How effective collaboration can deliver benefits to all aviation stakeholders

Rafael D. L. Quezada, CANSO Operations Programme Manager, shares his views on CANSO’s latest guidance for optimising en-route and airport operations.

Collaboration is key to transforming the performance of air traffic management – whether that is between CANSO Members or across the wider aviation industry. From an operational perspective, robust collaboration increases the efficiency and effectiveness of air transport and ensures each stakeholder plays its role in delivering seamless connectivity.

Airport collaborative decision-making (A-CDM) is a set of processes developed from the general philosophy of collaborative decision-making (CDM) and is applied to operations at aerodromes. It calls on all aviation stakeholders to work together to improve airport operations, optimising resources, assisting in the predictability of events, and smoothing the flow of air traffic, both on the ground and in the air.

Being able to gather data and measure how expectations are being met throughout this process is imperative to showing a return on investment, and for the ongoing engagement and improvement of A-CDM. CANSO’s Guidelines on Airport-Collaborative Decision Making (A-CDM) Key Performance Measures therefore aims to guide stakeholders in building a structured approach – or Performance Framework – for measuring A-CDM performance and optimising operations. This in turn helps to improve collaboration on a very detailed level and ensure that smooth operations are sustainable.

Successful A-CDM deployments can improve airport capacity and environmental performance and are therefore important to all stakeholders. Air navigation service providers (ANSPs) have a unique role to play in this and the new guidance document sets out how ATM can deliver the best possible service for its partners and maximise the benefits of effective collaboration.

From offering guidance on a Performance Framework, to setting Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) so performance can be measured, the new CANSO guidance aims to ensure that everyone involved in A-CDM gets a better understanding of what is required, how it will be done and the expected result. Therefore, this document is key for those who have established an A-CDM programme, or are embarking on the necessary steps to do so.

As we explored at the recent CANSO Global ATM Operations Conference 2019, delivering value in aviation is all about working together to achieve seamless performance. Developing common processes and procedures are essential to this, and CANSO is committed to ensuring that the ATM community is both prepared for and implementing the best possible practices and achieving the highest standards of operation.

This publication is one of many that CANSO produces to support the industry in doing this, and the workgroups behind them represent the wealth of expertise and experience the membership offers. Together the ATM community is championing change – and working hard to collaborate with its industry partners to achieve this.

You can read Guidelines on Airport-Collaborative Decision Making (A-CDM) Key Performance Measures. You also view the latest publications.