The consultative assembly of the association of African aviation training organisation (AATO), a forum co-jointly hosted by the international civil aviation organisation east and south regional office and the Kenya civil authority (KCAA) takes place 2-4 April 2012, at the Kenyatta International Conference (KICC), in Nairobi, Kenya.

Air Traffic and Navigation Services (ATNS) South Africa’s Aviation Training Academy (ATA) has been invited to attend. During the three-day conference ATNS will be holding a career exhibition. Over 2,000 Kenyan learners, from various high schools in Nairobi, are expected to attend.

ATNS has been identified as a key partner in fostering the training of critical skills within the aviation industry in Africa, and is a proud recipient of the IATA world best regional training partner (RTP) award for 2011.

The ATA is one of the 20 regional training centres around the world, and one of the only two on the African continent. Since April 2000, over 9,000 South African and international trainees underwent air traffic management (ATM) and engineering-related training.

The AATO Convention draws high-level decision makers and senior managers from global aviation training organisations, as well as officials with training-related functions from states civil aviation authorities, air navigation service providers, airlines, airport operators, ground handling services, maintenance organisations, and regional and international aviation-specific organisations.

Participants will review the status of the implementation of the action plan adopted by the third Pan-African Aviation Training Coordination Conference held in Cape Town, South Africa in July 2011.

The conference will address the skills gap in the aviation industry, review and agree on the framework for the creation of the Association of African Aviation Training Organisations incorporating the membership of approved centers of excellence, deliberate on the AATO constitution, and look into the harmonisation of training programs in Africa.