- May 27, 2026 | 4:00 PM - 4:25 PM
- Integra Theatre
Please panic! What Europe needs to discuss before changing the ATCO rulebook
Europe’s ATM system is facing a familiar but uncomfortable equation: demand is volatile, capacity pressure is real, and ATCO supply is under strain. But the answer is not simply “train faster,” “automate harder,” or “harmonise everything.” This session, linked to DG MOVE’s study on the next generation of ATCO licensing rules, will open a frank discussion on what really needs to change: cooperation instead of competition between ANSPs; more dialogue and collective learning in the ANSP and NSA community; a more honest view of what should be common and what should remain tailored to local realities; how to take a network perspective without trying to blitz scale every local solution; a mature conversation about automation and the changing ATCO role; and a shift from debating isolated training parameters to improving the effectiveness of the whole ATCO pipeline. Expect no data dump, no finished answers, and no comfortable slogans — just the key questions Europe’s ATM community needs to discuss now, before committing to a new regulatory framework.
