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IAA CEO urges EU to support increased innovation in aviation.

Mr. Peter Kearney, CEO Irish Aviation Authority, (IAA), urged the EU to work with the aviation sector to maximise innovation for safety and climate change efficiencies.

Welcoming Mr. Henrik Hololei, EU Director-General for Mobility and Transport to the IAA Air Traffic Control Tower in Dublin, Mr Kearney said that the Commission can bring about ‘a unity of purpose’ to enable technical advances develop air traffic safety and contribute to the Climate Change campaign.

 “Ireland has played its part in developing and implementing such innovation in partnership with our European peers. For example, the SESAR programme has used technology to improve flight management and COOPANS has allowed air traffic control officers to have access to the very latest technology. As a result, flights are safer, get to their destination faster as well as reducing fuel costs and emissions,” he explained.

With up to 400 million passengers recorded as traveling in Europe last year, Mr Hololei and Mr Kearney also discussed the impact of COVID 19 and need for stability in the sector. They also reviewed the Single European Sky project and an urgent, European-wide drive to attract talent into all areas of the sector and how best to avoid industrial relations stoppages that impact on performance and jobs.

Sustainability is a key focus for both the IAA and the European Union and Mr. Hololei and Mr. Kearney dicussed their efforts to ensure a more sustainable and efficient environment for air traffic management. The IAA has the leading environment score amongst European ANSPs in relation to actual flight trajectory and are keen to build on this by embracing more sustainable practices in the ATM sphere.

Mr Hololei met with members of the air traffic control team during a tour of the Dublin Air Traffic Control Tower. He was briefed on the pending separation of the regulatory and air traffic management function within the IAA and the introduction of AirNav Ireland, which take over responsibility of the air traffic management.

Mr Kearney said it was an honour to meet the Director-General and assured him that Ireland’s ANSP will support collaboration to bring about the changes necessary to provide a sustainable and efficient aviation sector in Europe.