Air transport safety, efficiency and growth driven by market demand

One Skyglobal ATM the way forward

Contents

Executive summary

Vision for One Sky...global ATM

ATM_cns
Communication
Navigation
Surveillance

2
2
3
3
3

Benefits

Implementation

Transition
ICAO to take the lead
Air transport industry position

8
8
9

Success stories

10

Joint cooperation and action

12

Glossary

Front cover photo: Airbus

Air transport safety, efficiency and growth driven by market demand

Executive summary

Air transport is a major contributor to the

world economy, moving over 1.6 billion
passengers annually and 40% of the
worlds manufactured exports by value.
Despite setbacks during the past couple
of years, market demand is returning and
passenger traffic is expected to double in
the next 15-20 years, with freight traffic
growing even faster.
Current air navigation services (ANS)
procedures and infrastructure cannot
properly handle this growth. In certain
regions, notably Europe and North
America, flight delays due to system
overload have already reached
unacceptable levels. Elsewhere, in remote
areas and over the oceans, considerable
improvements to ANS are required.
The air transport industry is focusing
its efforts on the need for change. One
Skyglobal ATM is the air transport
industry's vision of a future global air
navigation system that offers enhanced
safety and efficiency whilst accommodating
worldwide air traffic growth in an airspace
that is seamless and devoid of national
borders. Achieving this vision will result in
environmental benefits (i.e. reduced
emissions), and lower overall costs for the
airlines through operational improvements,
efficiency, avionics equipage and equitable
user charges.

With the International Civil Aviation

Organizations (ICAO) ATM Operational
Concept, Global Air Navigation Plan, and
IATAs ATM Implementation Roadmap
in-place, we now have the potential to
implement a truly global airspace
environment. These planning documents
define a future concept based primarily
on the following technologies: data link
communications, digital aeronautical
information services (AIS), the Global
Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and
automatic dependent surveillance (ADS).
These technologies will enable the
transformation of air traffic management to
provide for collaborative decision-making,
dynamic airspace management, strategic
conflict management, flexible use of
airspace and all weather operations.
One Skyglobal ATM is a unique
challenge, as it calls on governments and
the air transport industry to work together
as partners. It requires an international
perspective rather than a local or indeed
regional view. And it also means
addressing the issue of State sovereignty
over airspace in a collaborative way, and
putting in place a series of measures that
will effectively remove existing "borders"
in the sky. These changes are imperative
in order to achieve mutually beneficial
solutions including lower overall costs for
both government and the air transport
industry. Airlines simply cannot afford to

continue funding the proliferation of

standards, local technology solutions
and equipage requirements or projects
that fail to realise the full potential of
advanced technologies.
The transition to a modern ATM system
must take full advantage of the potential
of existing and future ATM improvements,
such as reduced vertical separation minima
(RVSM), required navigation performance
(RNP), area navigation (RNAV), free routing
and the capability of sophisticated, modern
aircraft. The gradual transition to a modern
ATM system must be conducted in a
manner that enables users to develop a
business case with near-term payback.
The successful experiences in various parts
of the world should encourage all regions
to follow as soon as possible. ICAO
leadership is needed to assist States to
address the institutional challenges thereby
enabling implementation of an efficient and
effective global ATM system. ICAO must
also ensure that its member States plans
are aligned with the ICAO ATM Operational
Concept, Global Air Navigation Plan and
the IATA ATM Implementation Roadmap.
This will require all partners to share the
same vision and determination.

"The air transport industry has been living with the promise of a new, seamless,
global air traffic management system for over a decade. The technology is in hand
and it is up to governments to act. A cost-effective implementation of such a system
is long overdue, now is the time to make it happen!"
Giovanni Bisignani, Director General & CEO, IATA

"We must press on with our vision for an interoperable, seamless and global air
traffic management system for international civil aviation in the 21st century.
Its progressive realisation will be of immense benefit to all sectors of our industry."
Dr Assad Kotaite, President of the ICAO Council

Air transport safety, efficiency and growth driven by market demand

Vision for One Sky...global ATM

One Skyglobal ATM is the air transport industry's vision of a future global
air navigation system that offers enhanced safety and efficiency whilst
accommodating worldwide air traffic growth in an airspace that is seamless
and devoid of national borders.
This vision can be achieved through ATM
solutions that improve upon:
present levels of safety and regularity;
overall efficiency of the airspace and
airport operations, leading to increased
capacity;
current environmental achievements,
resulting in reduced emissions and fuel
consumption;
availability of user-preferred flight
schedules and profiles;
minimal differences in onboard
equipage requirements between
regions; and
ANS infrastructure implementation
expenditures based upon sound
business plans, reflecting good
business practices.

ATM_cns
ATM_cns is IATAs acronym for air traffic
management, communication, navigation
and surveillance. It is part of the industrys
strategy that builds on ICAOs ATM
Operational Concept and Global Air
Navigation Plan for CNS/ATM Systems
by placing a greater emphasis on ATM
solutions. It refers to the plan to move
from current terrestrial navigation aids and
analogue communications for aviation to
increasing use of satellite solutions and
digital systems with an emphasis on
benefit-driven solutions and the need to
take advantage of existing aircraft
equipage.

Management of aircraft will eventually

be a collaborative activity between
the controller, the pilot and the airline
operations centre. The aircraft will
have greater autonomy and the air
traffic controllers tasks will evolve,
taking full advantage of automation.
This will lead to "seamless" flight
operations, procedures and
technology that are harmonised,
interoperable and compatible,
regardless of national borders.

The air transport industry believes that

change must be driven through the
implementation of ATM solutions according
to the requirements of the primary airspace
users, the airlines.
The industry calls for a phased, regionby-region and market-driven transition to
ATM_cns to achieve its vision of One
Skyglobal ATM. Rigorous business
planning must support this transition. The
industry cannot afford the implementation
of communication, navigation and
surveillance "cns" technologies unless
they provide clear financial and economic
benefits to airspace users.

Photo: Airbus

Air transport safety, efficiency and growth driven by market demand

ATM-supporting technologies
ATM-supporting technologies include
communication, navigation and surveillance
"cns" technologies. The air transport
industry believes that their successful
implementation in the future depends
on the following.
Communication
There is an urgent requirement for a "single
global scenario" for future aeronautical
communications infrastructure to be
coordinated by ICAO in order to prevent
the proliferation of local and regional
solutions.
Communications must include the following
considerations:
Greater use of data link.
Convergence of very high frequency
(VHF) air-ground infrastructure into a
single globally harmonised, compatible
and interoperable system.
Cooperation between States regarding
the implementation of future air-ground
communication solutions.
Fully digital environment for
aeronautical information services (AIS)
supporting the concept of collaborative
decision-making to ensure that the
right information is made available
to the "right person at the right time"
e.g. pilot, controller or airline
operations centre.
Surveillance
To achieve greater airspace capacity and
increased safety, the air transport industry
supports the early cost-effective
implementation of automatic dependent
surveillance (ADS), in a harmonised,
compatible and interoperable manner.
ADS implementation wordwide shall be
interoperable, both in respect of the
operational procedures, supporting data
link and ATM applications.

Traditional systems

ATM_cns

Communication
Analogue VHF and HF voice between
aircraft and ground stations
Navigation
Terrestrial-based navigational and
landing systems

Communication
Controllers and pilots will communicate
through digital voice and data link
Navigation
Aircraft will have greater autonomy to take
full advantage of GNSS and onboard inertial
reference systems
Surveillance
Automatic dependent surveillance (ADS)

Surveillance
Voice position reports, primary and
secondary surveillance radar
Air traffic control
Separation assurance, conformance
monitoring, hazard monitoring,
conflict monitoring and resolution

Navigation
Global navigation satellite systems (GNSS)
provide aircraft with accurate worldwide
navigational capabilities while improving
upon the present levels of safety
performance. Current GNSS comprise the
US Global Positioning System (GPS) and
the Russian Global Orbiting Navigation
Satellite System (GLONASS). A European
system (GALILEO) is scheduled to be
launched in 2008 and will be interoperable
with the GPS and GLONASS networks.
GNSS will be the primary radio
navigation system for positioning and
timing for all phases of flight from enroute down to low visibility landing
conditions of CAT I minima.
Required navigation performance
(RNP) should be the global standard
for aircraft navigation performance.
RNP aims to improve navigation
performance enabling greater levels
of airspace capacity and efficiency.
Its implementation should have a clear
cost justification with assurance
that users, the airlines, will benefit.

Air traffic management

Maintaining similar responsibilities but
providing more dynamic management of
air traffic and airspace through the provision
of facilities and seamless services
through collaboration by all parties

GNSS should be used to

progressively replace ground-based
navigational radio systems. However,
for airport precision approaches with
more stringent requirements than
Instrument Landing Systems (ILS)
CAT I, i.e. CAT II/III, ILS will continue
to be used for as long as GNSS
combined with local augmentation
systems cannot provide a fully
comparable service, based on
demonstrated efficiency and
cost-effectiveness. State regulation
is, therefore, required to avoid radio
interference affecting ILS signals
around airports during the transition
phase. The implementation of
Microwave Landing Systems (MLS)
should only be considered in specific
cases where existing ILS CAT II/III
cannot be maintained and where
MLS operational and economic
benefits are proven. Implementation
of MLS alone should not be a
justification for any reduction in
services to aircraft that are not
MLS-equipped.

Air transport safety, efficiency and growth driven by market demand

Benefits
ATM_cns will address the limitations of the current systems, and will provide many
improvements in safety, efficiency, environmental performance and capacity thus
responding to rising consumer demand for sustainable air travel.

Increased efficiency and safety

The main drivers for ATM_cns are to
further improve safety and to reduce
system inefficiencies such as congestion
and delays while increasing airspace and
airport capacity. For example, digital data
communications between flight crews and
controllers drastically reduce the potential
for errors, and enable reduced aircraft
separation.
Shortened flight times
and optimum routings
GNSS is available worldwide, and
communication satellite signals are
available in many oceanic and remote
areas. This means that the implementation
of certain elements of ATM_cns can
provide immediate improvements to
communications, navigation and
surveillance in regions that were previously
"out of bounds" due to low quality or nonexisting radio coverage. The ability of pilots
to determine and request clearance along
their own direct flight paths using satellite
navigation rather than following pre-defined
flight paths will enable optimum routings
and shortened flight times.

Environmental improvements
Shortened flight times will result in greater
fuel efficiency and fewer aircraft emissions
as confirmed by the United Nations
Intergovernmental Panel for Climate
Change (IPCC) Special Report on Aviation
and the Global Atmosphere (1999), which
states that the ICAO CNS/ATM Systems
Concept, once fully implemented on a
worldwide basis, will have the potential to
further improve overall fuel efficiency by 612% representing an annual reduction of
around 20 million tonnes of carbon dioxide
(CO2) emissions and a cost saving of
between USD 4.3 and 6 billion per year for
the industry and its customers.

Global applicability and

cost-effectiveness
Some remote regions and developing
countries still lack an appropriate "cns"
infrastructure thus making it impossible
to safely meet the needs of modern civil
aviation. The cost of providing and
maintaining such infrastructure is
increasing.
The ATM_cns concept is globally
applicable and less dependent on the
number of expensive ground-based aids.
This will make it more cost-effective for
States to implement ATM_cns whilst
also reducing future acquisition and
maintenance costs.

Photo: Boeing

Air transport safety, efficiency and growth driven by market demand

"ATM_cns will provide safe and reliable air traffic management services in
developing regions like Africa, improving safety and operational efficiencies."
Andr Viljoen, President & CEO, South African Airways

Future ATM_cns concept

Traditional systems limitations

Air-ground communications

Air-ground communications

voice
time consuming routine messages
problems of accent, pronunciation, phraseology
one speaker at a time
VHF voice channels saturation

data link, supplemented by voice

comprehensive set of pre-determined messages
reduced human intervention
duplex communication
a global integral communications network
standardisation and easier comprehension

optimal 4-dimensional trajectories efficient routes

gate-to-gate space-based navigation for all phases of flight
worldwide navigation coverage flexibility
user preferences shorter flight times
increased capacity reduced delays
reduced fuel consumption and emissions environmental benefits
less reliance on expensive ground-based navigation aids
greatly reduced aircraft separation, resulting in increased capacity

Navigation

Navigation

fixed airways
point-to-point route segments, indirect routings, sub-optimal
flight profiles and capacity limitations
ground-based navigation aids
line-of-site range limitations
concentration of traffic flow at airway intersections
ground-based navigation aids
large amount of airspace between each aircraft

Surveillance

Surveillance

ground-based separation assurance

conflict intervention from well before until well after the point of
conflict

Airport operations

greater aircraft autonomy for separation assurance

minimum disruption, aircraft quickly released after resolution
automatic dependent surveillance (ADS)

Airport operations

airport movements severely restricted during low visibility

increased risk of runway incursion

System interoperability

reduced separation in low visibility

advanced surface movement tools to minimise risk
of incursion

System interoperability

"multiple skies" unnecessarily large number of flight information

regions (FIRs)
proliferation of air traffic control (ATC) systems and technologies
according to national and regional considerations
varying requirements and procedures from region to region

Equipage

reduced number of FIRs, One Skyglobal ATM

globally harmonised, interoperable and compatible systems
seamless operations including procedures and technologies

Equipage

sophisticated onboard equipage that is under utilised

cockpit automation but mainly manual ATC

Performance measurement

cost/benefit driven solutions driven by the airspace users

much greater use of automation in ATC

Performance measurement

little transparency and large disparities in the value chain

poor accountability for performance by monopoly service providers

Flow management

user charges directly linked to performance and service level

agreements (SLAs)
performance evaluated through observation, benchmarking,
comparison with global best practices

Flow management

demand/capacity balancing
constraints based on available airport and airspace capacity

Aeronautical information and weather services

disparate formats, standards
information not available in real time

performance-driven capacity management

flow control by exception

Aeronautical information and weather services

common digital aeronautical data information
exchange model
right information made available to the right user at
the right time

Air transport safety, efficiency and growth driven by market demand

Implementation
The implementation of ATM_cns will have important implications for States
in the way their airspace will be structured and managed.

Relying on satellite systems

States will have a greater reliance on
satellite systems that may be provided and
operated by foreign entities public or
private outside their immediate control.
This will require specific international
guarantees ensuring, for example, the
permanent availability and reliability of
satellite signals, as well as their
accessibility without any form of
discrimination. An ICAO Charter already
addresses such issues, but a more formal
international Convention could become
necessary in the long-term in order to
resolve institutional issues, including
liability questions.

Systems must be harmonised,

compatible and interoperable
The success of ATM_cns is dependent
upon global harmonisation, compatibility
and interoperability of service providers,
procedures and on-board and ground
equipment which, in turn, will have a
positive impact on the safety, reliability
and the cost of operations. For example,
airlines must be able to move from one
GNSS system to another without
duplicating their on-board equipment.

Existing cooperative measures

EUROCONTROL and the United
States (US) Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA) are working
together to ensure the harmonisation
of technical requirements and
procedures.
The Air Traffic Alliance (a grouping
of EADS, Airbus and Thales) and
Boeing's Air Traffic Management
(ATM) business unit are cooperating
on interoperability of future ATM
networks to accelerate existing air
traffic modernisation efforts, foster
new initiatives and jointly address
issues affecting future global
operational efficiency and safety.

Photo: European Space Agency

Air transport safety, efficiency and growth driven by market demand

"Passengers expect a lot from the air transport industry, with the economy of our
world depending very much on getting people where they want to go, when they
want to go, in a reliable and economic way, and the Air Traffic Alliance founded by
EADS, Airbus and THALES, has a key role to play in helping to make this happen."
Nol Forgeard, Chief Executive Officer, Airbus

Removing borders
The reorganisation and simplification of
airspace will be guided by commercial
traffic flows beyond national borders. One
solution is the implementation of functional
blocks of airspace (FBAs) for both upper
and lower airspace. These airspace blocks
must be managed in an integrated way,
thereby replacing the traditional airspace
structure based along national frontiers.

Single European Sky example

Europes airspace is still fragmented
along national boundaries. Due to be
implemented from 2004, the Single
Sky initiative aims to break down
these national barriers that impede
air traffic flow, to further improve
safety, capacity and efficiency and
to reduce flight delays. The following
table illustrates why change is
needed. Europes unnecessary
bureaucratic duplication and multiple
authorities contribute to a 60-70%
cost increase of air navigation
services when compared to the US.

Comparison between European and US airspace (2001)

Size of en-route controlled airspace (km2)

Number of civil en-route air navigation
service providers
Number of en-route centres
Number of sectors in en-route centres
Total en-route and terminal ANS staff
Annual flight hours per controller
Average cost per flight-hour (USD)

European area

US - FAA

10,785,000
29

13,753,000
1

58
594
46,100
800
564

21
780
34,532
1,433
323

EUROCONTROL Performance Review Report An assessment of air traffic management in Europe during the
calendar year 2002, PRR6, May 2003

Integrating civil and military operations

Achieving optimum airspace allocation will
require greater cooperation between civil
and military operations. One of the reasons
for increased levels of congestion and
corresponding impact on efficiency is that
certain areas of airspace are reserved
entirely for military use. Priority allocation
of airspace to the civil or military in times
of peace or conflict will lead to a more
even spread of traffic across the sky, and
ease congestion.

Applying a business-driven approach

to air navigation services (ANS)
Urgent changes are required to build a
business-driven relationship between
ANS providers and airspace users and to
properly address current disparities in the
value chain. Appropriate legislation and
regulations are needed to ensure that air
navigation services are managed openly
and in a manner that is fair and equitable
for the airline industry.
Airlines contribute over USD 40 billion
per year in user charges for air traffic and
airport services and should, therefore, be
fully consulted on all decisions affecting
their operating environment including any
changes to their infrastructure fees. For
instance, the full cost recovery principle
needs to be updated to generate incentives
for ANS providers to deliver the right
level of capacity in the most efficient and
cost-effective manner. Commercial
arrangements between airspace providers
and users, i.e. service level agreements
(SLAs) are encouraged to ensure high
quality services and establish a more
equitable value chain, provided that
appropriate State regulation is enacted.

Air transport safety, efficiency and growth driven by market demand

Transition
ATM efficiency and effectiveness must be optimised through the development
of a proper transition plan and a long-term strategy aimed at rationalising
the infrastructure and service delivery. This strategy should be based on global
operational requirements supported by market forecasts and not on purely
national or regional interests.
ICAO to take the lead
ICAO must orchestrate implementation
efforts at a worldwide level, especially
when considering the need to develop
supporting technologies that are globally
harmonised, compatible and interoperable.
Proper international standards, procedures
and guidance are required to prevent the
emergence of diverging national or regional
solutions that could impose additional
burdens service providers and, in turn,
on airlines.

ICAOs ATM Operational Concept

The global ATM Operational Concept
presents ICAOs vision for an
integrated, harmonised and globally
interoperable ATM system of the
future. It addresses what is needed
to increase user flexibility and
maximise operating efficiencies in
order to increase system capacity
and improve safety levels.

ICAOs Global Air Navigation Plan for

CNS/ATM Systems and ATM Operational
Concept provide a sound basis with
which to develop a global and seamless
ATM system that effectively addresses
airspace users expectations. It is essential,
therefore, to ensure that the ICAO concept
becomes the foundation for global and
regional air navigational planning.

Photo: Aroports de Paris

Air transport safety, efficiency and growth driven by market demand

"ATM efficiency and effectiveness must be optimised through the development

of a proper transition plan and a long term strategy aimed at rationalising the
infrastructure and service delivery. This strategy should be based on global
operational requirements supported by market forecasts and not on purely national
or regional interests." Bernie Smith, CEO, Airservices Australia and Deputy Chairman,
Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation (CANSO)

Air transport industry position

To complement ICAOs work, IATA has
developed a comprehensive global ATM
Implementation Roadmap that aims to
provide a clear industry vision of the future
ATM concept. The air transport industry
urges ICAO to adopt a similar planning
process in order to assist the industry
as a whole in planning future procurement
requirements.

The roadmap is a key part of IATAs

ATM_cns strategy and vision for One
Skyglobal ATM. It fully supports the ICAO
ATM Operational Concept addressing
the need for collaborative decision-making,
dynamic airspace management, strategic
conflict management, flexible use of
airspace and all weather performance.

Progressive implementation
The transition towards One Skyglobal
ATM in accordance with the roadmap is
necessary in all regions of the world.
Many aircraft are already capable of GNSS
navigation, and States should allow their
airline operators to take full advantage of
the new technology. ANS providers should
ensure, as a priority, that benefits are
provided to airlines that are appropriately
equipped and certified. Airline operators
that are not appropriately equipped should
be provided with a clear transition path to
the future, and a safer and more efficient
concept of operation.

IATA Global Implementation Roadmap

The roadmap focuses on ATM solutions rather than "cns" supporting technologies, and
is driven by the need to improve ATM safety, capacity and efficiency. Time-scales are
intentionally approximate, because the roadmap describes an implementation sequence
and not absolute events in time.
Medium term
Harmonise ICAO
airspace classification of all
upper airspace above a
common agreed flight level

Airspace
organisation

Adoption of
ICAO flight levels

Airspace
management

Collaborative airspace
planning with all
airspace users including
military

Civil/military
cooperation

User-preferred
trajectories and reduced
separation minima

Flexible tracks

Air traffic
management

Terminal area
optimisation

Flight management
system-based (FMS)
approach and
departure procedures

RNP/RNAV-based SIDs
and STARs optimised
for aircraft performance

Flight planning
& operational
information

Airport surface
movement

Dynamic airspace
management

Military participation
in airspace planning

Long term

Harmonise and simplify

application of ICAO
airspace classification

Define new airspace

classification and reduce
their number

Reduction of tactical air

traffic flow management
through automation

Integrated regional
airspace planning

Further reduce
number of
airspace categories
Autonomous operations
based on airborne
separation assurance

Enhanced civil/military cooperation

for dynamic airspace allocation

Random routing

(RVSM, RNP, RNAV)

Improved airspace,
route availability and
meteorological information

Dynamic re-routing

Transfer of separation assurance responsibility in

specific cases (e.g. in trail aircraft ahead, etc.)
Automated tools
for arrival and
departure
sequencing

Collaborative flight
planning

Display information
of all surface movements
to all parties

Maximise runway
capacity

2005 Short term

Medium term

Free routing

Dynamic
management
of terminal areas

Transfer of separation
assurance responsibility
in designated airspace

Visual flight rules (VFR)

capacity in instrument
flight rules (IFR) weather
conditions

Application
of 4D RNAV
in terminal
area

Dynamic flight
planning

Efficient use of airport capacity

regardless of weather conditions

Long term

One Sky...global ATM

2005 Short term

Air transport safety, efficiency and growth driven by market demand

Success stories
There are many success stories that demonstrate the major advantages and
benefits of the progressive implementation of ATM_cns. While providing only
a partial picture, the following examples illustrate that there are very positive
experiences in all regions based on current technology as well as promising
longer-term prospects.
Existing ATM solutions
Substantial benefits are already being
achieved through the implementation of
modern ATM solutions to accommodate
appropriately equipped aircraft. These
include reducing the vertical and
horizontal distances between aircraft,
thereby increasing capacity and
facilitating optimum routing profiles:

Examples:
Caribbean/Latin America:
introduction of RNAV is
generating an annual reduction
of around 40,000 tonnes of CO2
emissions.
Europe: RVSM was successfully
implemented across 41 European
and North African States in
January 2002. During the first
summer of operations, ATM
capacity in European airspace
was increased by approximately
15%.

reduced vertical separation minima

(RVSM) the reduction of vertical
separation between aircraft, normally
from 2,000 to 1,000 feet.
required navigation performance
(RNP) a global ICAO standard
that once implemented enables
greater levels of airspace capacity
and efficiency.

Europe Middle-East Asia Route

Structure South of Himalayas
(EMARSSH) project: a new
long-range network of routes
connecting Australia with Asia
(November 2001) and Asia to
Europe and the Middle East
(November 2002) that has
resulted in flight savings of
up to 30 minutes.

area navigation (RNAV) permits

aircraft operation on any desired flight
path within the coverage of navigation
aids, or a self-contained navigation
system.

10

Photo: Bruno Rivire, Aroports Magazine

Air transport safety, efficiency and growth driven by market demand

"The development of the future air traffic system will require an unprecedented global
approach, going beyond the international collaboration that has been involved
in building a large transport airplane or an international space station. It will require
working together as a team, integrating ideas, products and technology from around
the world on an unprecedented scale".
John Hayhurst, President, Air Traffic Management and Member of the Boeing Executive Council

Taking advantage of existing equipage

A number of civil aircraft are already
equipped with the technology required
to capture satellite signals and to provide
controllers with reliable information
regarding their position. Boeing and Airbus
have introduced communication, navigation
and surveillance systems, known
respectively as Future Air Navigation
System 1 (FANS 1) and FANS A. Today,
over 1,000 long-haul aircraft are equipped
with FANS 1/A systems, and this is
providing significant benefits with reduced
separation and user-preferred routes.

Examples:
South Pacific: the first FANSequipped aircraft went into
service in 1995 between Australia
and the US taking full advantage
of improved communications,
optimum routings, and rapid
route-clearance changes.
Cross polar-routes: satellitebased navigation has enabled
flights over previously untravelled territory using Russian,
Canadian and US airspace close
to the North Pole. The first official
polar route flight between North
America and Asia by a
commercial airline was
conducted in July 1998.
Currently, more than 200 flights
per month use near polar routes
between Europe and Asia and
Asia and North America thereby
benefiting airlines and
passengers through significant
time and fuel savings and
associated emissions reductions.
Southern Africa: satellite-based
approach and departure
procedures were implemented
in 2002 at 37 airports in the 14
Southern Africa Development
Community (SADC) States as
well as in Kenya and Cape
Verde. The project is an excellent
example of cooperation between
States and IATA to improve
navigational procedures, enhance
air safety and significantly
improve the regularity, efficiency
and cost-effectiveness of air
transport in Southern Africa.
The need for new HF radios on
Atlantic routes has been averted
through the gradual introduction,
over the past few years, of
automatic dependent
surveillance (ADS) waypoint
reporting which allows better
flight plan conformance
monitoring and a reduction in
gross navigation errors.

11

Gate to Gate and free routing

Looking to the future, the air transport
industry considers that an essential
element of the Global ATM Implementation
Roadmap will be to increase aircraft
autonomy by transferring certain
procedures and responsibilities from the
ground to the aircraft. This will be achieved
progressively through:
advanced concepts such as flexible
tracks, random routing, dynamic
re-routing and free routing where
appropriate;
greater use of data link and satellite
technologies that allow for improved
communications between pilots and
controllers;
aircraft operators fully utilising
sophisticated flight management
systems to take advantage of reduced
fuel load, favourable winds and the
ability to avoid bad weather; and
a seamless and coherent management
approach to all phases of flight starting
from the initial airline planning months
in advance, continuing with gate-togate flight operations and finishing
with the performance registration and
user charges calculation. This calls for
close cooperation between aircraft
operators, airports and air navigation
service providers in a collaborative
decision-making (CDM) process.

Air transport safety, efficiency and growth driven by market demand

Joint cooperation and action

"With effective plans and concepts in hand, we shall work together to ensure that
the skies of the future are safe and remain unencumbered for a long time to come."
Philippe Rochat, Executive Director, ATAG

With ICAOs ATM Operational Concept,

Global Air Navigation Plan, and IATAs
ATM Implementation Roadmap in-place,
we now have the potential to implement
a truly global airspace environment to
achieve the industrys vision of One Sky
global ATM.
This is a unique global challenge, as it
calls on governments and industry to work
together as partners. It means thinking
in international rather than in local or
indeed regional terms. And it also means
addressing the issue of State sovereignty
over airspace in a collaborative way, and
putting in place a series of measures that
will effectively remove existing "borders"
in the sky.
This transition is necessary worldwide,
but it should take advantage of the full
potential of existing ATM capacity
improvement methods, such as RVSM,
RNP and RNAV and the capability of
sophisticated, modern aircraft. The
successful experiences in Asia, Europe
and South America should encourage
other regions to follow as soon as
possible. ICAO provisions and global
best practices must be followed.

Industry and government efforts and

commitments
The implementation of ATM_cns requires
governments to:
reconsider the organisation of their
respective airspace, to improve the
collaboration between civil and military
users and to accept the creation of
functional blocks of airspace beyond
national borders;
recognise the need for air navigation
service providers autonomy and
supranational partnerships, while
supervising their monopolistic activities;
recognise safety, efficiency and
capacity as the drivers for change and
support ICAOs ATM Operational
Concept and Global Air Navigation
Plan; and
ensure that globally-harmonised,
interoperable, compatible and
cost-beneficial solutions are
implemented in a timely manner,
sheltered from purely political
considerations.
This implementation requires the air
transport industry to:
work together and with governments
to ensure that solutions are driven by
airspace user requirements;
agree on a business-driven relationship
between ANS providers and users,
based on commercial arrangements
and global industry best practices for
the provision of safe and high quality
services;
ensure that aircraft are appropriately
equipped to take full advantage of ANS
providers services; and
support ICAOs work while insisting on
the timely implementation of global and
cost-effective solutions irrespective of
national or regional considerations.
To achieve this, air transport industry
stakeholders and governments must
work together. States must take the
right implementation decisions that will
influence and drive civil aviations safety,
efficiency and capacity thereby enabling
air transports sustainable growth and
improved services in the future.

12

Glossary
ADS
AIS
ANS
ATM
ATM_cns
CAT I
CAT II/III
CDM
CO2
EUROCONTROL
EMARSSH
FAA
FANS
FBA
FIR
FMS
GLONASS
GNSS
GPS
HF
IATA
ICAO
IFR
ILS
IPCC
MLS
RNAV
RNP
RVSM
SADC
SID
SLA
STAR
US
VHF
VFR

automatic dependent surveillance

aeronautical information services
air navigation services
air traffic management
air traffic management_communication, navigation, surveillance
Category I, standard ILS category for low visibility landing, decision height 200 feet,
visibility 1/2 mile or 2400 ft
Category II and III, ILS categories for very low visibility landing, decision height 100 feet,
visibility 1,200 ft, 700 ft, 150 ft or 0ft depending on the subcategory
collaborative decision-making
carbon dioxide
European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation
Europe, Middle East, Asia Route Structure South of the Himalayas
Federal Aviation Administration
Future Air Navigation System
functional block of airspace
flight information region
flight management system
Global Orbiting Navigation Satellite System
global navigation satellite system
Global Positioning System
high frequency
International Air Transport Association
International Civil Aviation Organization
instrument flight rules
instrument landing systems
Integrated Panel for Climate Change
microwave landing systems
area navigation
required navigation performance
reduced vertical separation minima
Southern Africa Development Community
standard instrument departure
service level agreement
standard arrival route
United States
very high frequency
visual flight rules

The material in this brochure is meant only as general information. Although every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided herein is factually correct, ATAG is
not responsible for the accuracy of information provided to them by third parties. ATAG expressly disclaims any liability and shall not be held responsible to any person for any
liability, damage, loss, costs or expenses, caused by error, omissions, misprints, misinterpretation of the contents of this publication and the consequences of anything done or
omitted by any party acting in reliance of the information provided herein.

September 2003
Graphics by www.karakas.be

Air Transport Action Group

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Switzerland

International Air Transport Association

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Canada

Tel: +41 22 770 2672

Fax: +41 22 770 2686
information@atag.org
www.atag.org

Tel: +1 514 874 0202

Fax: +1 514 874 2661
SO&I@IATA.org
www.iata.org/soi