CANSO Director General Addresses APAC Civil Aviation Ministerial Conference

Simon Hocquard, Director General of the Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation (CANSO), attended the second Asia Pacific Civil Aviation Ministerial Conference in New Delhi this week, where he emphasised the urgent need for a consensus on Air Traffic Management (ATM) to support the region's growing aviation sector. In his remarks, Simon highlighted the disparity between investment in airport infrastructure and ATM capacity, warning that this could lead to a capacity crunch if not addressed.

“We are fast approaching a critical juncture,” he explained. “Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs) have to invest in key elements such as replacing out of date equipment, innovative new systems to enable ANSPs to contend with future air traffic growth, and resources. If we do not invest enough today in this vital infrastructure, we may find ourselves with a significant capacity crunch in the future. In a recent survey of regional ANSPs, 75 per cent reported that they face challenges with resources, both financial and manpower. The cost of a lack of capacity is much greater than the cost of the necessary investment.”

He underscored the importance of cross-industry collaboration and coherent policy alignment to tackle this. “Coherency between ATM operations, technology and policy will lead to greater effectiveness. CANSO is optimistic that the APAC region’s whole can be greater than the sum of its parts - the very essence of regional ATM.”

To support this, CANSO and ATM consultancy, Think Research, have produced a white paper aimed at modernising the region’s ATM. The content for this paper was developed with the industry, and included a brainstorming retreat of senior leaders in the CANSO Asia Pacific Conference 2024. The paper presents strategic recommendations, including digitalisation, virtualisation, and improved regional coordination, to ensure sustainable growth and efficiency in air traffic management.

Simon added: “CANSO reaffirms its commitment to supporting the Asia Pacific region in achieving a robust and efficient ATM system that will enable the continued growth and success of the aviation industry.”