CANSO, the Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation, has identified key areas of focus for improving the safety, efficiency and effectiveness of air traffic management (ATM) in Africa and paving the way for a seamless sky.
From robust industry partnerships, to embracing tools and technologies and finding common solutions to common problems, CANSO has called on the ATM community in Africa to leverage the power of partnership and innovation and work together to improve performance across the region.
Speaking at the CANSO Africa Conference 2018 hosted by the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) in Mombasa, Kenya, from 3-5 September 2018, CANSO Deputy Director General, Simon Hocquard, says: “Within the Africa region, and anywhere in the world, partnership and collaboration are keys to improving ATM safety, operations and boosting connectivity. Robust partnerships not only help to enhance operations on a strategic level, but also provide an effective vehicle for delivering practical solutions, tools and technologies.”
Hocquard notes: “Since the CANSO Africa Conference last year, CANSO Members have together come a long way in developing tools and best practices that will enable the region’s service providers to improve safety, service provision and boosting connectivity.
“As the event theme – Improving Efficiency through Collaborative Decision Making (CDM) and Air Traffic Flow Management (ATM) – highlights, the proactive engagement of industry partners and maintenance of shared processes and procedures is key to efficient operations.’
Also, CANSO has called for harmonisation of standards and performance-based regulations to accommodate a rapidly developing global air transport market.
During the International Aviation Summit, Delhi, CANSO Director General Jeff Poole, says: “If we are to modernise ATM infrastructure – and ultimately best serve passengers and our aviation partners – we need to ensure we have the right regulatory framework to do so. A global industry requires global standards that will further help achieve the goal of harmonised airspace worldwide. We are therefore asking ICAO to advise standards organisations that their proposals should follow a standard approach to ensure global interoperability. This will lay the essential foundations on which to build strong regulatory frameworks at national level. ”
Poole urges Regulators to only intervene when necessary, be transparent, focus on the problem and be able to justify decisionswhen subject to public scrutiny. He calls on Government to be consistent, coordinated and fairly implement rules and standards
Source: CANSO