Dear Editor,
I am deeply concerned about developments currently taking place within Antigua and Barbuda’s Air Traffic Services, and I believe they warrant urgent national attention before decisions are made that could have serious consequences for the future of aviation safety and the effective management of our airspace.
Air Traffic Services is not an ordinary administrative department. It is a highly specialized, safety-critical operation in which leadership, technical competence, operational experience and sound judgement are essential. Decisions concerning its leadership should therefore be approached with an appreciation of the complexity of air traffic management and the responsibilities involved.
My concern is whether persons making these decisions, including Permanent Secretaries and the Public Service Commission, are being provided with a sufficiently comprehensive assessment of the technical competence, experience and contributions of the individuals concerned.
Academic qualifications are important, but possessing a certificate or degree does not, by itself, establish that someone is the most competent person to lead a highly specialized air navigation service. Leadership of Air Traffic Services should take account of demonstrated technical ability, operational knowledge, regulatory understanding, training experience, institutional knowledge and the capacity to manage complex aviation projects.
Consider an experienced controller who has been involved in training air traffic controllers; developing operational procedures; contributing to drone regulatory matters; coordinating aspects of the RADAR project, including work connected with Trinidad; contributing to matters relating to overflight regulations; establishing an ATC simulator and developing exercises for training and competency evaluations; developing procedures for Barbuda; and assisting with arrangements for the provision of Aerodrome Flight Information Service in Barbuda.
Such experience cannot simply be measured by looking at a certificate.
If an individual has also developed sufficient professional knowledge and regional experience to provide technical assistance on Air Traffic Control matters beyond Antigua and Barbuda to ANS inspector to ECCAA, that experience should form part of any objective assessment of that person’s suitability for senior leadership.
This is why appointments within Air Traffic Services must never become a question of personal relationships, administrative preference or who knows whom. The overriding considerations must be aviation safety, demonstrated competence, technical experience, integrity and the national interest.
Antigua and Barbuda has invested significantly in the development of its aviation sector. RADAR modernization, airspace management, controller training, emerging drone operations, regulatory compliance and the continuing development of aviation services in Barbuda all require knowledgeable and experienced leadership.
The country therefore cannot afford to undervalue the institutional and technical knowledge that has been built over decades.
This is not simply about protecting a position for one individual. It is about protecting the integrity of Air Traffic Services and ensuring that those entrusted with leadership possess the depth of knowledge and experience required for the responsibility.
I therefore respectfully call upon the relevant authorities to ensure that decisions affecting the leadership and future direction of Air Traffic Services are transparent, professionally justified and based upon documented competence, experience and aviation-safety considerations.
In aviation, we should not wait until an incident occurs before asking whether the right decisions were made.
The time to protect aviation safety is before something goes wrong.
A Concerned Air Traffic Controller
This article was originally published by Antigua News Room. Read the original article here: LETTER: Aviation safety must guide air traffic leadership appointments in Antigua and Barbuda.