It has been brought to our attention by members of the CATCA Technology Committee and members participating in the company-led DSC Working Group that there is a lack of clear direction amongst the membership regarding a proper communication flow for technology and equipment-related issues reporting.
It is CATCA’s position that for all issues relating to technology and equipment that affect the operation in general, and more explicitly, a controller in position, the supervisor on duty should first report the problem to the duty DSC who will in turn evaluate the reported problem, assess its effect on the operation, and determine the proper course of action. At that time, the duty DSC would coordinate as necessary with any other departments that may require involvement to resolve the situation. DSCs are not currently staffed 24hrs per day (i.e. midnight shifts), and only during times the DSC is unavailable should issues be reported to another group such as the TOC. In these instances, the issue should still be reported to the DSC group at the time of the report. DSCs have the most well-rounded knowledge base to bridge the gap between technology and operations to best assess a situation and provide direction on a solution.
Upon further inquiry and discussion with the Company, the basis of the request for clear direction was abundantly obvious. Processes across the country differed in many of the UOMs from ACC to ACC, and most notably from ACCs to Towers. This presents a challenge for CATCA to communicate appropriate direction to our members as they would be contradictory to written procedures.
At this point, the issue has been raised to a higher level of urgency as CATCA and NAV Canada are meeting to determine a solution. We will communicate any changes or resolutions when they become available.
On behalf of the Executive Board,
Nick von Schoenberg
President
Scott Loder
Executive Vice President