ICAO pushes faster rollout of global air traffic flow management

The International Civil Aviation Organization is pressing ahead with international deployment of air traffic flow management, or ATFM, according to the agency. The aim is to reduce delays, lower fuel consumption and protect operational reliability as worldwide traffic grows.

Recent airspace closures and severe weather have exposed how vulnerable global flight operations are, while the arrival of new aeronautical technologies adds complexity to the system. Against that backdrop, ICAO has decided to speed up ATFM implementation as a solution with international reach.

ATFM combines air navigation technologies with new operating procedures meant to coordinate and manage all flights across international borders, including before aircraft take off. The agency lists greater reliability through optimised routings and fewer delayed or cancelled flights, lower fuel burn and emissions, and better predictability through flow management ahead of departure.

Airport collaborative decision-making, known as A-CDM, is among the procedures in the strategy. Under it, airlines, airports and air traffic controllers exchange information in real time to decide jointly on matters affecting operations.