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IATA update on ATM progress Speaking at the ATC Maastricht 2007 conference earlier this month, IATA director general and CEO Giovanni Bisignani gave his audience an update on progress in developing next-generation air traffic management (ATM) systems. Before describing that progress, Bisignani began by outlining the state of the aviation business, pointing out that the industry has made impressive efficiency gains in such measures as labor productivity, non-fuel unit costs, and profitability, against a backdrop of fuel costs that have more than doubled since 2001. Bisignani anticipates that the elimination of paper tickets by the end of 2007, along with other efficiency projects, will yield a net annual cost savings of US$6.5 billion. Meanwhile the hull loss rate for western built jets has declined to 0.65 per million flights – and 0.48 for IATA members. IATA plans to lower that even further, and is developing an integrated aviation safety data portal for incidents to capture critical safety data immediately, identify contributing factors and mitigate risks. Turning to the ATM challenge, Bisignani stressed the importance of cooperation between airlines and air navigation service providers (ANSPs). He deplored the current situation in Europe with respect to passenger delays, which he said created as much waste in 2006 as 35 airliners providing no value for the entire year. ATM is also a rising cost component in aviation, a critical issue because while cost control measures saved US$433 million, cost increases more than negated that saving, at US$639 million. IATA priorities for ATM system development, said Bisignani, are safety, cost efficiency, global harmonization, environmental responsibility and capacity building to keep pace with demand. “Let me suggest three focus areas,” Bisignani told the audience. “Route optimization, harmonization and consolidation.” Route optimization will involve minimizing time tracks, which as Bisignani notes doesn’t necessarily always equate to the straight-line path between two points. Last year, he said, IATA worked with ATM providers around the world on improving the efficiency of 350 routes, reducing CO2 emissions by 6 million tonnes. But much more remains to be done. “I don’t understand why every time it has to be a battle,” Bisignani said. “Look at the Pearl River Delta area of China. We could save 530 thousand minutes of flight time annually by optimizing approach and departure procedures. We have a solution – but it has been a nine-year struggle!” On consolidation, Bisignani noted that the aviation industry crosses international borders and that ANSPs themselves do not inherently need to be national. He cited the South Pacific as one part of the world where ATM operations have been ceded to neighboring nations, improving efficiency without harm to national sovereignty. Finally, on harmonization, Bisignani believes that global standards have been a signal contributor to impressive improvements in aviation safety, and that the same principle can be applied just as profitably to the development of next-generation ATM systems. |
