and AeroThai. Airways will host the annual ASPIRE conference in April 2014, in Queenstown, New Zealand. The ANSP also continued its leadership role within ASPIRE by assisting Airports Fiji to join the ASPIRE group, with the aim of decreasing air traffic’s environmental footprint in the South Pacific.
NEW CANSO MEMBERS Full Members: • Civil Aviation Authority of Mongolia • Sudan Air Navigation Services Department • Ghana Civil Aviation Authority Associate Members: • Núcleo de Comunicaciones y Control, S.L.U. (DF Núcleo) • Ecole Nationale de L’Aviation Civile (ENAC) • Jotron AS
IAA’S AWARDWINNING INNOVATION SAVED AIRLINES €5.5M IN 2013 The Irish Aviation Authority’s (IAA) ‘Point Merge’ air traffic management system has saved €5.5 million in fuel costs for airlines flying into Dublin Airport during 2013, as well as reducing CO2 emissions and delays for passengers. The ‘Point Merge’ technology revolutionises the way in which aircraft are sequenced or banked to land. It reduces the time aircraft spend waiting to land during busy periods and has almost eradicated the need to put aircraft into traditional circular holding patterns at Dublin. ‘Point Merge’ manages traffic flow to space aircraft more efficiently and eliminates the need for vectoring or stacking. If there is runway congestion, this system holds the aircraft at higher altitudes in linear ‘arcs’ which consequently reduces fuel burn and the effect on the environment. By using this linear holding, instead of the traditional ‘race track circular systems’, the aircraft is always at a fixed distance from the runway so that it is just one turn from a direct approach to the runway at all times.
DSNA LAUNCHES HIGH ALTITUDE ‘POINT MERGE’ APPROACH PROCEDURE FOR FLIGHTS TO PARISCDG AIRPORT DSNA has put into service a more efficient air traffic system in high altitude for handling North-West flights in the Paris region
that are heading to ParisCDG airport. The system is built around a merge point approximately 40 Nm from the airport. When traffic is busy, the air traffic controller instructs the pilot to fly on a concentric arc until authorised to join the merge point when the sequencing is the most efficient, and to continue the descent path. Without a holding pattern, the flight is placed in a direct descent trajectory. ‘Point Merge’ enables controllers to optimise their workload and manage more flights simultaneously while they are in continuous descent, even during heavy traffic periods. It does not impact on the average flight time. About 200 controllers at Paris ACC have been trained on this system.
AIRSERVICES AND EMIRATES DELIVER TEN YEARS OF FUEL AND TIME SAVINGS Airservices Australia and Emirates Airline have marked the 10th anniversary of the Flex Tracks program for flights between Emirates’ Dubai hub and its Australian network. Designed to make the best use of high altitude jetstream winds, Flex Tracks help an aircraft increase speed and reduce fuel consumption on longdistance flights by identifying tailwinds and avoiding strong headwinds. Over the 12 months to December 2013, Flex Tracks saved over 3,800 tonnes of fuel on Emirates’ daily flights to Australia; reduced CO2 emissions by more than 12,000 tonnes; and reduced Emirates flying time to Australia by an equivalent of 16.5 days. Airservices produces 17 Flex Tracks daily between Australia and airports in
Asia and the Middle East. In November 2013, an average of 31 flights per day used the tracks.
A NEW ERA IN AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL TAKES OFF The first fitment mandate for Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast (ADS-B) technology came into effect in December 2013 for all Instrument Flight Rule (IFR) aircraft flying at or above 29,000 feet in Australia’s airspace. ADS-B is a satellite-based technology enabling aircraft to be tracked accurately by air traffic controllers and other pilots without the need for conventional radar. It increases safety in non-radar airspace while improving operational efficiency. The technology provides flights with improved access to preferred routes and flight levels, more efficient diversions around restricted areas and weather and increased accuracy of navigation. ADS-B also allows pilots operating with appropriate avionics to see aircraft in proximity on their cockpit displays, further increasing safety and situational awareness. Australia’s major airlines and operators have embraced the new technology by installing ADS-B into their aircraft ahead of the first fitment mandate. Since 6 February 2014, Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) regulations require all new aircraft registrations in Australia to be ADS-B capable, if they are undertaking an IFR flight, and all new transponder installations in older aircraft need to be ADS-B capable. From 6 January 2016, all IFR aircraft operating within 500nm to the north and east of Perth, Western Australia,
will be required to be fitted with ADS-B. By 6 January 2017, all Australian registered IFR aircraft flying within Australia’s airspace, will be required to operate using ADS-B. Australia has a network of 61 ADS-B ground stations that provides continent-wide air traffic control surveillance. Over the next three years Airservices will install a further 15 ADS-B ground stations to provide additional surveillance coverage at lower altitudes and extend higher level coverage offshore.
CANSO RELEASES ITS “INTRODUCTION TO THE AVIATION SYSTEM BLOCK UPGRADE (ASBU) MODULES” CANSO has released its “Introduction to the Aviation System Block Upgrade (ASBU) Modules”. This implementation guide clearly describes the ASBU methodology and the strategic planning process associated with successful implementation of the ASBU modules. The ASBU methodology will set the course of operational improvements and aviation technology investments over the next 20 years. The systematic, measured approach provided by the Block Upgrades and their modules will assist CANSO in achieving its objective of transforming global ATM performance and achieving safe, seamless and efficient airspace. This document was the result of a collaborative effort led by the MITRE Corporation and CANSO with assistance from RTCA, SERCO and the Thales Group.
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100 YEARS OF COMMERCIAL FLIGHT
An essential service
Andrew Charlton looks at ATM’s critical role in making possible 100 years of scheduled, commercial aviation Commercial aviation is responsible for many positive things. It has been an engine for growth since its first flight, a hundred years ago. It has driven scientific and engineering advances and rewritten the rules on trade and connectivity. All told, it contributes some $2.2 trillion in economic activity and supports nearly 57 million jobs. A backbone of the commercial aviation industry is air traffic control (ATC) and air traffic management, which, as ever, is focused on safe and efficient flights. There was no need for ATC on that first day in 1914 when the flight piloted by Tony Jannus flew across Tampa Bay in Florida, of course. But before long, it was clear that there was a need for services that only ATC could provide. The first essential service was communication. In the early days, there was little or no means to communicate with the aircraft once it was airborne. Then came radio and Morse code. Short messages could be relayed to the ground. The development of high frequency radio and then very high frequency radio, or VHF, meant that it was possible to keep constant contact between the air and the ground. VHF radio continues to be the basis of most communications used today. The second service area is navigation. Early pilots used road maps to plot their course. As the aircraft became more robust and able to fly longer distances, often across sparsely inhabited and vast distances, there was a need for something more focused on the pilots’ needs. What started with painting the name of the town on the roofs of large buildings, such as barns and airport terminals, moved on to installing large arrows in the ground, lit at night by towers with fires. By the 1920s a network of these arrows showed the route for the mail aircraft. Some of these are still visible today. When installed, they pointed the way for mail flights, rushing airmail through the night to work their way across the United States safely and efficiently. The third service is surveillance, or monitoring the exact location of the aircraft, and importantly the exact location of the aircraft relative to each other. It is only by knowing that, and by being able to communicate with the aircraft, that safety can be assured. 32 QUARTER 1 2014
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ATC has come a long way from large arrows on the ground.
The breakthrough in this area was the invention of radar in World War II. With radar, controllers were able to see aircraft accurately, and with UHF radio, talk to the aircraft. Thus, the art of separation was created. With these tools controllers can maintain significantly more aircraft in an area than would otherwise be safe, and manage their movements into and out of airports, as well as across the skies. The Chicago Convention (1944) puts an obligation on each State to ensure that air navigation services are provided to commercial aircraft. Since that time, countries around the world have met that obligation with remarkable success. In many of them, the air navigation service provider (ANSP) has grown to be a strong independent voice for service delivery, safety and reliability. This cannot be done alone, and ANSPs stand as clear examples of the need for partnership and co-operation in all parts of the aviation value chain. The prospects for the next one hundred years of commercial aviation are as exciting as the first one hundred years. CANSO, which represents the commercial ANSPs of the world, will ensure that the future changes, challenges and growth will continue to be managed in a safe, reliable and efficient way.
In association with civil air navigation services organisation
Comprehensive and Integrated Training
Aviation System Block Upgrade (ASBU) Methodology and Best Practices for ASBU Implementation
Visit us at World ATM Congress Madrid Booth #548 More Information and Registrations at http://mai.mitrecaasd.org AIRSPACE
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CANSO Members CANSO – the Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation – is the global voice of air navigation service providers (ANSPs) worldwide. CANSO Members support over 85% of world air traffic. Members share information and develop new policies, with the ultimate aim of improving air navigation services (ANS) on the ground and in the air. CANSO represents its Members’ views in major regulatory and industry forums, including at ICAO, where it has official Observer status. CANSO has an extensive network of Associate Members drawn from across the aviation industry. For more information on joining CANSO, visit www.canso.org/joiningcanso. civil air navigation services organisation
Full Members - 82 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Aeronautical Radio of Thailand (AEROTHAI) Aeroportos de Moçambique Air Navigation and Weather Services, CAA (ANWS) Air Navigation Services of the Czech Republic (ANS Czech Republic) AirNav Indonesia Air Traffic & Navigation Services (ATNS) Airports and Aviation Services Limited (AASL) Airports Authority of India (AAI) Airports Fiji Limited Airservices Australia Airways New Zealand Albcontrol Austro Control Avinor AS AZANS Azerbaijan Belgocontrol Bulgarian Air Traffic Services Authority (BULATSA) CAA Uganda Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) Civil Aviation Authority of Botswana Civil Aviation Authority of Mongolia Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) Civil Aviation Authority of Swaziland Civil Aviation Regulatory Commission (CARC) Comisión Ejecutiva Portuaria Autonoma (CEPA) Department of Airspace Control (DECEA) Department of Civil Aviation, Republic of Cyprus DFS Deutsche Flugsicherung GmbH (DFS) Dirección General de Control de Tránsito Aéreo (DGCTA) DSNA France Dutch Caribbean Air Navigation Service Provider (DC-ANSP) ENANA-EP ANGOLA ENAV S.p.A: Società Nazionale per l’Assistenza al Volo Entidad Pública Aeropuertos Españoles y Navegación Aérea (Aena) Estonian Air Navigation Services (EANS) Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Finavia Corporation General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority (HCAA) HungaroControl Pte. Ltd. Co. Israel Airports Authority (IAA) Iran Airports Co Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) ISAVIA Ltd Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB) Kazaeronavigatsia Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) Latvijas Gaisa Satiksme (LGS) Letové prevádzkové Služby Slovenskej Republiky, Štátny Podnik
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Luchtverkeersleiding Nederland (LVNL) Luxembourg ANA Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL) Malta Air Traffic Services (MATS) National Airports Corporation Ltd. National Air Navigation Services Company (NANSC) NATS UK NAV CANADA NAV Portugal Naviair Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) Office de l’Aviation Civile et des Aeroports (OACA) ORO NAVIGACIJA, Lithuania PNG Air Services Limited (PNGASL) Polish Air Navigation Services Agency (PANSA) PIA “Adem Jashari” - Air Control J.S.C. ROMATSA Sakaeronavigatsia Ltd S.E. MoldATSA SENEAM Serbia and Montenegro Air Traffic Services Agency (SMATSA) Serco skyguide Slovenia Control State Airports Authority & ANSP (DHMI) State ATM Corporation Sudan Air Navigation Services Department Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority Trinidad and Tobago CAA The LFV Group Ukrainian Air Traffic Service Enterprise (UkSATSE) U.S. DoD Policy Board on Federal Aviation
Gold Associate Members - 12 — — — — — — — — — — — —
Airbus ProSky Boeing FREQUENTIS AG GE Air Traffic Optimization Services GroupEAD Europe S.L. ITT Exelis Lockheed Martin Metron Aviation Raytheon SELEX Sistemi Integrati S.p.A. Telephonics Corporation, ESD Thales
Silver Associate Members - 67 — — — — — — —
Adacel Inc. Aeronav Inc. Aireon Air Traffic Control Association (ATCA) ATAC ATCA – Japan ATECH Negócios em Tecnologia S/A
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Aviation Advocacy Sarl Avibit Data Processing GmbH Avitech AG AZIMUT JSC Barco Orthogon GmbH Brüel & Kjaer EMS BT Plc Comsoft GmbH CGH Technologies, Inc EADS Cassidian EIZO Technologies GmbH European Satellite Services Provider (ESSP SAS) Emirates ENAC Entry Point North Era Corporation Etihad Airways Guntermann & Drunck GmbH Harris Corporation Helios Honeywell International Inc. / Aerospace IDS – Ingegneria Dei Sistemi S.p.A. Indra Navia AS Indra Sistemas INECO Inmarsat Global Limited Integra A/S Intelcan Technosystems Inc. International Aero Navigation Systems Concern, JSC Jeppesen JMA Solutions Jotron AS LAIC Aktiengesellschaft LEMZ R&P Corporation LFV Aviation Consulting AB Micro Nav Ltd The MITRE Corporation – CAASD MovingDot New Mexico State University Physical Science Lab NLR Northrop Grumman NTT Data Corporation Núcleo de Comunicaciones y Control, S.L.U. Quintiq Rockwell Collins, Inc. Rohde & Schwarz GmbH & Co. KG RTCA, Inc. Saab AB Saab Sensis Corporation Saudi Arabian Airlines Schmid Telecom AG SENASA SITA SITTI Snowflake Software Ltd STR-SpeechTech Ltd. TASC, Inc. Tetra Tech AMT Washington Consulting Group WIDE
Membership list correct as of 13 February 2014. For the most up-to-date list and organisation profiles go to www.canso.org/cansomembers
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Optimising controller workloads?