CANSO Hosts OSC Connect 2026 in Abu Dhabi – A Global Forum for Operational Collaboration, Innovation and Safety
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE) – Wednesday 21 January 2026 — CANSO will host the Operations Standing Committee (OSC) Connect 2026, a global forum for operational leaders in air traffic management (ATM), taking place on 2–5 February 2026 in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
Building on the success of the 2025 Operations Standing Committee (OSC) Annual Summit, OSC Connect 2026 will convene operational, safety, and innovation leaders from across all CANSO regions under the theme “Skies in Transition: Forum on Operations, Innovation, and Safety.” The programme will feature high-level plenary sessions, interactive workshops, and integrated workgroup meetings focused on strengthening operational performance, resilience, and global alignment in ATM.
Participants will expand their understanding of Trajectory Based Operations (TBO) and its building blocks (SWIM, FF-ICE, datalink, and the role of Air Traffic Flow Management – ATFM), alongside an interactive Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) integration workshop.
“OSC Connect is a wonderful opportunity to move beyond the siloed approaches to a more connected and collaborative performance approach,” said Ahmed Ibrahim Al Jallaf, Assistant Director General Air Navigation Services at UAE-GCAA, and CANSO’s Middle East Representative on the Board of Directors.
“The global operations community needs to collectively share, learn and innovate to strengthen our operational resilience and improve our performance and productivity. Our inherited ecosystem requires our united engagement and commitment to design a new vision for the future of ATM, one that prioritises people, safety, efficiency, and sustainability in a well-structured, innovative manner. OSC Connect offers us all a unique platform to shape the evolution of ATM. The UAE’s approach has always emphasised openness, collaboration, and integrating efforts with countries around the world, and this cooperative spirit fully aligns with the goals of OSC Connect”, he adds.
Nicki Harricharan, CANSO’s Operations Programme Manager, stated: “Our operational work is inherently interconnected, and it is inseparable from safety. By working together, we can build a shared vision for the future of ATM that puts people, safety, and efficiency at the centre, as we innovate and transform our future skies. OSC Connect is an opportunity to actively shape how ATM evolves, together.”
All discussions at the forum are aligned with the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) global direction and the Complete Air Traffic System (CATS) Concept of Operations (CONOPS). The programme connects global strategy with practical execution and leadership readiness, equipping the ATM community to deliver resilient, future-ready operations.
OSC Connect 2026 also marks the introduction of CANSO’s refreshed operational structure, strengthening links between safety, innovation, and execution across its workgroups and taskforces.
The event is open to all CANSO Members involved in operational, and innovation activities, including Operations Programme co-chairs, workgroup chairs, and participants.
