I spent last week in Skopje, North Macedonia, where I attended the
International Federation of Air Traffic Controllers' Associations European Regional Meeting (IFATCA ERM). FoxATM has been an IFATCA partner for two years and we regularly take part in and support events. Why? Because it is a great way for us to stay in touch with what is going on in operational units. And, it also offers a great forum where we can get informed about and discuss current issues. As an industry partner, we can take part in most of the discussions, except for the closed sessions where each member association reports on their status and issues. And obviously, we can also enjoy the breaks and social activities.
What did I take home from the event this year? Some familiar issues and a few new ones. Let me summarise some of the discussion points for you. As always, understaffing is an issue and it has been for quite a long time. A new element of this, though, is the issues ANSPs face when it comes to recruiting new ATCO trainees. We touched on this a little in our newsletter last week and the issue is pretty acute.
At a technology level, artificial intelligence (AI) is a growing concern, with some fearing that it will replace them. I think that AI will change the tasks that ATCOs perform, but not that it will replace them. As one participant said: "AI will come whether you like it or not so you'd better adjust." Additionally, ADS-B jamming and
spoofing still cause real issues and are a serious reason to keep NAVAIDS installed on the ground.
Other topics included a view of the inner workings of the
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and how IFATCA participates in its work, a presentation of
EUROCONTROL's performance review processes and network manager activities, and a panel discussion on the impact of weather on punctuality. The effects of ageing, menopause and andropause on air traffic controllers and their performance at work. This isn't always an easy conversation but an important one to have so that organisations can support their teams.
As a coffee sponsor, I was able to give a brief address about what FoxATM is doing and I focused on the most valuable aspects of our work for this specific audience: our
newsletter and
podcast.
The most important lesson from events like these is often the same for me. Despite what many ATCOs might think, the grass is not always greener at other ANSPs. It is often just a different shade of green.