All CANSO Blogs
CANSO staff discuss the latest industry news, updates, and events from the world of Air Traffic Management.
- July 2010
- 22 Jul 10Interdependence: The Digital Aircraft
The first half of 2010 has drawn to a close, and with it a hectic period for CANSO. During which time the Association has adopted the Waypoint 2013 strategy, moving from words to action. Transforming Global ATM performance.
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- 22 Jul 10On a (Delta) Wing and a Prayer
A swift visit to the Farnborough Airshow yesterday, for some business meetings. Towards the end of the afternoon, I was able to fulfill a personal ambition and view the last remaining airworthy Vulcan bomber, a British warplane that was retired after a long career, in the early 1980s.
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- 7 Jul 10AGM Season: More than Meets the Eye
June is AGM season, the most important event of which (of course) being the CANSO AGM held this year in Oslo. You can read all about the event in CANSO News, but I do want to emphasise that it was a tremendously vigorous meeting, with lots of energy and ideas.
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- 7 Jul 10Psychoanalysis at the CANSO AGM
So, this being my first blog since the CANSO Global ATM Summit and 14th AGM, in Oslo, you’ll not be surprised to know I’m going to refer to it here.
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- June 2010
- 30 Jun 10ICAO Engagement - Taking Stock and Looking Forward
The AGM is a good time to take stock of what has been achieved over the year and focus on the challenges ahead. For ICAO engagement, a lot has been achieved and it is gratifying that this was acknowledged by the Membership. Members increasingly recognise that effective engagement of ICAO is a key ingredient to realising our Global Vision of seamless air navigation services.
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- 30 Jun 10"End of the Full Cost Recovery System"?
The regulation of the European Commission on the Performance Scheme was adopted on 7 May after intense discussions and CANSO lobbying since December 2009. A lot of the CANSO comments were included in this IR, in particular comments on requirements on ANSPs’ business plans, the possibility for Member States to set thresholds at national/FAB level to trigger the alert mechanism, and the request to not apply the performance scheme in case of contestable market conditions.
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- 29 Jun 10Global ATM Summit - the OSC Perspective
It’s amazing what you can get accomplished in one week in Oslo! With the sun staying up so long we were all able to put in 20 hour days and not even realise it. The ATM Summit and Annual General Meeting saw a lot of discussion, interaction, and forward movement.
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- 28 Jun 10People - Our Most Crucial Resource
Last week I spoke at an ICAO Training Directors Seminar in Singapore, the aim of which was to enable HR and Training Directors to exchange views and identify priorities and best practices in aviation training in the region. It was a timely follow-up to the ICAO Next Generation of Aviation Professionals Symposium in Montreal, March 2010.
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- May 2010
- 31 May 10Continuing to Develop the Middle East Region
Developing a new Region is hard work – but it is very rewarding at the same time. True to two of our fundamental principles – 'collaboration with all partners in the Aviation Value Chain' and 'providing benefits to our customers'- we have involved all stakeholders – in particular our customers, the Airlines, and one of our main partners, the Airports, from the very beginning.
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- 31 May 10The Discussion of Institutional Transformation – far from being BORING
There are people who are of the opinion that discussing “Institutional Transformation” is boring or even antiquated. My colleagues in the BT Workgroup and I can’t quite share that view – given that one area of institutional transformation, the co-called “Separation of Functions”, forms the basis for independent regulation, customer oriented service provision and independent oversight.
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- 26 May 10Promoting Industry Best Practices - Why it Matters
Some ANSPs believe that complying with ICAO standards and national regulations is sufficient to ensure safety and operational efficiency. They miss the point that it is not just a matter of ticking off the items in a checklist but how we implement and deliver the outcome that really matters. As the Global Voice of ATM, CANSO has a vital role to play in disseminating the best practices of our industry.
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- 25 May 10Harmonic Convergence
Two weeks ago many of the CANSO Managers converged on Montreal in an unprecedented outreach effort focused on harmonising activities with ICAO, IFATCA, IATA, and IFALPA. In addition, Tim Rees, Environment Manager, represented CANSO at the ICAO Environment Colloquium and addressed the forum with prepared remarks. In his usual professional manner Eugene Hoeven, Director ICAO Affairs, proved the perfect host arranging meetings for the Safety, Operations and Environment Managers.
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- 20 May 10Lessons from the Ash Cloud
Over the last week the ash cloud – and our associated nightmares – returned, once again focusing media attention on the alleged lack of coordination with Europe on this issue, as well as the lack of robust data on the safe levels of ash. The timing of all this was appropriate because on 17th May we had an intensive discussion on the volcanic ash issue at a special meeting of the CANSO European Coordination Meeting.
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- April 2010
- 27 Apr 10Volcanic Ash Lessons for the Asia-Pacific
The sudden and prolonged closure of European airspace brought about by the volcanic eruption in Iceland clearly demonstrates how critical civil aviation is to the world, and how an event from one part of the world can affect all of us. Indeed, no man is an island and like it or not we are all inter-connected.
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- 26 Apr 10Need for Better Risk Management, One of the Three Key Areas of Improvement
The “Training and Implementation Cycle” is one of the key areas of Waypoint 2013, the building block succeeding CANSOs strategic milestone Imagine 2010. In order to be effective, training has to be needs-driven and provide people (organisations) with the skills and competencies that help them to excel in their ever changing working environments.
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- 21 Apr 10When the dust settles - Imagine
What a week! Volcanoes, ash, dust, glass deposits in jet engines, cancelled flights, clouds that only satellites can see, stranded passengers, blue skies, stranded colleagues, postponed meetings, tears and laughter.
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- 21 Apr 10A Big “THANK YOU” to Serbian ANSP SMATSA - All QMWG Members Reported Safely on Their Way Home…
Who would have thought that the eruption of a Volcano in Iceland would turn a Workgroup meeting into a successful Teambuilding Exercise? Not that the QMWG needed it - we all saw first hand that they have what it takes to be a 'High Performance Team', both professional and socially competent. And it just goes to show how far Quality Management can help in managing the unexpected.
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- 21 Apr 10A Lot of Hot Air? Instant Reactions to the Volcanic Mess
When stories started coming in last Thursday of a cloud of ash drifting from an unpronounceable volcano in Iceland, no-one predicted the chaos it was going to cause. Graham has already blogged on this here and I urge you all to read it. But for those interested in the communications side of things, here are some early conclusions I’ve drawn from the week’s events.
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- 1 Apr 10What is Good Strategy?
Last week I took part in a two-day training programme on internal communications. The focus was on proper strategic planning of communications, and it was a lot harder than it sounds! Those of us on the programme were continually being challenged to re-evaluate what we considered to be ‘strategic planning’, and the answers were not as straightforward as they might have initially appeared.
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- March 2010
- 29 Mar 10Adding five days to the week
A funny quote that I often like to say is by H. Jackson Brown Jr. It states “find a job you like and you add five days to every week”. The last few weeks I have spent working within the CANSO secretariat. This has been a wonderful experience, finally meeting all the people that I speak to via email and phone. What it has done is open my eyes to what they achieve and also, what is expected from me! I can truly say, I have added five days to my week – I am enjoying this job!
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- 26 Mar 10An Important Month for CANSO's Middle East Region
March was a very busy and important month for CANSO's Middle East region, with several of our Middle East Members participating in, and actively contributing to, CANSO's Operations Conference. Several Middle East Members also attended the ATC Global exhibition in Amsterdam.
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- 24 Mar 10Continuing my ‘To Do List’ adventures, this time at ATC Global…
So after the eventful day of the CEO Conference and the Chairman’s Dinner, I was into the first day of ATC Global in earnest, with a long list of actions to get through! I was pleased to join Dieter Kaden of DFS, David McMillan of Eurocontrol on the stage, and the ICAO Secretary General Raymond Benjamin in digital format to present a key note speech at the ATC Conference. It all seemed to go very well, but the conference feedback from grass roots level later, suggested that we all need to be more controversial, even contentious.
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- 17 Mar 10The ever-increasing ‘To Do’ list!
The huge ATC Exhibition held each year, has now had its third event in Amsterdam. In fine “ATC Maastricht” tradition, the weather was grey, cold, damp and miserable all week. But also as usual, no-one seemed to notice the weather; there was just so much going on all week. Not only did we have the exhibition and conference to attend, but there were seemingly dozens of side gatherings, organised by ICAO, SESAR JU, CANSO and others. I’ll talk about them in my next blog, because first I want to update you all on the activity immediately before ATC Global.The CANSO week began on Saturday with our ‘APC3’ (Asia-Pacific CANSO CEO Committee) meeting, followed on Sunday by the CANSO Executive Committee meeting (yet more items for my “To Do” list). The ExCom further fleshed out some of the issues surrounding Waypoint 2013, as well as some crucial forward planning for the Secretariat.
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- 17 Mar 10CANSO's First-ever Global ATM Operations Conference a Great Success!
CANSO held our first ever Global ATM Operations Conference last week, March 11-12, in Amsterdam following ATC Global. By all accounts the event was a success! We had a charged two days of great conversation, networking, and planning. The conference was attended by over 90 aviation industry veterans representing almost every region of the globe.
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- 10 Mar 10My First 100 Days
So, it’s the end of my first 100 days at CANSO. And what a way to conclude – with a CANSO CEO Conference, and then ATC Global. I’ve been taking the opportunity to renew some old acquaintances as well as meet lots of new faces. I will save my perspectives on this week to my next blog.
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- 4 Mar 10Talkin' Bout My Generation
This week we’re busy preparing for the CANSO CEO Conference, our Operations Conference, and for our presence at ATC Global, so it’s an incredibly busy time. The centerpiece of the CEO Conference is going to be the proposals on ‘Waypoint 2013’ which you have probably already heard or read something about in the blogs and CANSO News. We’ll also be talking a lot more about Waypoint 2013 in the next issue of Airspace, which is out next week.
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- February 2010
- 28 Feb 10February - A Month of Planning and Preparation
This month we have been focused on developing our input to the ICAO High Level Safety Conference at the end of March, planning a key drafting workshop for the SMS implementation Guide and the joint meeting with Eurocontrol on the Safety Maturity metric. As always these activities are consuming a lot of effort from the Workgroups involved and I thank them for that.
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- 25 Feb 10High flyers, Geese and Profits
Harry F Banks once said, “Financial rewards follow accomplishment, they don’t precede it.” This holds true for most rewards, not just financial. There has to be some doing before you get the reward.
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- 25 Feb 10Waypoint 2013: Environment will continue to be a solid basis for ICAO Engagement
Despite the doom and gloom of the COP15 Climate Change conference held in Copenhagen in December, ICAO’s Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection (CAEP) committed to a timetable for the development of a CO2 Standard for commercial aircraft by 2013, a milestone for any industry sector.
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- 22 Feb 10The Cost of Change
“Does change require that we grow?” This thought I’ve been pondering in the last couple of days. Or is it that if we “want to grow, things will change”? A favourite quote of mine is “Growth means change and change involves risk, stepping from the known to the unknown.” Growth is a very important part of the evolutionary cycle and is necessary for us both individually and as an organisation. But growth can hurt, growth can be uncomfortable and often we may not realise the benefits of growth until we reflect on it some time in the future.
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- 18 Feb 10I see what you are saying?
I think all languages are beautiful, it is just a pity that I only speak and understand 3 of the estimated total of 6,809 languages worldwide (source: WikiAnswers). In my search for a Spanish language course a couple of weeks ago, I found the picture that is posted in this blog.
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- 8 Feb 10Reflections on Middle East Progress
Late January and the first part of February has been a period of heavy travel, despite the drawbacks of being away from the office, it has been a welcome opportunity to meet and discuss with a very wide range of the thought leaders and key decision makers in our industry.
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- January 2010
- 27 Jan 10Introducing CANSO's New Environment Programme Manager
Wow, ATM and the environment, does it get any bigger than this? Hello and welcome to my first blog as CANSO’s new Environment Programme Manager!The environment. How do we begin to define what this is? Is it a political idealism, a moral obligation, a major roadblock or the greatest challenge facing ATM growth world-over?
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- 25 Jan 10The Need for More ATM Capacity in the Middle East
Just a brief update from Dubai, where I am attending the CANSO ExCom and Middle East Conference. It’s a packed but productive schedule out here, and the urgent requirement for more ATM capacity in the region was brought home to me when we were forced to circle for about half an hour in the Gulf before landing.
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- 21 Jan 10Director General Meets IATA, ATAG and AEA
This week I have been in Geneva meeting the Director General and CEO of IATA, Mr. Giovanni Bisignani, and some of his senior managers. I met Giovanni on the 19th and he gave me an overview of IATA, a history of the organisation, its membership, role and responsibilities.
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- 21 Jan 10CANSO's Safety Programme: Looking Ahead Into 2010
Note to self; don’t take leave right after the Christmas break, too much work piles up!! At least I missed out on all the snow in the UK by being in Spain. This weekend is a big one for me, my first time in front of the ExCom, I hope they don’t bite. At least I will be in good company, I think it is Graham Lake’s first time in front of the whole group together.
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- 15 Jan 10Asia Pacific - Start of a Busy Year
The New Year has got off to a busy start for the CANSO Asia Pacific Office. I will be leaving for Jakarta next week to attend an ADS-B meeting where CANSO, IATA and the ANSPs of Indonesia, Vietnam and Singapore will discuss progress of the ADS-B project and the key milestones needed to ensure timely delivery of the significant operational and fuel saving benefits identified in a cost benefit study produced by CANSO last year.
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- 14 Jan 10Quality Management: a key instrument supporting ANSP Transformation and Performance Improvement
Transformation is a means to an end – and not a end in itself. We need to know where we are and define where we want to go, and clarity of goals and direction is crucial if we want to make sure that our resources are used wisely and efficiently. We also need appropriate instruments to help us monitor our progress; Quality Management (QM) is one of those instruments.
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- 7 Jan 10Listening, Learning - and Freezing - in Norway
It’s the first week back in the office and almost straight away I’m on the road again. Or, I should say, on the ice, since Northern Europe is gripped in a big freeze at the moment. Norway, my destination for talks with our EC3 Chairman Knut Skaar, was enjoying temperatures of minus 14 when I arrived, but it didn’t detract from the warm welcome I received from Knut and his staff at Avinor.
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