Ignacio
González Sánchez, Director Air Navigation, AENA (Aeropuertos
Españoles y Navegación Aérea- the state-owned Spanish airport
operator) said that their goal is to be proactive, to
adapt to the context of new measures, to improve services, and to
continue to improve efficiency.
José
Manuel Vargas, President, AENA stated that in 2012 Spain had a
190 Million Euro cost of infrastructure and stated that their action
plan in the effort to achieve efficiency include restructuring of the
sector, reducing costs and implementing an austerity policy. At the
same time the outsourcing of the management of duty-free shops
at 20 airports in Spain in an effort to increase duty free
shops’ sales and encourage competition will bring AENA 100
million Euro each year.
Ana
María Pastor Julián, Spain’s Minister of Ministry of Public
Works and Transport stated Spain received in 2012 57 million tourists
from which 4 out of 5 arrived by plane, figures that highlight the
importance of airports as first impression of the country points. She
pointed to the importance of restructuring the sector in the present
circumstances and of optimizing available resources to increase
efficiency and secure economic vialibility. She added that the
increase of the income from non aeronautical revenue will play
a key role in this effort. She reiterated Spain’s committment to
the European Single Sky Initiative,
In
his Keynote address Roberto Kobeh-González, President of the
Council, ICAO entitled “Towards a Transformed ATM Environment –
Working Together” stressed the importance of collaboration and the
need “think globally and act nationally”
He
remarked that in 2012 the number of yearly flights on scehduled
services worldwide reached 30 million and this number is expercted to
double to about 60 milllion a year by 2030. Such an increase will
certainly have a tremendous positive impact of growth in terms of
economic, social and cultural benefits on the condition that we are
successful in meeting the airspace capacity challenge. pointpoints to
the need to making it essential to transform the ATM environment.
Last
year, the number of departures a year on scheduled services worldwide
reached 30 million. And in 2030, it is expected that should double to
about 60 million a year.
The
positive impact of growth in terms of economic, social and cultural
benefits will be tremendous – on the condition that we are
successful in meeting the airspace capacity challenge.
Kobeh
stressed the consensus reached at last November’s Twelfth Air
Navigation Conference on a globally coordinated , coherent and
harmonized implementation strategy for achieving ATM objectives to
reduce air traffic congestion. The heart of the strategy is a revised
Global Air Navigation Plan and a bold new initiative /through a
process of called Block Upgrades that recognizes the plans of
individual States or regions to address airspace capacity issues.
That
was the mindset last November at the 12th Air Navigation Conference
in Montreal where we reached consensus on a globally coordinated,
coherent and harmonized implementation strategy for achieving our
common vision.
A
more efficient and globally harmonized air navigation system will
support the long-term sustainability of air transport, he said.
And sustainable means safe, secure, and efficient air transport
operations that provide airlines and airports with a reasonable
expectation of profitability – while supporting competitive
economies and promoting balanced regional development.
He
went on to say that sustainability also means better returns on
investment, more funding for equipment and financing for
infrastructure, better passenger service and a more environmentally
friendly aviation industry. This last point is important because of
the high profile of air transport in the current climate change
debate.
As
a further demonstration of this evolving relationship with CANSO
(Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation) ICAO and CANSO
signed a Memorandum of Cooperation on a framework for enhanced
cooperation between our two organizations, to improve even more
safety performance in civil air navigation services worldwide calls
for regular exchange of safety
data
between the two organisations, expert advice and guidance on
train-mutual assistance in safety managemen systems.
He
then presented the three major areas to which this cooperation will
extend:
One
is the improvement of global ANS performance through technical
assistance projects and programmes. This will specifically target the
obligation of States to comply with ICAO Standards and related
guidance material relative to the provision of air navigation
services.
Another
area is the regular exchange of safety-relevant information and data,
in a transparent, forthcoming and ongoing manner.
A
third area is to provide expert advice and guidance on training
initiatives and material. We will facilitate the participation of our
respective staff in relevant safety training programmes, including
computer-based training opportunities to participate in ICAO CMA
activities.
He
stressed that the key to a transformed air traffic management
environment is to consider sovereignty within the context of the
global, harmonized air navigation framework all want to implement
and to think in global, systemic terms as airspace structures
can no longer be based only on national and domestic considerations,
as important as these may be. “ We need to focus on international
rather than on purely national requirements. And we must promote
greater cooperation and coordination between civil and military
authorities for flexible use of national airspace, something in which
we have made significant progress over the past few years”.
He
added that sovereignty must not be an obstacle to progress in making
institutional the required changes for a more efficient management of
the global air navigation system.
And
he concluded by saying that “as we move towards a transformed ATM
environment, working together is not only the best option, it is the
ONLY option. Given the level of global cooperation demonstrated thus
far by all stakeholders, I am convinced we shall succeed”
There
were many interactive forums where the leading edge of aviation
professionals presented their multiple perspectives and engaged
in active constructive dialogue.
In
the Session entitled “The Aviation Industry Leadership ForumReality
Check – What our stakeholders need from a transformed ATM system
and how we get there together” the moderator Nancy Graham, Director
of the Air Navigation Bureau, ICAO, stressed that the organizations
must insist on partnership with ICAO
Tony
Tyler, Director General and CEO, IATA, remarket that despite
the efforts of CANSO and some of its members, there has not been as
much progress as airlines and indeed the air transport industry
require.
What
is needed is for everyone to roll up their sleeves, work together as
partners and deliver results that make airlines, ANSPs and the air
transport industry stronger.
Within
this framework he proposed an agenda of cooperation that is focused
on naturally shared aims to build a modern ATM system that:
•
Prioritizes
safety, efficiency and environmental benefits
•
Is
globally harmonized and interoperable
•
Properly
utilizes the avionics investment of the airlines
•
And
is cost effective
He
also said that these aims can only be achieved through working
together and coordinated global action to add a fifth aim: a greater
airspace user consultation and involvement in the decision-making
process for planning and investment.
He
concluded by saying that the airline industry recognizes that
progress comes through a team effort, regionally and globally
coordinated, and focused on a clear vision. He called the ANSP
community to embrace a similar ethos and objective as IATA is
committed to raising ATM performance through its collaboration with
CANSO both regionally and at ICAO, and its interaction with
individual ANSPs. ICAO’s collective record on safety shows what can
be achieved.
Angela
Gittens, Director General, ACI World, in her turn reiterated that
cooperation is the way forward and noted that in the effort to
minimise delays airports can act as ground coordinators.
Paul
Riemens, CEO, LVNL, and Chairman of the Executive Board, CANSO, said
that ATM faces major challenges and is vital component of air
transport. The approach “One size fits all” is not the way
forward. The only solution to find solutions to meet demand is
ooperation and collaboration.
Nicholas
E. Calio, President and Chief Executive, Airlines for America (A4A),
said that 31 billion USD are lost every year due to the old ATM
that is based on the WWII. He stressed the need to educate both
policymakers and the general public.
The
Honorable John D. Porcari, Deputy Secretary of Transportation, United
States Department of Transportation, in the same session in his
presentation on “towards a Transformed ATM Environment – The View
from America” he agreed that not one size fit all. NextGEN is the
most invisible project for US that will lead to fuel efficient routes
and more efficient arrivals
Matthew
Baldwin, Director of Air Aviation and International Transport Policy
in DG Transport and Mobility (MOVE), European Commission presenting
the view from Europe in the effort “towards a Transformed ATM
Environment” he said that less has being done on optimizing
airspace, that there is a lack of expertise and a strong need to set
more robust targets, to develop a consensus and to focus on
performance
Frank
Brenner, Director General, EUROCONTROL, presenting the View from
EUROCONTROL on “Towards a Transformed ATM Environment” he said
the thought of a transformed ATM environment raises one “Why?
Why do we want to radically change the status quo?” The answer is
very simple. Performance. He remarked that airspace users in Europe
are paying twice as much per controlled flight hour as they are in
the United States. He pointed out that the Functional Airspace Blocks
will take rather longer than some people hoped to produce major
operational benefits. And this reflects the underlying issue, that of
fragmentation. Europe is a patchwork of sovereign countries, each
with its own national air navigation service provider, its own
control centres, he said
He
sees only one way to control the costs of European ATM is to look at
costs. European ATM has dramatically cut back on operating
costs and has reduced the number of permanent staff by 10 % meaning
over 250 people. All this has meant that the budget hasn’t
increased at all for the last five years – not even to allow for
inflation. Actual, as opposed to originally budgeted, EUROCONTROL
costs have actually fallen in cash terms.
He
posed the question of “What can we do to help the rest of the
network to save money?” to answer it by saying that it would make
economically more sense to deploy at the level of Functional Airspace
Blocks. That is to say, each FAB could share the equipment and
develop common procedures; this will significantly reduce costs and
thereby contribute to achieve the Performance targets. He added that
centralising such services makes a lot of sense operationally –
improving predictability, making sure that there are more
reliable, more consistent and more accurate data.
He
stressed that all agree more and more that the future of ATM is in
effective sharing of information. And this will result in better
efficiency and lower costs – it is estimated that just these
projects could save as much as 150 to 200 million euro every year as
well as yielding even greater benefits by reducing the costs of the
airspace users.
He
himself streseed the importance of cooperation by saying “We’ll
only find a solution by all working together – not just within
Europe but with our neighbours as well. Not just between ANSPs but
with airports, the military and the airspace users.And only if we all
share a common goal – improving performance.
It
won’t be easy – I have no illusions about that. But I am
confident that EUROCONTROL will play a neutral moderator role in
pushing performance”.
Source:Air
transport News
