Not Restrained By European Fragmentation Or Outmoded U.S.
Infrastructure
The aviation market in China is well situated to lead a
transformation in air-traffic management, according to a Boeing
expert speaking Thursday at the 2011 China Civil Aviation
Development Forum in Beijing. “China is not burdened by the
fragmentation of the European Union or by the dated infrastructure
of the U.S.,” said Neil Planzer, vice president, Air Traffic
Management, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “China has the
opportunity to demonstrate strong leadership and create
transformational system design, development and implementation
through its five year planning cycle.”
Planzer shared the Boeing perspective at a forum organized by
the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), during which
regulators, airlines, airplane manufacturers and suppliers from
around the world gathered to discuss new concepts, technologies and
practices to accelerate transformation of global civil
aviation.
China’s continued economic transformation is pushing its
commercial aviation sector to grow at an unprecedented rate. Boeing
has forecast that Chinese airlines will need to purchase an
additional 4,330 airplanes by 2029 to meet market demand.
China’s air fleet, which has more than doubled in size since
2000, is now one of the newest and most efficient fleets in the
world, a trend that will continue.
As Planzer pointed out, China can take advantage of its status
as of one of the youngest air fleets in the world. This will help
China address the challenge of managing its increased capacity to
operate safely and efficiently, while limiting the impact on the
environment. “Boeing has pioneered innovative air traffic
management concepts such as required navigation performance and
Tailored Arrivals. We look forward to expanding our cooperation
with the CAAC and Air Traffic Management Bureau to help China
advance its ATM system,” said Planzer.
Planzer noted that advances toward the future can begin
immediately. “Program investment decisions for the system
should be based on the synergy of the whole, not on individual
subsystem choices,” he said. “But even now, the system
can start with tactical improvements that can be accomplished in
the short term and still would be transitional toward a
transformational system. Such new approaches would enhance safety
as well as efficiency and capacity.”
With more than 25 years experience at the FAA and senior
positions at the U.S. Department of Defense, Planzer is a
recognized leader in air traffic management. He joined The Boeing
Company in 2003 and today leads Boeing’s air traffic
management organization.