At CANSO, our greatest successes in the past year, and our aspirations for the year ahead, are related to this collaborative effort to ensure we have enough capacity for increasing volumes of traffic as well as integrating new airspace users.
It is especially important to recruit and train new air traffic controllers (ATCOs). We often extol the capabilities of new technologies – and rightly so – but the human in the loop will always be the most important ingredient in safe and efficient skies. We must revisit the way ATCOs are trained though. Greater flexibility will be necessary as we evolve airspace configuration and the way we work.
These efforts will improve air traffic management performance. We will not shy away from that fact because it is always the case that improvements can be made. This is a dynamic industry and subject to many external factors. ANSPs will always need to adapt.
Look at the incredible work our members have done in dealing with adverse weather events. From Palma de Mallorca to Florida and across the world, they have handled extreme storms in an admirable manner. Decisions, correctly, prioritise safety. But even so, the speed with which flights resumed, and the communication involved was excellent.
We want our partners to succeed. We all rely on each other and no one sector of aviation can thrive on its own. Keeping unit costs low and getting flights safely into the air and to their destination will remain high on the agenda of every air navigation service provider. But the bigger picture also tells us that we can’t slip into false economies. ANSPs must be allowed to set charges at a level that enables investment in systems and people, and the ability to grow capacity.
The last 12 months brought challenges. That is always the case with aviation. But it also brought innovation, inspiration and progress. If we continue to focus on the big picture and continue to collaborate, we will be successful. And we will have an air traffic management system that is designed to deliver far into the future.
This is the big picture – and we must never lose sight of it. We must focus on the outcomes we want to achieve and ensure these outcomes are equitable for all parties. Only together can we deliver an aviation system that continues to provide incredible value for the world.
CANSO’s work on the Complete Air Traffic System (CATS) typifies this determination to forge a collaborative path forward. Involving stakeholders from within the industry and beyond, CATS is a vision for the skies in 2045. It attempts to provide not only access but also a safe operating environment for all airspace users.
And then there is Airspace World. This was even more successful in 2024 and in 2025, with a move to Lisbon and a regional version for Asia Pacific in Hong Kong, China, it will be bigger and better again.
The event brings together all relevant players and allows innovative ideas to be disseminated, discussed and, ultimately, delivered.
A key part of Airspace World 2024 was Tomorrow’s Voices, a segment devoted entirely to the next generation of air traffic service personnel. There will be an enhanced version of Tomorrow’s Voices at Airspace World 2025 because it is a vital aspect of future capacity that must not be forgotten. We need to connect with young talent, attract them to this great industry and then provide the career paths that ensures we retain their services.
Aviation connects the world. It is a bedrock of job creation, economic prosperity and social wellbeing. So, it is absolutely vital that all aviation stakeholders work towards meeting demand for air travel safely and efficiently.
It is especially important to recruit and train new air traffic controllers (ATCOs). We often extol the capabilities of new technologies – and rightly so – but the human in the loop will always be the most important ingredient in safe and efficient skies. We must revisit the way ATCOs are trained though. Greater flexibility will be necessary as we evolve airspace configuration and the way we work.
These efforts will improve air traffic management performance. We will not shy away from that fact because it is always the case that improvements can be made. This is a dynamic industry and subject to many external factors. ANSPs will always need to adapt.
Look at the incredible work our members have done in dealing with adverse weather events. From Palma de Mallorca to Florida and across the world, they have handled extreme storms in an admirable manner. Decisions, correctly, prioritise safety. But even so, the speed with which flights resumed, and the communication involved was excellent.
We want our partners to succeed. We all rely on each other and no one sector of aviation can thrive on its own. Keeping unit costs low and getting flights safely into the air and to their destination will remain high on the agenda of every air navigation service provider. But the bigger picture also tells us that we can’t slip into false economies. ANSPs must be allowed to set charges at a level that enables investment in systems and people, and the ability to grow capacity.
The last 12 months brought challenges. That is always the case with aviation. But it also brought innovation, inspiration and progress. If we continue to focus on the big picture and continue to collaborate, we will be successful. And we will have an air traffic management system that is designed to deliver far into the future.
This is the big picture – and we must never lose sight of it. We must focus on the outcomes we want to achieve and ensure these outcomes are equitable for all parties. Only together can we deliver an aviation system that continues to provide incredible value for the world.
CANSO’s work on the Complete Air Traffic System (CATS) typifies this determination to forge a collaborative path forward. Involving stakeholders from within the industry and beyond, CATS is a vision for the skies in 2045. It attempts to provide not only access but also a safe operating environment for all airspace users.
And then there is Airspace World. This was even more successful in 2024 and in 2025, with a move to Lisbon and a regional version for Asia Pacific in Hong Kong, China, it will be bigger and better again.
The event brings together all relevant players and allows innovative ideas to be disseminated, discussed and, ultimately, delivered.
A key part of Airspace World 2024 was Tomorrow’s Voices, a segment devoted entirely to the next generation of air traffic service personnel. There will be an enhanced version of Tomorrow’s Voices at Airspace World 2025 because it is a vital aspect of future capacity that must not be forgotten. We need to connect with young talent, attract them to this great industry and then provide the career paths that ensures we retain their services.
At CANSO, our greatest successes in the past year, and our aspirations for the year ahead, are related to this collaborative effort to ensure we have enough capacity for increasing volumes of traffic as well as integrating new airspace users.
Aviation connects the world. It is a bedrock of job creation, economic prosperity and social wellbeing. So, it is absolutely vital that all aviation stakeholders work towards meeting demand for air travel safely and efficiently.