IFATSEA

The Global Voice of Air Traffic Safety Electronics Personnel

 

September 22, 2024

TO ALL AFFILIATES

 

Press Release

 

President of IFATSEA Mr. Theodore Kiritsis and Vice President Patrick Delaney meet the President of ICAO Council Salvatore Sciacchitano During the recent 14th ICAO Air Navigation Conference

During the recent 14th ICAO Air Navigation Conference, the President of IFATSEA, Mr. Theodore Kiritsis, along with Vice President Patrick Delaney, made an official visit to the President of the ICAO Council Mr. Salvatore Sciacchitano in his office in ICAO Montreal. 

The President of the ICAO Council, Mr. Salvatore Sciacchitano, welcomed IFATSEA and asked for various details about the Federation.  IFATSEA has a membership of over 75 countries, representing over 20,000 Air Traffic Safety Electronic Personnel (ATSEP) globally.

The discussion included several items of technocratic interest to IFATSEA, such as the context of ICAO Annex-10 in terms of human elements like ATSEP competency and training, the specifications of air traffic management (ATM) systems, and Annex-17 regarding the Cybersecurity of Air Navigation Services (ANS) systems and the role of ATSEP. 

Additionally, the issue of ATSEP inclusion in ICAO Annex-1 for personnel was discussed with respect to various ICAO Assembly decisions. To facilitate the discussion, a briefing memo with the main items of interest to IFATSEA was sent to the ICAO President prior to the meeting. 

Vice President Patrick Delaney explained some key points on ATSEP Training such as the role of IFATSEA in assessing the ATSEP Basic Training course of the Nigeria College of Aviation Technology (NCAT) in collaboration with ICAO as well as IFATSEA’s involvement in NGAP development of ICAO DOC 10057: Competency Based Training and Assessment for ATSEP and the ICAO Personnel Training and Licensing Panel (PTLP). 

President of IFATSEA, Mr. Theodore Kiritsis, elaborated on the decisions of past ICAO Assemblies regarding ATSEP inclusion in Annex 1 and the need for a related Safety and Financial impact study to be performed as proposed during the Assemblies. In such a case, IFATSEA would be available to contribute resources, as it did in the past for the ATSEP Training Manuals 10057. He also noted that a study published for the European Commission by ECORYS and NLR indicated that regulating the ATSEP profession could bring some safety benefits and prove the ATSEP job as safety critical. (1) 

The ATSEP job was also proven/classified as safety critical by another official FAA Study (2)  

The President of the ICAO Council, Mr. Salvatore Sciacchitano, stated that IFATSEA is highly valued in ICAO, which is why observer status was granted a few years ago. He invited IFATSEA to attend assemblies, conferences, and contribute to ICAO panels and expert groups. He also suggested participating in ANC Talks, which is a way to enhance the visibility of ATSEP issues. These online events cover various aviation topics and can provide a platform for discussing the concerns raised by IFATSEA. By focusing on ATSEP-specific events, the unique challenges and contributions of ATSEPs can be highlighted and addressed within the broader aviation community.

IFATSEA is already expediting further cooperation with the ICAO Air Navigation Commission (ANC) under the coordination of Patrick Delaney IFATSEA VP who oversees ICAO activities previously to the forthcoming ANC session. 

The discussion also touched on the Überlingen midair collision, where, as mentioned by the President of IFATSEA, Mr. Theodore Kiritsis, one of the recommendations of the accident investigation report at the time was to investigate the establishment of a national ATSEP license .(3)

The President of IFATSEA then presented a small statue of the Greek philosopher Aristotle to the President of the ICAO Council, Mr. Salvatore Sciacchitano. The IFATSEA delegation noted that this was their first visit ever to the ICAO President of the Council and thanked him for his cooperation.

Also, IFATSEA President Mr. Theodore Kiritsis had an online meeting a few days earlier with ICAO Air Navigation Bureau Chair Mrs. Michele Merkle and the ICAO CNSS department to discuss and promote the above-mentioned issues of concern to IFATSEA.

IFATSEA, in line with its Strategic Plan, looks forward to strengthening the cooperation with ICAO and enhancing our presence in ICAO meetings and expert groups. 

The above issues will be further discussed during the forthcoming IFATSEA Assembly in Las Vegas. IFATSEA looks forward to seeing you all there!  

 

 

•  https://ifatsea.app.box.com/file/85748834817 (in  IFATSEA eLibary- ANNEX 1 ) 

 

• (https://www.faa.gov/sites/faa.gov/files/data_research/research/med_humanfacs/oamtechreports/201812.pdf) . 

• https://ifatsea.app.box.com/file/96550882533 (page 85,86)(in  IFATSEA eLibary- ANNEX 1 )