When I stepped into the role of Director General last June, the industry was experiencing air traffic demand like never before, and the forecasts were for continued growth in every region of the globe. This shaped my first six months in post where CANSO’s resolute focus was on equipping members to contend with the ever-increasing volumes of traffic safely, efficiently and sustainably. 

Cut to March and the situation was very different. Travel restrictions put in place to curtail the spread of COVID-19 saw global traffic levels drop to 80% of 2019 levels. For the first time in decades, our highways in the sky became quiet. 

As the COVID-19 pandemic spread, CANSO was quick to respond. Our first step was taking the difficult to decision to cancel World ATM Congress and soon thereafter all our face to face events for the year in a bid to ensure the health and safety of our members whilst minimising the financial impact on them.

Another priority was connecting our industry to guidance and tools to keep staff safe and to handle the fluctuating traffic demand. CANSO’s goal has always been to offer the industry a platform for collaboration and a hub for innovation – and in these unprecedented times that’s proving more valuable than ever. From running webinars and virtual events to disseminating best practice, and launching strategic partnerships to share knowledge, data insights and expertise – our overarching aim has been ensuring our members are well equipped to deal with the challenging times we all face.

On a regional level, CANSO’s air traffic flow management initiatives such CADENA in Latin America and the Caribbean and the CANSO Mombasa ATFM Roadmap in Africa, have helped our members to navigate traffic fluctuations. Our commitments to the Multi-Nodal ATFM Network in Asia Pacific and Single European Sky are also testament to the importance of regional collaboration in driving innovation.

A significant challenge for all our members has been dealing with the business impact of the crisis which has heightened the need for advocacy. Globally and regionally, the CANSO team has been lobbying States to ensure that ANSPs were considered in their financial recovery plans – an effort that resulted in some significant wins including influencing the thinking about the next control period in Europe.

As well as helping our Members deal with the business impact of the crisis, we have also had to take steps to reduce our own costs. Last year we built some strong foundations – growing our reserves to ensure resiliency. This has proved invaluable in the current climate, but we have also taken additional steps to further reduce our costs including stopping staff travel and training, and cutting leadership salaries and bonuses.

In the short to mid term dealing with the challenges of this crisis will be imperative. As I look to the future, there’s no doubt that today’s crisis has the potential to change the landscape of our industry. It may cause us to examine new models for operation and to shift the outlook from fixed borders and territories to a more network-focussed approach. It may also cause us to fast track many of the innovations, advances and improvements that were already within our sights.

As an industry, we need to become more agile and nimble and to accelerate our thinking on critical issues like the safe integration of drones and reducing the environmental impact of aviation. The ATM industry is experiencing a defining moment and the only way we will succeed is through collaboration and innovation. We must work together to forge a new future for our industry.

I look forward to seeing you all again one day soon. In the meantime, I hope you will enjoy this publication in which we take a look at the events of the 12 months between July 2019 and June 2020 and shine a light on CANSO’s key achievements.

Simon Hocquard
Director General of CANSO

The twelve months since our last AGM in Geneva have been unlike any we have seen before in aviation. CANSO Director General, Simon Hocquard, reflects on the impact of these unprecedented times on CANSO’s activities and how a focus on delivering value to our members remained resolute throughout.