The ribbon-cutting ceremony on the first day of the inaugural ATCA Connect in Washington Nov. 5 served as both an end point – the culmination of a year of re-branding and implementing new, modern enhancements to better meet the needs of our membership – and a new beginning.
Re-imagining the annual conference as a more inviting and impactful event meant creating the opportunity to facilitate an environment that put ATCA’s core mission of fostering education, collaboration, thought leadership, and advocacy on full display all week long. Here are five takeaways from ATCA Connect 2024:
High FAA Involvement During ‘Pivotal Point’ in Relationship with ATCA
A top goal was met: Give members direct access to FAA, DOD, NASA, and academia leadership. In return, FAA Air Traffic Organization Chief Operating Officer Tim Arel, during a fireside-chat-style conversation with ATCA President & CEO Carey Fagan, emphasized the importance of advocacy for the National Airspace System (NAS) and how that has the potential to be the most impactful result of ATCA's efforts to reposition to a future-focused, membership-based organization.
"Pivoting to an advocacy role is where the credibility changes," Arel said. "Having a beneficial dialogue, creating a collaborative agenda of thoughtful discussions that you all find value in is monumental. This is about sharing common situational awareness."
Arel said his commitment to ATCA is exemplified by both his attendance at ATCA Connect and that of his entire executive team. "We are here because we are at a pivotal point in our relationship," he said. "It's about having those meaningful conversations, it's about networking, and it's about showing a desire to advocate for the NAS. Not for the ATO, not for the FAA, but for the NAS. And that shift in this organization's approach is why we're here."
SAI - A Reminder of What’s Possible When Government, Industry Collaborate
Throughout the event’s discussions about FAA procurement, the budget, reauthorization, and industry partnerships, one example of a recent big success was often cited as proof of what can result from a shared desire to work smarter, faster, and more collaboratively: the FAA’s Surface Awareness Initiative (SAI) that will deliver innovative, cost-effective technological solutions to airports without existing surface surveillance capabilities.
“We engaged with industry, and we didn’t try to build it ourselves,” FAA Deputy Chief Operating Officer Katrina Hall said. “The lesson is that we need to engage with industry more to share our requirements and get these things into the NAS (National Airspace System) sooner.”
empowerHER Kickoff Continues Uplifting Leadership Conversation
ATCA Connect began with a half day of sessions on empowering men and women to lead the future workforce. From dynamic speakers to a forward-looking panel on the Women in Aviation Advisory Board findings to hand-on workshops attendees gained insights to help tackle aviation’s most pressing challenges.
“What we talked about is about empowering people, it’s about empowering women to realize what their potential is and what opportunities there are in this industry,” said Carey Fagan, President and CEO of ATCA. “That goes from the student level to the high school level and all the way through, doing mentorship programs, organizing stem events, so we decided to call it empowerHER. We do focus on empowering women but obviously we don’t work alone we need men and women working together so that we have allies that come and work with and that really demonstrates what empowerHER is really all about.”
Innovative New Meeting and Exhibition Space Draws Rave Reviews
Shaping aviation’s future means transforming our events and connection opportunities into lively, inclusive spaces. The innovative design of the Park Activity Area was a hit with both attendees and industry exhibitors, who said it was an effective way to connect with the aviation community. The layout of the event space meant that if you wanted to hear a speaker or panel in the Booz Allen Keynote Vision Arena or the Innovation Theater, you had the opportunity to experience the park first.
One participant said, "It's been great! I love the park setup. You can go in and have a conversation and share a drink with someone. Things like the photo booth for professional portraits are a fun touch."
Said an exhibitor: "At other conferences, the exhibition area can often be too congested. This is well laid out. You can see all the booths from pretty much anywhere you stand. Everyone I've met has been friendly and it's easy to move around."
Our Passion for Airspace and Aviation Unites Us
FAA Deputy Administrator Katie Thomson and Airlines for America President and CEO Nick Calio provided inspirational words to drive home the reason why we all work collaboratively in the aviation and aerospace community.
Thomson said that while the FAA welcomes new entrants to the NAS, "we must also champion the safety of our airspace. Safety will always be our north star."
She added that the FAA continues to learn from previous experiences and adapts its strategies to mitigate risk, with a robust safety management system as key. "The one thing that unites us is our passion for airspace and aviation. It's always an exciting time to be in the aerospace sector."
Calio, in accepting the Glen A. Gilbert Memorial Award, noted that almost 90% of Americans have flown commercially in their lifetime, a percentage that continues to grow amid unprecedented accessibility and demand.
“I’ve said it countless times before – it’s amazing that we can fly from coast to coast in a few hours or wake up in a country an ocean way. It’s remarkable that we fly 2.6 million people and more than 60,000 tons of cargo each day,” Calio said. “It’s all because of the miracle of aviation.”