NATS' white paper opens up ATM alliance debate

“Each was set up to do something specific and each is ground breaking in its own way, delivering value to the alliance members that they could not achieve by working alone,” said John Swift, Director, NATS Middle East. (pictured right)
The white paper also looks at the alliance rationale and lessons learnt from others and has advice on how to discover and build critical value from alliances.
Written from a stand point that strategic alliances offer many opportunities for growth, the paper admits a concept will require a considerable industry mind-shift. ”The Air Traffic Management industry, traditionally the purview of States and somewhat insulated from market fluctuations, is a key player in supporting the growth in air travel, and the prosperity this brings. By definition then, ATM has the potential to limit the realisation of that prosperity by being inflexible, reactive or too introspective. Much of the work put in place by institutions like ICAO is aimed at a network enabled future for ATM, requiring a paradigm shift in the way that Air Navigation Service Providers operate – and co-operate.”
NATS says it wants the white paper to widen the debate in a region where the ATM industry has been discussing collaboration and co-operation for some time.
“We in the industry know what the answers are, we just need to get them into action,” said Swift. He added that the issue now needed to be on the political agenda of the region. “We have identified the challenges, now it’s time to get things done,” he said.
“In the paper we are putting forward some models for working better together and outline the benefits of working collaboratively. We hope it will further open up the issue.”
Swift said NATS is hoping the white paper becomes essential reading for ASNPs and regulatory authorities pledging it would be taking copies to its meetings around the region as a “leave behind.”
The white paper can be downloaded at: http://www.nats.aero/news/events/atcglobal2015