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CANSO REGIONS

Asia Pacific

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Region Introduction

ASIA PACIFIC


Poh Theen Soh

Director Asia Pacific Affairs

One small step for Regional ATM


CANSO Asia Pacific Members have taken one small step forward in ATM development.


The 2023 landmark achievement for the region is the Asia Pacific ATM study done by CANSO and Think Research leading to a white paper.  Apart from the rigorous research and analysis, this has involved a strategic conversation among the Asia Pacific Members.  The process involved the participation of ATM technology companies and regional ANSPs in interviews and surveys. The process culminated in a brainstorming retreat of senior executives from regional members in Bali in July 2023. 


The study has focused on digitalisation and ATM collaboration to accelerate ATM modernisation. There are encouraging trends emerging that can help quicken ATM modernisation. Digitalisation can allow more sharing of costs. There are less boundaries in the digital space and hence more potential for collaboration. In addition to being a community building process, the study offered recommendations to mitigate fragmentation in Asia Pacific. 


The needs of the region are an important part of understanding the Asia Pacific ATM story. It sets the context. The region is still behind on the Asia Pacific Seamless ANS Plan which is the guiding document for ATM developments to meet future regional needs. As Europe and North America roll out and implement more advanced ATM capabilities like System-Wide Information Management (SWIM), Flight and Flow Information for a Collaborative Environment (FF-ICE), and Trajectory-Based Operations (TBO), the gap between the Asia Pacific and other regions will widen. CANSO can help by highlighting new possibilities for the region. 


The community building was reinforced by the annual CANSO Asia Pacific Conference, hosted by AirNav Indonesia in Bali. It was a memorable event due to the warm hospitality of the host. The overarching message from the conference emphasised that the Asia Pacific region could benefit from a more cohesive working arrangement through the use of digital solutions.


The CANSO Asia Pacific Safety and Operations workgroups also met in Bali to share best practices and explore matters of mutual interest. Significantly, the Safety and Operations workgroups were invited by China’s Air Traffic Management Bureau (ATMB) to a second meeting in Nanjing, China in November 2023. Such interactions facilitated the exchange of perspectives, including regional opportunities and threats.  


The region also increased its membership and welcomed the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia and Fiji Airports into the fold. Working as a region rather than as individual ANSPs, we can make the whole larger than the sum of its parts.


Region Highlights
Region Highlights

ASIA PACIFIC

Region Highlights

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The annual CANSO Asia Pacific Conference was held in Bali, Indonesia, hosted by AirNav Indonesia. An emerging theme was that Asia Pacific would benefit from a more cohesive regional working arrangement by leveraging digital means.
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A highly successful Asia Pacific leadership brainstorming retreat, facilitated by Think Research, was a key step leading to the publication of the CANSO Asia Pacific ATM Modernisation White Paper. The paper offers four pivotal solutions to the ATM modernisation challenge, namely:

  • Move to a service-based operating model

  • Create alliances to enable cost-effective and scalable technology acquisition

  • Introduce a common operational information system to foster resilience

  • Embrace virtualisation as an organisational solution to enhance services

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The inaugural Asia Pacific ANSP Committee meeting was convened in April 2023 by the ICAO Asia Pacific Office with the aim of accelerating ANS modernisation in the region. The CANSO Asia Pacific Director was elected as one of the Vice-Chairs together with President of AEROTHAI, the Deputy Director General, ATMB, and the Civil Aviation Director of French Polynesia.
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Han Kok Juan, CEO of CAAS was re-appointed chair of the APC3.
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CANSO presented a paper at the annual Directors General Civil Aviation (DGCA) Conference in Bangladesh, to offer two initiatives to address the challenge of contingency readiness.
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Simon Hocquard, Director General CANSO, travelled to China to meet with Ma Bing, the Deputy Administrator of CAAC where discussions included the importance of regional cooperation, mutual understanding, and stability in ATM. He also visited the new ATMB centre.
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CANSO and Flight Safety Foundation's Asia Pacific Centre for Aviation Safety conducted a joint virtual workshop for member ANSPs in the region with around 180 participants. Participants were briefed on the risk assessment the Centre has done on serious incidents and accidents in the region over the last few years and three safety risk categories were identified; runway incursions, turbulence and controlled flight into terrain. CANSO and the Asia Pacific Centre for Aviation Safety subsequently started brainstorming potential areas for collaboration, including more regular joint workshops or joint risk assessment projects.
Region Testimonials
Region Testimonials

ASIA PACIFIC

Region Testimonials

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“By joining CANSO in 2022, the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) gains a passport to a global community of air navigation service providers, fostering collaboration and sharing insights to make air travel safer and more efficient. Additionally, CAAM's membership in CANSO opens doors to learning from others' best practices and adopting cutting-edge technologies, helping manage airspace and traffic control systems with greater effectiveness. This means CAAM can also offer its own expertise and experiences, contributing to the collective advancement of air navigation services worldwide, ultimately benefiting travellers everywhere and specifically in the Asia Pacific region.”

Captain Norazman Bin Mahmud
CEO, Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia
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“AirNav Indonesia has always found working with CANSO to be both educational and enjoyable. It was a privilege for AirNav to have hosted the CANSO Asia Pacific Conference in Bali in July 2023. We are pleased that the Conference was well received by Asia Pacific members. We are also thankful to the CANSO team including the CANSO Asia Pacific Director for making the event a success.”

Polana B. Pramesti
President, AirNav Indonesia