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By Wayne Farley, ATM Expert. ~ May 30, 2011
Introduction
In 1984, two important events occurred – one personal and one global. My love
affair with ATC begun, and ICAO established the FANS Committee.
In the auditorium of my high school, I sat amongst a group of young men and
women who were about to make career choices, listening to a presentation by the
then headmaster’s brother. He was a career air traffic controller making a pitch to
those who dare.
Mr. Alexander, the presenter, spoke about the science behind the profession and the
organization that governs what the do – the International Civil Aviation
Organization.
Fast‐forward to 1988, I joined the Civil Aviation Department, the first opportunity I
had to get in the door since leaving high school ten months earlier.
During the rigorous four‐month ab initio training course, we learnt about ICAO and
its workings, including the FANS Committee.
Genesis
ICAO recognized that the proliferation of air navigation required a committee of its
own to deal with the massive developments to come, and accordingly, the FANS
Committee was formed in 1984.
FANS eventually evolved into CNS/ATM, and a global plan for its implementation
was drawn up. Within each ICAO region, plans were elaborated to provide states
with a step‐by‐step guide to global compliance. States in turn, created national plans
for CNS/ATM implementation.
In their wisdom, not only did they ICAO develop guidelines for physical
infrastructure, but also the institutional framework for the air navigation service
providers around the globe that have to implement these plans.
At the forefront of CNS/ATM, was the implementation of WGS‐84, the referencing
system to support navigation.
Buzzwords
In 1994, as president of the Guyana Association of Air Traffic Controllers, I attended
my first IFATCA international conference in Ottawa. The buzzwords back then at
that conference were CPDLC and datalink. These were all a blur to me, as all I knew,
was that the technology was futuristic.
When I became a supervisor in 1997, another buzzword being peddled around the
tower was REDDIG. I later became aware that it was the backbone for the ATM
component. REDDIG is the Spanish acronym for Regional Digital Network, and it is
the South American region’s network that will interconnect all states within the
region. The network will also interconnect with all contiguous regional networks to
bring the global plan into fruition.
In the Caribbean, the regional digital network is called MEVA, another Spanish
acronym meaning Improvement to ATS Voice Link. In my opinion, the name is an
anomaly since the system was designed for both voice and data communication.
Implementation of the ATS Message Handling System (AMHS), the technology that is
replacing the AFTN, has begun and is being run on the digital networks. Future
applications (at least in the Caribbean) include ADS‐B, CPDLC and datalink.
Institutional Framework
In order to meet the challenges of implementation of the CNS/ATM plan, ICAO has
set the framework for states to liberate their respective ANSPs. This will give the
ANSPs the autonomy to operate on the principle of a business, designing
independent budgets to meet present and future needs, and charging the users
appropriately for the use of the services.
Document 9082, ICAO’s Policies on Charges for Airports and Air Navigation Services
was born in 2000 and states in it’s forward:
“In developing these Policies the Council has noted with concern that the problems
involved in providing and maintaining the airport and air navigation facilities and
services required by the Regional Air Navigation Plans are particularly serious for
the less advanced economies, principal among these being the limited financial
resources available for economic development in general, the higher priority
assigned to other sectors of the economy whose needs are considered more urgent,
under‐utilization of airports and air navigation services, the high cost of obtaining
equipment from other States and the difficulties in recruiting and retaining
sufficient numbers of qualified personnel. The Council will continue to take
appropriate action towards obtaining more assistance for the States concerned in
planning and financing air navigation services as well as with regard to the
provision of adequate human resources.”
Document 9161, Manual of Air Navigation Services Economics states in it’s forward:
“This guidance takes into account the wide range of different circumstances faced by
air navigation services management in the regions of the world. It is based on
international policies and principles on air navigation services cost‐recovery that
States have developed through ICAO and describes procedures and practices that
are in conformity with these policies and principles. The basis for these policies and
principles is set out in Article 15 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation,
the charter of ICAO. Extensive policy guidance in this area was subsequently
developed by the ICAO Council and is contained in Doc 9082.”
These and other similar documents have basically beaten the path that states can
proceed along if they are to successfully develop the air navigation services in
accordance with regional plans.
In his address to Worldwide CNS/ATM Systems Implementation Conference in 1998
in Rio de Janeiro, Director of ICAO’s Air Navigation Bureau, Jack Howell, said “Make
no mistake – CNS/ATM systems are already a good business investment, so the
challenge of financing CNS/ATM lies in organization and administration. For
example, while CNS/ATM is cost‐beneficial for the industry overall, it is highly cost‐
beneficial for users, but frequently not cost‐beneficial for providers. Thus,
arrangements have to be made for provider costs to be recovered from users
through user charges. Users have already agreed to this as long as the charges are
equitable, transparent and related to costs. “ The entire speech is appended.
Funding
ICAO having set the stage for recouping investments for CNS/ATM developments,
ANSPs can now proceed in accordance of basic economic principles and seek
funding for these long‐term investments that will practically pay for themselves
over the life of the infrastructure.
Keeping Up
The group charged with the implementation of CNS/ATM in the Caribbean and
South American region is GREPECAS. I had the honor of representing Guyana at
GREPECAS 11 in Manaus, Brazil back in 2002. One of the duties of the group is to set
in motion the recommendations made by the ICAO Council on CNS/ATM activities.
The work of the various sub‐groups are also reviewed here. To be specific, matters
surrounding RVSM implementation and the establishment of RNAV routes in the
CAR/SAM region were high on the agenda.
What does all of this mean?
The route to the future of air navigation has tremendously long lead times. Planning
for the implementation of CNS/ATM infrastructure and applications has been
methodical and getting on board the train is no fly‐by‐night operation. I’m a fervent
advocate for both safety and efficiency in air navigation, and as far as I can see,
CNS/ATM promises both.
I recognize the limitation of implementation by some states due to financial
constraints. But as far as practicable, the biggest beneficiaries of the entire plan –
the users – must share in the cost for such developments. Only then, can the
relationship between ANSPs and users be said to be symbiotic while air navigation
proliferates.
Appendix
Address by the Director of the Air Navigation Bureau of the
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)
Mr. Jack Howell
at the Official Opening of the
World‐wide CNS/ATM Systems Implementation Conference
(Rio de Janeiro, 11 May 1998)
Ladies and Gentleman, let me begin by reminding you that over the next 12 years,
we, as a world community, will spend over one trillion dollars on aircraft and air
traffic control infrastructure. Even now, aviation provides about 30 million jobs,
enough to keep the entire population of many States employed. And by the turn of
the millennium, those people will help transport over two billion passengers every
year.
With that statement, I hope I have startled you into realizing that aviation is an
enormous industry.
This industry has, in fact, grown quite rapidly over the past 50 years. The phrase
"skyrockets" comes to mind.
Now for some sobering news. The supporting air navigation infrastructure of our
aviation system is reaching its limits and is becoming increasingly strained in terms
of safety, regularity and efficiency. And we at ICAO, like so many of you here today
have been taking action on several fronts to address this crisis. I know crisis is a
strong word, but I am afraid it is the appropriate word.
It is this air navigation system that is the topic of our conference this week.
Let me remind you that the ICAO Contracting States recognized the need for this
major conference at the 31st Session of the ICAO Assembly in 1995. And I would
take this opportunity to extend my own gratitude to that already expressed by Dr.
Kotaite, and especially on behalf of all of us at ICAO, and all of you, I am sure, to the
Government of Brazil, for hosting the event here in this beautiful city, a place which
has become an important focal point at this historic juncture.
I will also take this opportunity to mention one of aviation=s distinguished pioneers,
who happens to be a Brazilian. Alberto Santos‐Dumont was fascinated by the idea of
the conquest of the air from his earliest childhood, and his great achievements are
among those that laid our foundations. As his first hot air balloon, appropriately
named the ABrazil@, ascended over the skies of Paris in 1898, I wonder if the young
Mr. Santos‐Dumont could have dreamed that we would be here in his home country
one hundred years later, laying the framework and preparing for aviation in the
next millennium.
So I will start this conference by immediately focusing on a very tangible and
concrete systems concept that has been agreed to and endorsed by the world
community and which is meant to meet the needs of this already huge and rapidly
expanding industry.
In fact, this system that I will be describing is already bringing benefits and savings
to the aviation industry, as well as to other industries, as they transport our goods
and our citizens from city to city, State to State and continent to continent.
The technology has been developed and is widely available. The legal framework is
almost in place. And the institutional set up is moving from concept to reality. The
key remaining hurdle is financing, which consequently lies at the heart of this
Conference.
Make no mistake ‐ CNS/ATM systems are already a good business investment, so the
challenge of financing CNS/ATM lies in organization and administration. For
example, while CNS/ATM is cost‐beneficial for the industry overall, it is highly cost‐
beneficial for users, but frequently not cost‐beneficial for providers. Thus,
arrangements have to be made for provider costs to be recovered from users
through user charges. Users have already agreed to this as long as the charges are
equitable, transparent and related to costs.
So, the financing challenge is by no means insurmountable, although there is no
doubt it remains a hurdle in a number of countries, a hurdle that must be overcome
if we are to have a truly seamless global air traffic management system. That is why
we welcome a distinguished group of participants from the financial community to
this Conference. We are confident that, when the facts are placed before them, they
will be convinced that any investment in CNS/ATM will not only be secure, but it
will also be good for business.
In 1983, the ICAO Council gave the task of studying, identifying and assessing new
concepts and technologies in the field of air navigation, including satellite
technology, to a special committee. That committee, the Future Air Navigation
Systems, or FANS Committee, drew aviation specialists from all over the world. They
sat down together in a global forum and developed the blueprint of the system that
would meet the needs of the aviation community well into the next millennium.
The FANS concept, which came to be known as CNS/ATM systems, involves a
complex and interrelated set of technologies, largely dependent on satellites, in
order to overcome certain limitations of the existing systems.
The primary limitation of the present ground‐based system is its restriction to line‐
of‐sight usage. That is, electronic, ground‐based navigation aids can only be used
over a limited portion of the earth=s surface not blocked by the horizon or high
terrain. These systems, first introduced in the 1940s, require thousands of air traffic
control units, ground‐based relay stations and an extensive network of navigation
radio beacons strung around the globe on the various land masses.
At the same time, the system is unable to grow to meet increased traffic demands
around airports, and it is difficult to implement these ground‐based systems over
large parts of the earth because of inhospitable siting conditions.
By adopting an approach whereby satellites would be used for communications,
navigation and surveillance, the FANS Committee determined that we can
substantially increase our signal coverage over large parts of the earth with fewer
facilities, as the footprint, or area of coverage of a single satellite, is enormous. In
fact we will be able to do with just 3 or 4 satellites, in some cases, what presently
requires thousands of ground‐based facilities.
Add to all of this a lack of automation, and we find ourselves unable to handle and
transfer information and unable to improve and speed up the decision‐making
process of people in the air and on the ground.
So essentially, our aim is to exploit space‐based technologies, digital technologies
and advances in automation, so that the users of the airspace would derive
significant benefits.
Now let me examine briefly the individual elements of CNS/ATM which are aimed at
overcoming these limitations. First, communications. People and systems on the
ground must communicate with aircraft during all phases of flight. Good
communications with timely and dependable availability are the cornerstone of the
safe and efficient operation of civil aviation.
In CNS/ATM systems, communications will therefore increasingly be carried out
through a medium known as digital data link. This will allow a high data transfer
rate, increased reliability and integrity, improved frequency spectrum utilization
and very importantly, an improved interface with automated systems.
The next element of the future system is navigation. Navigation refers to our ability
to locate our position on Earth and then to determine the course to steer to arrive at
the next desired point.
Improvements in navigation in CNS/ATM systems include the progressive use of
global navigation satellite systems which virtually bathe the Earth in accurate
navigation signals, providing world‐wide navigation coverage.
Two systems are already in place: the Global Positioning System, or GPS, of the
United States, and the Global Orbiting Navigation Satellite System, or GLONASS, of
the Russian Federation and to give you an idea of the cooperation that already exists
in our civil aviation community and to demonstrate our fervent desire to implement
CNS/ATM systems, I am pleased to tell you that in October 1994, the ICAO Council
accepted an offer by the United States to make GPS available to the international
civil aviation community on a world‐wide basis, free from direct user charges.
Shortly thereafter, the Russian Federation, graciously made a similar offer, which
the ICAO Council accepted and we now have these two navigation systems available
for our use.
The third element of CNS/ATM is surveillance. Surveillance refers to the methods
used for keeping track of aircraft.
With the introduction of the advanced communications systems that I have
described earlier, and with the accurate navigation systems that I have just spoken
about, a new method of automated surveillance has evolved which will support
further improvements in operating economies and efficiencies through reduced
separation between aircraft.
This surveillance system requires aircraft to automatically transmit their positions,
and other useful information contained in the computers on‐board the aircraft, to
air traffic control units.
Now, I will explain the other side of the CNS/ATM equation, which is Air Traffic
Management.
Air Traffic Management is the system in place that directs all of these aircraft
through the skies and keeps them separated from each other. Using these
technologies that I have just spoken about, together with newer procedures, we will
be able to operate our air traffic system in a more efficient manner. Our ultimate
goal is a seamless, global air traffic management system. And certainly we are
determined to improve safety at the same time.
By being better able to accommodate an aircraft=s preferred flight profile, and also
by reducing separation criteria, we will help aircraft operators achieve reduced
operating costs and minimize delays, while simultaneously freeing up additional
airspace and increasing capacity. This is where savings in the billions of dollars by
some estimates are to be had.
And allow me to speak here for a moment about the environmental benefits. We
must take into account the impact that the introduction of CNS/ATM systems has on
the environment. We are certain that significant reductions in atmospheric
emissions will result directly from the improved operational efficiency arising from
the introduction of CNS/ATM systems, which should add even more incentive for us
to introduce CNS/ATM.
So, the solution ladies and gentlemen is CNS/ATM. And lest all this sounds too good
to be true, let me be the first to acknowledge that CNS/ATM is not a perfect system,.
Such things as availability, accuracy and integrity of systems in this safety conscious
industry must be fully resolved. We may address several of these through
augmentation systems that are already being put in place. There is also the issue of
jamming of satellite signals which is gaining widespread attention. And the
provision of back‐up systems must be resolved.
So we are fully justified in continuing the process that was begun in 1983 with the
establishment of the FANS Committee, and by addressing the institutional and
financial matters in parallel with the continued evolution of the technology, so that
the various elements reach maturity simultaneously, rather than sequentially. In
this way, we will achieve even greater benefits at an earlier stage.
In order to progress toward implementation of CNS/ATM systems, three things are
needed. First, is the technology, and that is here and available. Second is a plan of
action, which is also available. The Global Air Navigation Plan for CNS/ATM Systems
has been developed by ICAO as a living document@ comprising technical,
operational, economic, financial, legal and institutional elements, and offering
practical guidance and advice to regional planning groups and States on
implementation and funding strategies.
This plan has been completed in time for this conference and you all should have a
copy. If not, please visit our ICAO booth.
And the third and final need, is a financial commitment, and meeting that need is
why we are here today.
So I now challenge you to do your part.
The future well‐being of the air transport industry will depend on governmental
decisions, many of which will emanate from this conference. We at ICAO have done
our utmost to ensure an outstanding conference this week, with the goal of
informing you. By being better informed policy and decision‐makers, you will be
prepared to make the bold financial decisions that will foster the growth of the air
transport industry so that it can continue to play its vital role in the economic
growth of our nations.
It is our firm belief that CNS/ATM is an immensely saleable product. While
technological and organizational complexity make our task a little harder, this
Conference is designed to demonstrate, in clear and transparent terms, the merits of
our financial arguments.
It is my sincere hope that this conference will serve as a catalyst for broadened
participation in all work aimed at implementation of CNS/ATM systems for the next
millennium.