Haiti Libre:

The International Air Transport Association (IATA), Airbus ProSky and Haiti’s Office National de L’Aviation Civile (OFNAC) announced completion of a joint project to modernize the airspace of Port-au-Prince and Cap-Haïtien International Airports.

This initiative follows the Memorandum of Understanding signed in April 2014 with the IATA in Abu Dhabi for the redevelopment of Haiti’s airspace as part of a broader initiative, aimed at rebuilding the infrastructure of aviation in the country. Under the agreement, Airbus ProSky will coordinate with the OFNAC and and member airlines of IATA, in order to propose a concept of operations “Performance Based Navigation” (PBN) aimed at optimizing airspace.

This project which will be fully implemented on April 2, will improves airspace safety while reducing flight times for airlines and air travelers at these two key Haitian airports. Besides the improvements in safety and efficiency, the shorter flight times also ensure a reduction in CO2 emissions from the air traffic at these airports.

“IATA is always looking for opportunities to partner for mutual benefit of consumers and the airlines. We are proud to have contributed to this positive outcome and believe that both air travelers and the airlines that operate in the country will benefit from a safer and more efficient airspace,” declared Peter Cerda, IATA’s Regional Vice President for The Americas.

Rafael Alonso-Nivez, Regional Director, Latin America & Caribbean, Airbus ProSky, stated, “[…] the collaboration among all parties was relying on constant operational exchanges between airline pilots and OFNAC controllers – resulting in designs that will increase efficiency and enhance safety within the Haitian airspace. All of the stakeholders should be applauded for their ability to work together in a manner which will benefit each of them.”