European Air Traffic Management Leaders Agree Priorities For Progress 2012-2016

At the 46th meeting of the European CANSO CEO Committee (EC3), CANSOs European Member CEOs agreed their strategic objectives for the period 2012-2016:

• Strengthen Air Navigation Service Provider (ANSP) Performance by providing a platform for collaborative working between ANSPs and with their customers.
• Steer the development and implementation of European legislation in order to ensure a sustainable air transport business
• Enforce the common voice of the European ANSPs

Reaffirming their commitment to the provision of safe, efficient and cost-effective air traffic services, the European CANSO CEOs also:

• Confirmed their full support and commitment to the implementation of the performance scheme in Europe and met with Peter Griffiths, Chairman of the Performance Review Board
• Stressed the importance of implementing a SESAR deployment strategy, to ensure the coordinated and synchronised implementation of SESAR technologies and procedures
• Emphasised the role that the Network Manager will play in support of ATM stakeholders for the safe, efficient and effective functioning of the network operations
• Called for further institutional reform of Eurocontrol, to respond to the new European framework
• Underlined the role of the social dialogue as an important instrument for expediting the implementation of the Single European Sky

Massimo Garbini, Chairman of the EC3 said: CANSO and its Member ANSPs recognise the important role that air traffic management plays in the aviation system, and the high levels of service that our customers, the airspace usersand society at largehave come to expect.

Today our industry stands at a crossroads. We must look to the future and embrace our vision of a seamless air navigation system. The changes required are unprecedented, and certainly within Europe we face our own unique set of challenges.

Through CANSO, European ANSPs speak with one voice. Today, we have agreed our common priorities and objectives to 2016, and we are ready to focus on the challenges at hand.

We also know that we can not act alone. We must work much more closely with our industry partners, the airports, the airlines and our workforce, in order to drive forward progress in a streamlined and harmonised way. We are committed to transforming European ATM, and we invite all our industry partners to join us in this endeavour.

European Regional Office Opening Ceremony
Immediately after the EC3 meeting, high level representatives including representatives from the European Commission, Eurocontrol and others, joined the European ANSP CEOs to officially open CANSOs recently relocated European Regional Office. The Office, which is now based at Wetstraat 82 rue de la Loi, was moved to the centre of Brussels to facilitate stronger relationships between European ANSPs, the relevant European institutions and other aviation bodies.

Guenter Martis, Director European Affairs said: Our new office provides the best possible conditions for even more proactive engagement in CANSO on all relevant European aviation matters. It will become a focal point for important meetings and decisions affecting our industry and I look forward to welcoming our members and industry leaders under our open door policy.