A message from Simon
Beyond our new vision and focus areas, CANSO has renewed our commitment to members and the aviation industry.
As the organisation marks 25 years as the global voice of the air traffic management, we carry with us a deep desire to continue to deliver value at every level.
We are both partner and protagonist, pioneer and pragmatist. We stand for safety and security, seamless service and sustainable operations. And we will continue to connect and corral the industry to progress and excel in every part of the globe.
I am proud to be championing fresh momentum and to be writing a new chapter for ATM. Every player has a part to play, and each individual an important purpose to convey. Together we are rebuilding and reimagining our industry and ultimately, together we are shaping our future skies.
Delivering value
Traffic has just about recovered, and it is really only China, which didn’t open to international traffic until early 2023, that is behind this particular curve.
I travelled to China recently for some positive meetings with Ma Bing, Deputy Administrator of the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), and Wen Xuezheng, Acting Director General of the Air Traffic Management Bureau (ATMB).
The post-COVID financial strains means Asia Pacific air navigation service providers (ANSPs) have fallen behind with the Asia Pacific Seamless ANS Plan and the Beijing Declaration. The meetings emphasised that regional cooperation and mutual understanding will be essential to getting back on track.
So, what will be the global big picture in 2024? At one level, it will be more of the same. The ongoing challenges won’t go away but neither will demand. People want the connectivity and opportunities that aviation provides.
But there will be interesting steps forward for the industry, and for air traffic management in particular, that may mark out 2024 as a pivotal year in the industry’s story.
For a start, ANSPs will continue to implement the latest ideas, from performance-based navigation to free route airspace to air traffic flow management. The technologies and processes involved are laying the platform for seamless skies for conventional traffic – where aircraft and performance parameters are well established. In fact, we are close to reaching critical mass in this respect and many of our busiest airspace regions offer some or all these developments.
But layered on top of these services will be interesting advances in our future skies, such as drone and space management. Advanced air mobility (AAM) is making rapid strides, and we will discuss its impact at Airspace World in March. Already Amazon has drone deliveries in California and Texas and in 2024 will expand its service to a third US state, Italy and the United Kingdom.
It’s not just drones either. Air taxi development will see a new mode of transportation in and around the airport. These eVTOLs (electric vertical take-off and landing) will be designed to be extremely flexible operationally and so there will multiple performance parameters to consider.
eVTOLs leave us in no doubt that our urban skies will change and ANSPs have some big decisions to make about their level of involvement in urban flight management. And those decisions will need to come sooner rather than later. Will 2024 see some breakthrough strategic choices?
We’re seeing increasing space activity too. Commercial space travel and satellite payloads will keep ANSPs busy in search of an efficient process that is fair for all airspace users. That process will inform the management of our skies for years to come.
We can’t ignore sustainability either. The recent Third Conference on Aviation Alternative Fuels (CAAF/3), hosted by The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in Dubai, created a global framework for sustainable aviation fuels (SAF). As we head towards our 2050 goal of net zero carbon emissions, every year will bring increasing pressure for all aviation stakeholders to play their part in keeping our skies clean.
Of course, the real game changer is our Complete Air Traffic System. CANSO is going to tie all these strands together and provide the steps towards our vision for the skies of 2045.
Whatever way you look at it, the next 12 months could be a turning point for aviation. From AAM to sustainability, important developments will be a regular occurrence. As always, CANSO will update you on the major announcements and their potential impact on your operations.
All things considered, 2023 was a good year for aviation. Yes, there was geopolitical turbulence, some capacity challenges, and an ongoing need to accelerate our sustainability progress. But overall – and compared with the previous three years – the last 12 months saw a solid performance.
Traffic has just about recovered, and it is really only China, which didn’t open to international traffic until early 2023, that is behind this particular curve.
I travelled to China recently for some positive meetings with Ma Bing, Deputy Administrator of the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), and Wen Xuezheng, Acting Director General of the Air Traffic Management Bureau (ATMB).
The post-COVID financial strains means Asia Pacific air navigation service providers (ANSPs) have fallen behind with the Asia Pacific Seamless ANS Plan and the Beijing Declaration. The meetings emphasised that regional cooperation and mutual understanding will be essential to getting back on track.
So, what will be the global big picture in 2024? At one level, it will be more of the same. The ongoing challenges won’t go away but neither will demand. People want the connectivity and opportunities that aviation provides.
But there will be interesting steps forward for the industry, and for air traffic management in particular, that may mark out 2024 as a pivotal year in the industry’s story.
For a start, ANSPs will continue to implement the latest ideas, from performance-based navigation to free route airspace to air traffic flow management. The technologies and processes involved are laying the platform for seamless skies for conventional traffic – where aircraft and performance parameters are well established. In fact, we are close to reaching critical mass in this respect and many of our busiest airspace regions offer some or all these developments.
But layered on top of these services will be interesting advances in our future skies, such as drone and space management. Advanced air mobility (AAM) is making rapid strides, and we will discuss its impact at Airspace World in March. Already Amazon has drone deliveries in California and Texas and in 2024 will expand its service to a third US state, Italy and the United Kingdom.
It’s not just drones either. Air taxi development will see a new mode of transportation in and around the airport. These eVTOLs (electric vertical take-off and landing) will be designed to be extremely flexible operationally and so there will multiple performance parameters to consider.
eVTOLs leave us in no doubt that our urban skies will change and ANSPs have some big decisions to make about their level of involvement in urban flight management. And those decisions will need to come sooner rather than later. Will 2024 see some breakthrough strategic choices?
We’re seeing increasing space activity too. Commercial space travel and satellite payloads will keep ANSPs busy in search of an efficient process that is fair for all airspace users. That process will inform the management of our skies for years to come.
We can’t ignore sustainability either. The recent Third Conference on Aviation Alternative Fuels (CAAF/3), hosted by The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in Dubai, created a global framework for sustainable aviation fuels (SAF). As we head towards our 2050 goal of net zero carbon emissions, every year will bring increasing pressure for all aviation stakeholders to play their part in keeping our skies clean.
Of course, the real game changer is our Complete Air Traffic System. CANSO is going to tie all these strands together and provide the steps towards our vision for the skies of 2045.
Whatever way you look at it, the next 12 months could be a turning point for aviation. From AAM to sustainability, important developments will be a regular occurrence. As always, CANSO will update you on the major announcements and their potential impact on your operations.
All things considered, 2023 was a good year for aviation. Yes, there was geopolitical turbulence, some capacity challenges, and an ongoing need to accelerate our sustainability progress. But overall – and compared with the previous three years – the last 12 months saw a solid performance.
A message from Simon
