ANSP trade association CANSO is to move its headquarters to Montreal, Canada.
The move was approved by its members at CANSO’s AGM, which was held during the Airspace World 2025 event in Lisbon, Portugal last week and will happen this year.
The move from Brussels to Montreal will help the association lobby more effectively, the Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation (CANSO) said. Montreal is home to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the Airports Council International (ACI).
“Montreal is the aviation capital of the world. It is where the regulators are. For CANSO to be at the forefront of aviation, we need to be in Montreal, lobbying,” said Simon Hocquard, director general of CANSO at Airspace World 2025.
The ANSP association is also opening a Middle East regional office in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Newly appointed director for the Middle East, Saad Alkahtani, will be based in Riyadh.
Hocquard said: “The Middle East is booming and we need to service our members in the region.”
Hocquard added that experts predict air traffic will double by 2043, reporting that during Q1 2025 there were 12.6 million flights globally, a 6% growth year-on-year.
“The pace of change is increasing, despite ATC not feeling like the fastest industry in the world. We will see a massive transformation in the next 20 years – we are at a crossroads in ATC. The sky will become fuller,” said Hocquard.
CANSO appoints new chair
In addition, Tim Arel was appointed chair of CANSO for a two-year term at the AGM last week. Arel replaces Alex Bristol.
Arel started his career as an air traffic controller in 1989 and today is the chief operating officer of the Air Traffic Organization (ATO) of the FAA, the operational arm of the USA’s Federal Aviation Administration, a position he has held for three years.
Arel said: "I am honoured to take on the role of Chair at such a pivotal time for the air traffic management industry. As we navigate complex challenges and rapid technological change, collaboration across the sector has never been more critical."
CATS CONOPS details and implementation
Finally, CANSO used the Airspace World 2025 to provide further details about its Complete Air Traffic System (CATS) CONOPS, a roadmap to how air traffic control should change over the next 20 years.
The association is leading the development of the CONOPS through the CATS Global Council. The Council includes ANSPs, airlines and airports, aerospace companies developing drones, high airspace, UAM pioneers and regulators, including ICAO.
Speaking at the Airspace World 2025 industry in Lisbon, Portugal Eduardo Garcia, senior manager for future skies at CANSO said: “To produce the CONOPS we identified the transformation that needs to happen and what the impact will be on aviation.
“We need to change – there is a lot of legacy technology and equipment in the industry. We need foundational digitalisation technology if we want to implement more sophisticated systems that perform better, are interconnected, and can share more data.”
He added that performance breakthroughs will come through technologies and techniques such as Trajectory Based Optimisation (TBO), aircraft and ATM dynamic automation, enhancements to airspace management and intelligent separation. “We need to start now with action, investment and the right regulatory framework.”
Michelle Bishop, director of programs at CANSO said: “The CATS Global Council will lead this transformation and form expert groups on tasks to advance the work in a meaningful way. We will support implementation through tangible regional actions, this is the only way change will happen. The CATS vision needs to be translated into implementation.”
The CATS CONOPS can be downloaded here.