President and Chief Executive Officer - Alexis Brathwaite

I assume the role of IFATCA President and Chief Executive Officer as we move into our 50th year as a Federation. This is particularly pleasing to me as it means that I get to be involved in celebrating the men and women who have built this organisation into the respected voice of the air traffic controller. As air traffic controllers we tend to take for granted what we do. More so when we work as volunteers at the level of our local associations or at the regional and international level with IFATCA. But we must remember that these choices, however personally fulfilling they may be, do involve some sacrifice. As such we should make space, every once in a while, to recognise the people that make a personal contribution.

Serving as Deputy President from 2007 gave me the opportunity to prepare myself for this role and I feel confident that I am up to the task. But I am aware that actually doing the job brings its own challenges. At this time with a fragile airline economy, important projects in Europe and North America on the one hand, yet a continuing lack of recognition of the air traffic control profession in many parts of Africa, the Middle East, Asia and the Americas, there are indeed many seemingly daunting challenges. IFATCA is though a volunteer organisation with a solid history. This means that every executive board and president must look to the long term and simply build upon what has been done before. A reading of IFATCA history (see Under Control by Neil Vidler; or previous conference reports or the Controller Magazine) would show that very little of what we face now is new. The very words that we use now are the words that were used then to describe the situations facing our profession. The work of our predecessors has given us a strong, credible organisation to represent our profession.

The Federation is well served by able and committed officers and representatives, all volunteers. Along with the support of the other executive board members, the President can count on our efficient office manager, Tatiana Iavorskaia and now our representative to ICAO in Montreal, a role that was envisaged in the early 1970’s, but which we have only recently been able to put in place. With all these resources available, I see my main function as that of a facilitator ensuring that the hard work done by others is successful.

After ab-initio training in 1990 at the Civil Aviation Training Centre in Trinidad and Tobago, I joined the ATC fraternity in 1991. I acquired ratings in Aerodrome and Approach (procedural) in 1992 and Area Control (procedural) in 1994 working at the Piarco Control Tower and the Piarco Area Control Centre. In 2008, I received Radar training in preparation for the ATM modernisation by the Trinidad and Tobago Civil Aviation Authority. In 1992, I joined the Trinidad and Tobago Air Traffic Controllers’ Association and served on our board of directors until 1998, first as director finance and then as chairman. During this period I was a member of the management unit of the air traffic controllers’ union.

My first IFATCA conference was Christchurch ‘93. This was the year of the first professional panel organized by then EVPP Bert Ruitenberg. That remains significant for me in many ways, not least because it started my involvement in CISM. From 1994 to 2001 I was involved with various Standing Committees, working with SC4 on CISM policy; with SC6 from 1994, first as a corresponding member, and also with SC3 serving as chairman from 1997 to 2001.

In Trinidad and Tobago, I was intricately involved from 1998 to 2004 with the movement of the civil aviation administration from within the central public service to an autonomous civil aviation authority. At the moment, I am working towards the creation of a safety management system for our CAA. I am also involved with training at various levels and provide technical support in the office of the Manager Air Traffic Services, while being required to maintain my air traffic control proficiency. I am also a member representative on the Pension Plan Management Committee.

Despite the problems some of our MAs continue to experience, especially in particular regions, I feel very positive about the prospects for civil aviation and air traffic control in particular. I see the upheavals and trials as the natural consequence of years of hard work on the part of many to make air traffic control a truly global profession in every way. The movement by ICAO towards safety management systems, the push for just culture by various aviation stakeholders and our collaboration with industry partners such as IFALPA, CANSO, ITF and FSF mean that we can better than ever fulfil the rather lofty objectives of our Federation and assist our members as they would wish.

We more than ever need your support and ideas; I encourage you to contact me at pcx@ifatca.org.