Significant progress made by the Air Traffic and Navigation Services Company (ATNS)
Johannesburg, 23 August 2007: Today the Air Traffic and Navigation Services Company (ATNS) held its 14th Annual General meeting.
ATNS declared a revenue increase of 5.79% over the previous financial year, totaling R576.9m for the period April 2006 – March 2007. The increase is largely attributable to a 6.2% volume growth in air traffic despite a 0% tariff increase.
The focus within ATNS for the financial period remained its continued investment into its human capital. The air traffic service staff complement increased by 10.5% alone, with a total staff cost of R202.5m for the period, a 14.8% increase over the previous financial period. The period also saw the introduction of a dynamic retention scheme which ensures that ATNS is able to safely respond to a planned 5.4% annual increase in air traffic in South Africa. The company also spent R25m on training a total of 1461 people in various aspects of air traffic control and other technical disciplines.
According to Wrenelle Stander, ATNS CEO, “ATNS has made significant progress during the 06/07 financial year and we are confident that we will continue delivering air traffic services in a safe and efficient manner as we prepare for the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup.”
“ATNS manages over 650 000 aircraft arrivals and departures across South Africa on an annual basis and is responsible for a further 10% of the world’s airspace,” said Stander. “We are seeing an annual increase in the number of flights at OR Tambo International Airport with our Air Traffic Controllers (ATCs) now handling 56 aircraft movements per hour, an increasing from 52 per hour previously.”
An investment of R218m into capital expenditure for the financial year also serves to ensure increased airspace capacity, a further enhancement of air traffic management systems and the continued maintenance of the highest safety standards.
ATNS is the sole commercial provider of air traffic, navigation, training and associated services in South Africa, providing service to 21 aerodromes around the country, including OR Tambo, Cape Town and Durban International Airports.
ATNS is also responsible for the provision of aeronautical information used for flight planning purposes as well as, amongst others, search and rescue activities and the maintenance of a reliable navigation infrastructure.