Active participants from more than 100 countries attended World ATM Congress in February in Madrid.
Aisles were filled with 160 exhibiting companies, while the conference programme welcomed more than 350 delegates. CEOs, air traffic specialists and controllers, aviation manufacturers and suppliers, and technical students were all in attendance at the event, which was organised by the Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation (CANSO) in association with the Air Traffic Control Association (ATCA).
Jeff Poole, director general of CANSO, said: "With this inaugural congress, we have demonstrated industry leadership and delivered a great event. The congress was designed by the industry for the industry, and the industry has given it massive approval with more than 5,000 attendees. This has been an impressive start that has already established World ATM Congress as the must-attend, most influential event for the global ATM community, and others in the air transport sector."
Peter F Dumont, president and CEO of ATCA, said: "The World ATM Congress has exceeded everyone’s expectations both internally and externally. The world of ATM moved to Madrid with support from all involved. The true leaders of ATM were here in Madrid to speak. The exhibition hall was teeming with visitors, resulting in a number of contracts being signed and partnerships formed. The next World ATM Congress is well on its way to becoming a bigger and better event, with a tremendous number of contracts from both existing and new exhibitors. See you in Madrid in 2014."
Madrid and the Spanish government welcomed the Congress; Ana María Pastor Julián, Spain’s Minister for Public Works and Transport, opened the event. Presenting the keynote was Roberto Kobeh González, president of the council, International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), before an impressive first panel consisting of Tony Tyler, director general and CEO of International Air Transport Association (IATA); Angela Gittens, director general of Airports Council International; Paul Riemens, CEO of LVNL; and Nicholas Callio, president and CEO of Airlines for America.