The ITF secures a seat at the Air Traffic Management Operations Panel

April 22, 2021

The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) has secured a seat at the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) Air Traffic Management Operations Panel (ATMOPSP), where an ITF representative will be present from now on. This important milestone is another step forward in ITF’s continuing effort to make sure the views of its affiliates are listened to and taken into account at the highest levels within ICAO.

The ICAO ATMOPSP, which was established by the Air Navigation Commission (ANC) on 5 May 2012, focuses on developing new ATM procedures in support of the Global Air Navigation Plan (GANP) and addressing operational issues brought to the fore by the application of current Procedures for Air Navigation Services -Air Traffic Management (PANS-ATM) provisions.  

The Panel develops and maintains Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs), Procedures for Air Navigation Services (PANS) and guidance material for:

  • air traffic services
  • air traffic flow management
  • procedures and phraseology for air traffic control
  • airspace management
  • civil-military coordination

“Securing this seat has been the result of the work developed by the Civil Aviation Section and particularly its Air Traffic Services (ATS) Committee. From now on, we will actively engage in the development of strategies and coordinated solutions for air traffic management, including air traffic services, airspace management (ASM), and air traffic flow management (ATFM),” said Norbert Payr, the ITF’s ATS consultant and the ATMOPSP representative.  

“For example, at the next meeting of the Panel on 26 April 2021, a critical agenda item will be the work of the Remote ATS Sub-Group (RATSSG) and we will make our interventions in line with our position paper on remote tower operations. We will work hard to protect ATS workers’ interests and to ensure that regulations are not driven by commercial interests,” he added.  

The ITF civil aviation section secretary Gabriel Mocho Rodriguez commented: “The ITF is very pleased to have been accepted to this key group. At its last Congress, the ITF expressed its commitment to working with ICAO much more closely, and our representatives have already been playing an important role in the various ICAO bodies. The role of our representatives at ICAO is to consolidate our networks and be proactive ensuring the views of the ITF and its aviation affiliates’ views are taken into consideration. Now we will be doing the same at the ATMOPSP.”

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