Kingdom to host summit on air traffic
Thailand is to host the Civil Military Air Traffic Management Summit (CMAC 2007) from February 26 to March 1.
Aeronautical Radio of Thailand will be the main host of the summit at the Millennium Bangkok Hilton Hotel. Chaisawasd Kittipornpai-boon, permanent secretary to the Transport Ministry, yesterday said the summit would discuss various issues, including the expansion of civil aviation and air safety. It will also facilitate cooperation between users of airspace, both civil and military, to develop flexible methods of managing airspace. It will be the first CMAC to be held in Asia. The American Association of Airport Executives, the Air Traffic Control Association and the US Department of Defence are co-sponsoring the event with support from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). More than 200 nations will attend, including China, Japan, Korea, Thailand, the Czech Republic, Great Britain, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, Canada, Chile and the United States. The summit is the largest forum of its kind for senior civil and military leaders to discuss visions, opportunities and plans for civil/military collaboration to meet the evolving needs of the worldwide aviation community. Robert Sturgell, FAA deputy administrator, will be the keynote speaker. Other guest speakers will include Alexander ter Kuile, secretary-general, Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation; David McMillan, director-general of the UK's Civil Aviation Authority; William Anderson, assistant secretary of the US Air Force; Peter Verga, deputy assistant secretary of defence for Homeland Defence; and Lt-General Daniel Leaf, deputy commander, US Pacific Command. The summit will address security, efficiency, operational issues, transportation systems, safety, efforts to increase capacity and air sovereignty. There will also be a session on lessons learned in managing air traffic for special events such as the Olympics and World Cup, plus a tour of Suvarnabhumi Airport. Air Chief Marshal Thares Punsri, deputy permanent secretary at the Ministry of Defence, said the knowledge and collaboration garnered from this event would increase efficiency and the capacity of airspace management.
Suchat Sritama The Nation
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