FABEC OPS Theatre returns to World ATM Congress 2021 for the fourth consecutive year with an exciting agenda centred on improving air traffic management performance as the industry recovers from the unprecedented financial impact of COVID-19. Panellists representing a wide range of stakeholders will provide insight and analysis on the key industry issues.

Participating for the first time a panel of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) senior managers will lead a discussion on lessons learned during the COVID global health crisis and adaptive approaches to training; NASA will review the increase in wildfire incidents and their impact on airspace operations; and IATA will examine requirements arising from new entrants and the increase in digitisation across the industry.

Several sessions feature presentations by European air navigation service providers (ANSPs), regulators, Eurocontrol, A4E/A4A, airlines such as Lufthansa and Swiss and further senior operational experts. Topics include airspace management needs of unmanned aerial systems and the urgent need to mitigate climate change. Europe’s ATM performance measurement regime has for decades been driven by cost and capacity, not environmental metrics, yet there are opportunities within airspace management to support the European Commission’s Green Deal agenda. Further discussion topics include balancing interdependencies between these performance metrics, managing increased traffic volatility, and improving forecasts to reflect regional as well as network demand. Presentations will examine strategies to add resilience and improve resource planning at ATC centres.

The FABEC OPS Theatre addresses operational concepts that impact the day-to-day performance of airspace management. By bringing together experts from all sectors of the industry, the platform offers the opportunity to share best practice and improve ATM performance within an international forum that encourages informed and open discussion.