South Africa, Johannesburg – Thursday, 5 April 2018. Air Traffic and Navigation Services (ATNS) SOC Ltd is ready to provide a safe, orderly and expeditious flow of air traffic over South African skies leading to the funeral of former Member of Parliament and anti-apartheid struggle icon, the late Ms Nomzamo Winnie Madikizela-Mandela.
ATNS is no stranger to a collective that coordinates large national events. It is common knowledge that events of this nature pose major challenges and risks. Other than adverse weather conditions, the hosting of foreign delegations of eminent persons is a challenge. In the event of any emergency, ATNS will deploy appropriate air traffic flow measures to ensure that any disruptions are managed effectively as per concomitant mitigating plans formulated earlier in the week.
Operational synchronization between ATNS and relevant stakeholders, inclusive of government departments and other state-owned entities are ongoing. This will ensure that all national and international aviation-related requirements are met.
ATNS, in partnership with Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation (CANSO) Africa Region, and supported by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), recently hosted the Collaborative Decision Making (CDM) and Airport-Collaborative Decision Making (A-CDM) Symposium in Durban, South Africa. A-CDM is a concept that is aimed at improving Air Traffic Flow and Capacity Management (ATFCM) at major international airports by reducing delays, improving the predictability of operations and optimizing utilization of resources. This concept promotes and encourages strong partnerships between airport operators, aircraft operators/ground handlers, Air Traffic Controllers and Central Airspace Management Units (CAMUs), as well as working seamlessly together, by ensuring efficient operations and information/data sharing. It also offers substantial benefits to all partners by improving the quality of information on which decisions are made, leading to the enhancement of operational efficiency and facilitation of the optimum use of available airspace capacity.
ATNS’s CAMU will coordinate slot allocation and Air Traffic Flow Management (ATFM), from various international and national destinations into South Africa’s Gauteng Province’s OR Tambo and Lanseria International Airports respectively. This will ensure safe and efficient flow of air traffic prior and after the funeral. Same has been put in place for planned memorial services, scheduled to take place in different provinces next week. Diversion alternatives have been identified and will be reviewed in a well-coordinated and measured routine basis.
ATNS has invested wisely in its Air Traffic Management and Communication, Navigation and Surveillance (ATM/cns) infrastructure, to support the country’s overall transportation infrastructural plan, thereby adhering to global standards and practices. The technical and operational interoperability of our ATM system is geared towards meeting the current and future capacity requirements and/or technical and technological aviation challenges. South African aviation infrastructure is considered to be one of the best in the world, contributing to the immensely to the African continent’s aviation’s much-improved safety record.
The Aviation industry used to be gender-based, where women’s career opportunities were limited, if not non-existent. ATNS recognizes the immerse contributions made by Ms Madikizela-Mandela towards the total emancipation, economic and social upliftment of all South Africans, especially women and girl-children. She worked fearlessly, tirelessly and selflessly - for transformation to exist in all spheres of life and environments. And that was until the end of her days.
To this day, ATNS has structured development opportunities for all women in this company, aimed at empowering them to function at supervisory, middle-management and executive positions. As the nation mourns, ATNS would like to take this opportunity, to offer its deepest and heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Ms Madikizela-Mandela, as well as global citizens who knew about her life and times, specifically her persecution by the apartheid government – after her then husband’s incarceration. To all South Africans, at home and abroad, our thoughts and prayers are with you.