Director General of KCAA Appointed CANSO Executive Committee Chair

At the virtual 24th Annual General Meeting, Civil Air Navigation Services Organization (CANSO) announced the appointment of Captain Gilbert Macharia Kibe as the new Executive Committee Chair.

Capt. Kibe, the currently serving Director-General of Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) has a wealth of experience in the aviation sector spanning over a period of 30 years, including four years as a member of the CANSO Executive Committee.

In his acceptance speech, Capt. Kibe said, “I am honored to have been selected as Chair of the CANSO Executive Committee. I have great faith in the Air Traffic Management (ATM) community and all that CANSO members have delivered in terms of transforming the ATM, and I relish the task of working with key industry players across the globe to deliver a safe, seamless and sustainable future for the industry.”

Other key appointments include Gen. Luis Rodrigues Heraldo, Director General of DECEA, and Graeme Sumner, CEO of Airways New Zealand, as Executive Committee members at large. Don Thoma, CEO of Aireon, and Conor Mullan, Managing Director of Think Research Ltd, have also been re-elected as Associate Member representatives.

Simon Hocquard, Director General of CANSO, said, “I would like to thank the outgoing chair, Rudy Kellar, and member at large, Klaus Dieter Scheurle, for their dedication to CANSO. I would also like to welcome all our new Executive Committee members.

They join a knowledgeable and experienced governance team and together will help lead CANSO and the industry in addressing key challenges and securing our future. Such strong leadership and collaboration are essential in helping ATM and the aviation industry broadly builds back better and stronger than ever.”

During the AGM, CANSO also launched a new advocacy priority to help the industry navigate the current aviation crisis. The commitment is to provide the policy and framework guidance to ensure the emergence of the ATM industry from the current pandemic stronger, more resilient, and well placed to continue to serve the evolving needs of managing safety and efficiency in our skies.

This resolution is added to CANSO’s existing priorities of enhancing the public perception of ATM; ensuring good regulatory practices; supporting operational standards that enhance ATM performance; promoting airspace modernization for enhanced efficiency and accommodate challenges of new entrants, and supporting a collaborative approach to industry challenges.

“It has been a challenging year for us all and it is encouraging to see such a commitment to CANSO and the industry,” said Hocquard. “Our members have come together and agreed to focus on measures that will help the industry navigate the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic alongside our overall objective of transforming ATM. This is an important step as we redefine our future and the approach we need to take.”