The future of Air Traffic Management (ATM) is under discussion in the Caribbean island city of Willemstad.

Actively participating in this event,is the Air Traffic and Navigation Services (ATNS) Company of South Africa, which is conscious of the key issues such as the difficult times the aviation industry is going through. The company continues to implement measures that will reduce the costs of doing business in South Africa and in the continent. This is done by supportingthe Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation’s (CANSO) vision of interoperability and seamless operations between sectors and countries, through being part of the continental collaborative efforts of working toward a single airspace, among others.

Thabani Mthiyane, ATNS Acting CEO, says “In advancing safety in the region, we have implemented the very small aperture terminal (VSAT) satellite network which has provided and invaluable service in enhancing safety in the Southern African Development Community and the North East Africa (NAFISAT) region. The network provided by ATNS in partnership with another global organisation, namely the International Air Transport Association (IATA), provides a communication platform that allows for air traffic services (ATS) direct contact between countries and the digital transfer of flight plans and related information, which serves as a catalyst for the safety of flight operations”.

ATNS has implemented operational efficiency interventions such as continuous descent and climb operations, known as Performance Based Navigation (PBN). These coordinated exercises reduce the fuel burn by aircrafts and indirectly reduce gas emissions which are detrimental to the environment.