IFATCA Thanks Jamaica 2021 Conference Organizers

zBY THOM METZGER, NATCA, EDITOR OF THE CONTROLLER MAGAZINE

Once again, IFATCA’s Executive Board has needed to make a difficult decision regarding its planned annual conference. In coordination with the Jamaican Organising Committee (OC), the IFATCA Executive Board has reviewed whether the conference could be held in May, as planned.

That review determined – despite the great news of COVID-19 vaccines starting to be administered around the world – that leading global health authorities have not relaxed, social distancing and masking requirements, quarantine restrictions, etc. That reality means a lot of uncertainty. We all know from our professional lives, that the impact of COVID on international travel remains huge. The risks associated with holding a large international meeting with these circumstances would be too great for the Jamaican OC, IFATCA’s Member Associations (MAs), and our Federation to commit significant financial and other resources at this time. As a result, last week, the IFATCA Executive Board communicated with the Federation’s MAs, explaining that the 2021 Annual Conference planned to be held in Jamaica cannot and will not take place.

In this letter to MAs, the Executive Board said it believes a virtual meeting is required, so the Federation can continue to function. A small working group – chaired by IFATCA’s Deputy President Helena Sjöström – is currently working on a framework for such a meeting. The Executive Board tentatively anticipates that this event will be held in the same week that the physical meeting was planned (24-28 May). The IFATCA leadership will release further details regarding this virtual event as soon as possible.

In the aforementioned letter to MAs, IFATCA’s leaders expressed their great thanks to the MA and OC in Jamaica. It said, “We would like to sincerely thank our Jamaican Member Association and its organizing committee for the enthusiasm, time, and effort they have invested in planning the event.”

About this decision, Sjöström shared the feelings felt by others when she stated, “We are frustrated by this continuing pandemic and disappointed by this necessary decision. We have no doubt that the Jamaica OC and MA would have done a great job welcoming all IFATCA MAs to their beautiful country. We all look forward to meeting face-to-face, as soon as it will be safe to do so. Let us hope that the crisis will be largely mitigated by the second half of 2021 and that we will be able to meet each other once again during the regional meetings.” y

Photo: Thom Metzger (NATCA/IFATCA)

z Photos: (left) The IFATCA Member Association from Jamaica made their presentation about the 2021 Annual Conference at last fact-to-face annual conference in May 2019. (right) Event poster for the cancelled conference.

zBy Anthony Ang, EVP Asia Pacific Region, Yen-Chun Cheryl Chen, RVP North Asia Region, Rudy S. Boctot Jr., RVP

IFATCA’s member association from Singapore (the Air Traffic Controllers’ Association) hosted a virtual meeting for the Federation’s Asia Pacific Region from 21 to 23 Oct. 2020 via ZOOM Webinar. The theme for this meeting was “We are the Future,” and the event was well attended by 17 member associations.

As we move into the digital world, IFATCA’s EVP for the Asia Pacific Region Anthony Ang reminded everyone that, in times like this, when we are travelling much more in this virtual world and attending more teleconference meetings, we have to slow down and make more time to reconnect with our families, friends, and with reality.

In 2019, during the Asia Pacific Regional Meeting (APRM), participants adopted a new format for future meetings.

Day one featured presentations by invited international organisations in a symposium format. • Ang presented “ATC Potential Challenges During Restart.” • ICAO’s Asia Pacific Regional Officer for Air Traffic Management and Aeronautical Information Management Shane Sumner presented “ICAO APAC COVID-19 – Related ATM Operations and Contingency Coordination.” • CANSO’s Asia Pacific Affairs Director Chiang Hai Eng presented “Towards a New Normal in ATM.” • IATA’s Asia-Pacific Regional Director of Safety and Flight Operations Blair Cowles presented “Update on the IATA economic data in the region.”

The Speakers and participants then engaged in a relaxed and robust question and answer session.

During day two, participating member associations gave activity reports. As it’s more engaging to see pictures or presentations than to hear someone reading a report, the member associations were encouraged to present their activity reports using PowerPoint presentations. Prior to COVID-19, most of the member associations were busy organising events and engaging their members actively. Since the pandemic, they reported how planned events have been cancelled. Some member associations changed their activities creatively and have been coping really well and continuing to engage their members. From volunteering for charity work to an online video game tournament, it was encouraging to hear how they have embraced the esprit de corps of the time.

Generally, member associations described how they have implemented hygiene practises and social distancing measures at their workplace. However, some member associations detailed how they have had to go into another lockdown in order to stop the spread of the pandemic in the community.

Some member associations shared concerns about reduced membership, training for OJT, refresher training for ATCO to handle the recovery, and the mental health of ATCOs during this prolonged pandemic.

Some member associations have embarked on FIR route restructure, user-preferred route, path monitoring tool, ADS-B for ATFM planning, Aireon space-based ADS-B, approach spacing tool, additional runway, and new ATMS.

With green lanes and travel bubbles slowly emerging, IFATCA’s Asia Pacific Region is in a slow and coordinated recovery mode.

Photo: IFATCA

During day three, directors from the Asia Pacific Region received an update and held an informal discussion about IFATCA’s Asia Pacific Region’s Speak English Program (SEP). It is a trial program to provide an open platform for member associations in the Asia Pacific Region to think, speak, and practice English with fellow air traffic controllers and aviation professionals.

The working group consists of: • the EVP ASP; • the RVP North Asia; • the RVP South East Asia; the RVP South West Asia; • the RVP Pacific Region; and representatives from: • the Civil Air Operations Officers’ from the Association of Australia, • the Hong Kong Air Traffic Control Association, • the Air Traffic Controllers’ Association of the Islamic Republic of Iran, • the Malaysia Air Traffic Controllers’ Association, • the Mongolian Air Traffic Controllers’ Association, • the Nepal Air Traffic Controllers’ Association, • the Pakistan Air Traffic Controllers’ Guild (PATCG), • the Philippine Air Traffic Controllers’ Association, • the Air Traffic Controllers’ Association (Singapore), • the Air Traffic Controllers’ Association of Sri Lanka, and • the Republic of China Air Traffic Controllers' Association (Taiwan).

This program is not a training program, but a friendly virtual environment where

participants can speak English as they want. It is not a test, but an opportunity where you can communicate and engage with other Air Traffic Controllers from the same region and help everyone to improve their English. Phase one of the SEP trial has been completed with excellent results. Currently, Nainaa from Mongolia and Tom from Australia are doing phase 2 trials to fine-tune the program before its official launch. We hope the directors will encourage additional members from Federation Asia Pacific Region member associations to participate in the trial and help us in making the program a success. If SEP continues to be successful, the program will be introduced to the other three IFATCA regions.

The directors from the Asia Pacific Region then had an informal discussion with EVP for ASP Ang. The member associations welcomed conducting future regional meetings online and possibly hybrid Asia Pacific Regional Meetings in the future. Those, who can travel, can travel, and those who can’t travel, can attend online.

In conclusion, IFATCA would like to take this opportunity to thank the Air Traffic Controllers’ Association (Singapore) for hosting this virtual APRM and the participants for joining in this event. y