Although African air safety is a continuous concern, the Civil Air Navigation Services Organization (Canso) remains cautiously optimistic the continent is experiencing a greater willingness on a state-by-state and an industry basis to make real progress on air traffic management (ATM) and industry challenges. At a recent conference in Durban, South Africa, Canso director general Jeff Poole said, “The recent decision by transport ministers to back the African Union proposal to set up a single African air transport market by 2017 is a sign of a shift...I can only hope that this time states will actually follow through with their commitments.”
Poole said the challenge is how ATM will manage growth, safety, efficiency and cost-effectiveness measured against safety, capacity, operational, technical, infrastructure and financial challenges. The heart of the needed strategy, according to Poole, is the Vision 2020 plan to create harmonized airspace, under which aircraft will use the most efficient routings to seamlessly navigate across the entire region of national borders and flight information regions.
Canso identified and agreed to a number of ATM priorities that include performance-based navigation, continuous climb and descent operations and safety-management system implementation, as well as improvements to runway safety. Canso is providing training and best practice guidance to states and ANSPs in the African region.