Date: 06/10/2009
Source: Department of Transport
Title: SA: Ndebele: Address by the Minister of Transport, at the Air Traffic Management tool for Central Airspace

Programme Director
Gauteng MEC for Roads and Transport Mr Bheki Nkosi
ATNS Chairperson Captain Mpho Mamashela
Distinguished Guests
Members of the Media
Ladies and Gentlemen

In June this year, one of the worst plane crashes in the history of
aviation shocked the world when Air France Flight 447 crashed and killed
more than 100 passengers on board. This was the biggest crisis to hit
Canada in many years * a tragedy that can never be forgotten easily.

In September we had the crashing of an SA Airlink aircraft into a
school in Merebank Durban. Thankfully there were no fatalities in that
incident. Ladies and Gentlemen flight has made the world one, when a
plane crashes in the Andes of of South America or the Namib desert; we
feel the incident as if it was ours. We feel the incident in that way,
because it could be ours.

As expected aviation safety has increasingly become a serious concern
world-wide. In the world of aviation there the bar is always set
highest, so that if something untoward were to happen, there is room to
manouvre and save lives. In other words, aircraft is built to operate at
the highest standards of safety and in an ideal world should hardly ever
crash.

But we do not live in an ideal world. Our quest is ever to increase the
quality of our contribution to a safer environment in our area of
responsibility. In an environment where mistakes are too costly to
contemplate, we must improve all the time our quest for a more
predictable world.

To this end we must:
* invest in the scarce aviation skills in our country and in the
region.
* constantly improve our technological base
* invest in the appropriate systems that are necessary for the
provision of air navigation services sector

Today*s event contributes to a better life for all not only in the
region but also in the world. Today we take a step towards a safer air
traffic environment through the launch of the Central Aviation
Management Unit. On an urgent basis we are getting all our systems ready
for the 2010 World Cup, but we are also readying for the expected
increase of passengers post 2010.

PREPARATIONS FOR 2010

On Friday last week we were in Bloemfontein. There we inspected
progress on the R46m airport project that is part of our National
Airports Development Plan meant to enable the expected increase of
passengers into the country as from 2010 onwards.

These are all part of preparations for the FIFA 2010 World Cup in which
we will welcome the world to our country. During the world cup all our
systems must be ready: rail, road and maritime systems.

However, air transportation remains a critical point of entry for a
global tournament of this kind; the biggest ever sporting gathering in
the world.
According to FIFA a substantial number of the anticipated 450,000
international visitors who will travel to South Africa for the 2010 FIFA
World Cup are expected to come from Europe, with the likes of England,
the Netherlands and Germany traditionally having among the largest fan
bases at FIFA World Cup tournaments.

Our systems must be ready to transport every single fan in comfort and
safety from their countries but more importantly when they travel
between matches once they are already in the country. From our side this
means that the entire spectrum of our air traffic navigation services
must meet world standards and be relied upon time and time again to
ensure our skies and airspace is safe and secure.

ATNS is currently performing some of the above processes and has
co-developed software to automate all Air Traffic Flow Management
processes. The automation will be done through a totally integrated Air
Traffic Flow Management system which is presently being installed at the
Central Airspace Management Unit.

Aware of this responsibility, several years ago the ATNS recognised the
need for a central flow management unit (CFMU). Some years later we
gather today to launch the central airspace management unit (CAMU). The
CAMU enables the carrying out of strategic, pre-tactical and tactical
flow management whilst also managing the flexible use of airspace and
the successful implementation of slot allocations.

We tested existing international air traffic flow management best
practices and found that further specific development was required for
the unique South African environment.

As a highly integrated system it will have collaborative decision
making capabilities which will ensure that the reasonable requirements
of air traffic control, aircraft operators, military aviation and
airport operators are considered by the CAMU before an airspace plan is
finalized.

This process also ensures that the South African airspace and airport
facilities are optimally used and aircraft trajectories are calculated
accommodating the aircraft operator*s requirements. We modeled
specific situations in South African Airspace.

The scope of the system entailed the acquisition, installation,
configuration, setting to work, commissioning of and training on the
software and hardware components required for this air traffic flow
management system. The system is capable of several functions and use
such as:
* Tactical management of Arrival and Departure slots at any of the
coordinated airports including slot usage statistics.
* Balancing of airspace demand against capacity for any selected
airspace or airport in South Africa.
* Optimum rerouting of flights around segregated or constrained
airspace volumes before the day of operation.
* The tool will enable optimized routes and collaborative
decision making in the allocation of slots.

In December the system was tested to ensure that it met all the
requirements of safety and reliability.

* Site Acceptance Tests are currently underway and are expected to
be concluded by the 15th of October 2009.

* A period of in-house testing will then take place and a safety
case will be presented to the South African Civil Aviation Authority.

* It is envisaged that the full operational use of the system will
commence by the end of April 2010 in readiness for FIFA 2010 World Cup.

In addition we have also ensured that the system is environmentally
friendly by ensuring that minimal fuel burn is achieved for the majority
of flights thus reducing the amount of green house gas emissions.

CONCLUSION

As said earlier in 2010 we expect a sudden influx of airline passengers
for the world cup in 2010. When they land at OR Tambo International
Airport, our agency the Airport Company of South Africa will be ready to
serve them in any of our airports. But for these expected 500 000
football fans to arrive here through our airspace, it will be up to the
world class expertise of the Air Traffic Navigation Services, another
agency of government.

Beyond 2010, together we will be able to service the expected 44million
passengers in 2012 and handle the 611 631 expected aircraft landings in
that year. All the time we will provide the best of our available
expertise and service in our part of the world.

We will do this because aviation has made the world one and anything
that happens in a far away part of the world may soon be in our part of
the world.