Air Traffic and Navigation Services (ATNS) Company of South Africa is taking part in the first ever Civil Air Navigation Services Organization (CANSO) Africa Region Conference, now taking place in Abuja, Nigeria.

The two-day Conference, themed ‘Transforming Air Traffic Management (ATM) Performance’ and hosted by Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), started yesterday and will end on Wednesday, 9th October 2013. This event provides an excellent platform to discuss regional issues, exchange ideas and best practices, with a specific focus on CANSO’s recently approved Vision 2020.

In celebration of 20 years of operational excellence dedicated to the creation of safer African skies, ATNS is proud to be the Lead Sponsor at this Conference. Some of the products and services that the company is show-casing – at its exhibition stand – include Training Solutions, Billing Services, Centralized Aeronautical Database (CAD) Management, Flight Procedure and Airspace Designs.

ATNS experts in Safety, Engineering, Air Traffic Management and Operations are actively participating in discussions and deliberations on the status of safety and operations in Africa, the technological, financial and training needs of the region.
Harmonization of the African airspace through partnerships and cooperation among aviation stakeholders has been earmarked as one of the critical topics to be discussed at the conference.

This process is a concrete way of improving the smoothness and cost-efficiency of the entire air traffic service chain and in turn, benefits airlines and air passengers. The attainment of the seamless airspace and more usage of new technologies for better efficiency in Communication, Navigation and Surveillance (CNS) will enable the industry to achieve efficient and safe air navigation services.

Partnerships and collaborations among the airspace users and industry partners are the key success factors in driving the transformation of ATM. The conference will discuss challenges and impediments to successful collaborations in the region. Models and success stories of regional collaboration will be shared among participants.

The CANSO Africa Region subscribes to the African Renaissance concept – which states that Africa will overcome the current challenges confronting the continent and achieve cultural, scientific, and economic renewal. The all-important twin areas of trans-border infrastructural development and Intra-Africa trade promotion will reduce the continent’s excessive reliance on external hand-outs for its own development.

In South Africa, ATNS, through its ATNS Realignment, Growth and Positioning (ARGAP) Programme, supports key government economic objectives that include job creation, poverty eradication, reduction of inequality and overall economic growth.

The conference is being attended by Chief Executive Officers (CEOs), Directors, senior managers from Air Navigation Service Providers across Africa and other regions of the world, significant international organization such as the International Civil Aviation Organization, the International Air Transport Association and leading industry suppliers.