INTERVIEW
PROGRESS THROUGH
PARTNERSHIP CANSO’s new director general Simon
Hocquard is helping his members prepare
for a dierent, safer and more eicient future
by Ben Sampson
The Civil Air Navigation Services
Organisation appointed its latest
director general in June. Simon
Hocquard has 25 years of experience in the
air traffic management (ATM) sector at
different levels, including running Europe’s
largest air traffic control center in the UK,
working at a strategic level managing
investments and representing the sector on
international boards and committees. He
joined the CANSO two and a half years ago.
Hocquard believes his experience of
different levels of the industry gives him the
perspective required to further evolve the
Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation
(CANSO), which today represents the
interests of over 90 different air navigation
service providers (ANSPs). “As a former
member of CANSO I believe I know what
members need from the association,” he says.
“I have the right level of experience and
understanding of the industry to add more
value to being a member.”
Hocquard aims to ensure that CANSO is
fully member-centric. “CANSO only exists to
serve its members and a one size fits all
approach will not work. We need to be able
to deliver what different members need in
6 AIR TRAFFIC TECHNOLOGY INTERNATIONAL 2020
different parts of the world through both our
digital and physical presence,” he says.
Region by region
CANSO represents ANSPs from the Federal
Aviation Administration in the USA to the
Ukrainian State Air Traffic Service
Enterprise. It’s a global reach that feeds into
how it goes about achieving its main aim –
helping its members improve ATM safety
and operations. “We help by getting everyone
to share experiences and best practices and
by influencing governments and institutions
for the benefit of ATM,” says Hocquard.