ATCEUC strongly supports the result of the Academic research, asking all the stakeholders to stop dreaming of science fiction and a system that shall solve all problems but will only be implemented in decades but to start working to rebuild the good social dialogue among partners fundamental to tackle the current problems.
BRUSSELS – "The report released by the research team composed by Professor Peter Turnbull (University of Bristol), Dr Huw Thomas (University College Dublin) and Professor Geraint Harvey (Western University) on the impact of COVID-19 on Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs) while all the major ATM stakeholders were gathering in Madrid at the World ATM Conference, clearly shows what ATCEUC and other ATM PSOs are stating since a long time. The "infrastructural nature" of the ATM services, is based on a factual point of view” says Mr Volker Dick, ATCEUC President.
“During the last two years, especially at the peak of the pandemic” he continues, “everyone could understand how important it is for the whole community, to have a safe and continuous service, not only for the commercial aviation – if it flies – but for the military, emergency, cargo and repatriation flights”.
“Those flights were held in the interest of the National and Pan-European communities and they had to be assisted by the ANSPs and the ATM Professionals, with ATCOs on the frontline” says Mr Xavier Wirth, ATCEUC 1st Vice-President, “while the ANSPs were not receiving any payments from the missing commercial flights”.
“It is now clear to everyone, honestly looking at the recent past, that ATM is an Infrastructure and it has to be, at least to a certain extent, financed like any other infrastructure by the whole communities.” continues Mr Wirth. “Continuing to push on the ATM staff to cut costs by merging sectors of airspace or reducing training is wrong. It will destroy the social relations and the ability to perform safe operations on which the growth of the Aviation System has been built.”
“The research shows that this wrong behaviour was taking place both in larger and in smaller parts of the Aviation system and the crisis the system is experiencing now, being unable to cope with the demand, is the natural result of this lack of vision by the Political decision makers and the Management they have tasked to handle the system” concludes Mr Dick.
ATCEUC strongly supports the result of the Academic research, asking all the stakeholders to stop dreaming of science fiction and a system that shall solve all problems but will only be implemented in decades but to start working to rebuild the good social dialogue among partners fundamental to tackle the current problems. The latest technical problems in different ANSPs and the research show clearly, not to consider the Humans in ATM will lead to an even larger crisis.
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales.
She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.
