FABEC learning seminar embraces new technology and evolving skills in the aftermath of Covid

Functional Airspace Block Europe Central (FABEC) Training Task Force is hosting a learning and competency seminar to address training and maintenance of controller competency among skilled staff on 8-9 June 2022 in a hybrid event at Geneva Airport and online.

Experience from the past two years has highlighted the importance of efficient resource management to maintain operations despite pandemic restrictions and extremely volatile traffic demand. Staff qualifications still need to be maintained, and critical infrastructure remain available, for essential air traffic services to operate. With traffic forecast to reach 90% of 2019 volume by the end of 2022⁽¹⁾, recruitment and training of new staff is also necessary to meet rising demand.

The seminar will examine lessons learned from COVID-19 and discuss how training techniques have evolved to meet the new requirements. A rapid expansion in digital and remote services has encouraged online learning and accelerated the introduction of new technology and new simulation platforms, as well as new learning techniques better adapted to the modern environment and which are future-oriented. At the same time, the digital environment requires new skill sets and renewed focus on the human-machine interface to comply with stringent air traffic control safety requirements.

Further changes are also taking place in response to the growing unmanned aircraft sector, starting with low level airspace but due to include all airspace under the European Commission’s U-space initiative⁽²⁾. Integration of manned and unmanned vehicles in the same airspace will be accompanied by new monitoring and de-confliction tools along with significantly more system automation.

The seminar will examine these developments and hear from training experts and senior executives in presentations and discussion sessions over the two days.

You can view the agenda here or, go to: www.fabec.eu. A link to the live stream will be available soon.

⁽¹⁾EURCONTROL Traffic Scenarios April to December 2022

https://www.eurocontrol.int/publication/eurocontrol-forecast-update-2021-2027

⁽²⁾ European Commission U-space objectives

https://joinup.ec.europa.eu/collection/rolling-plan-ict-standardisation/u-space