Airbus ProSky has been awarded a contract by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to develop an Asia Pacific Air Traffic Flow Management (ATFM) Implementation Strategy that supports the collaborative efforts of key aviation states. The strategy will include a cohesive and flexible approach for achieving integrated and coordinated ATFM capabilities within the Asia Pacific region.
The IATA project has been endorsed by the ICAO Asia Pacific ATFM Steering Group and the participating states. It will collate current and planned ATFM initiatives in the region to establish a baseline view of capability and interoperability. From this baseline, implementation strategies for regional and sub-regional ATFM will be recommended.
According to Ken Mclean, IATA’s regional director safety and flight operations, Asia Pacific, "The Asia-Pacific region is the world’s largest market for air transport, ahead of Europe and the US. And it is expected to get larger, accounting for 37% of global traffic by 2017 as compared to 33% in 2012.
"With the anticipated traffic growth in the region, it is critical that the aviation infrastructure, including air traffic management, is able to accommodate the demand. This project is an important element to ensure, through collaboration, that the region’s ATM infrastructure is optimized to handle the growing demand while minimizing delays."
According to Paul-Franck Bijou, CEO, Airbus ProSky, "IATA is committed to a safe, efficient and sustainable air transport system throughout the APAC region and recognizes the requirement for an APAC specific harmonized ATFM concept of operations. It is the fastest growing aviation sector in the world and Airbus ProSky is pleased to contribute, through this contract, to the development and communication of an implementation strategy for ATFM in the region."
Airbus ProSky, the air traffic management (ATM) subsidiary of Airbus, is dedicated to improving the performance of global ATM. Comprised of recognized subject matter experts and offering intelligent ATM solutions, Airbus ProSky works with stakeholders to maximize efficiency, capacity and environmental sustainability.