Each safe flight represents a new confirmation that the ATSEP personnel, those specialists who are responsible for the technical systems, aids and equipment required for providing air navigation services, are well trained and perform their duties in compliance with the highest standards. The Aviation Technicians and Engineers who are responsible for installing, maintaining, controlling and monitoring the air traffic control systems and aids, are actually responsible for flight data accuracy, integrity, availability and for continuous and smooth operation of the systems and the instruments without which the aviation could hardly be imagined. Neither the pilots are able to perform their duties nor the Air Traffic Controllers are able to provide clearances, instructions etc. without the data derived from the relevant aids.

Macedonian Air Traffic Technical Electronics Association is responsible for professional development of ATSEP personnel. MATTA has been representing the State in International Federation of Air Traffic Safety Electronics Personnel (IFATSEA) for 25 years and it cooperates with ICAO, regarding the standards and recommended practices for the work of Air Traffic Safety Electronics Personnel. MATTA has actively participated in the preparation of the ATSEP Training Manual which is ICAO`s official document. Being a State the ATSEP personnel of which attends mandatory trainings and makes competence checks, we significantly have contributed to launching ATSEP training rules acceptable worldwide.

We are pleased to say that as a result of our many years of hard work and commitment, ATSEP personnel will soon become a world-class licensed staff, and will be included in ICAO Annex 1.

So far, as an Association, we have organized a meeting of IFATSEA Board of Directors, a General Assembly with delegates from around the world, an Assembly of the European group of IFATSEA, as well as a meeting of our member with the President of ICAO at ICAO headquarters. The association regularly has presentations at the annual assemblies of IFATSEA and we continue to be active and involved in the new projects of the international association.

At the invitation of the regional Director of Asia-Pacific Region and the Project Leader, Mr. Senthivvel Balasubramanian, the MATTA Association takes an active part in all phases of the preparation and research of the study “Human Factor Study of ATSEP”. The study and analysis has been conducted in stages and lasts one year, through research, webinars and intensive work. Unfortunately, due to Covid-19 pandemics, the Annual Assembly 2020 was postponed and it is well known that the outcomes of important projects are sublimated at the said Assembly.

However, the Study was completed and it is classified as ICAO official document. The results of the Study are clearly defined factors, final consolidated measures and proposals for improving the condition in this area, having an aim of improving the safety culture and the professional engagement of ATSEP. The Study should help in work planning and organization and in understanding the description of work in reference to this profession. This is of great significance not only for the ATSEP personnel, but also for various international institutions, aeronautical authorities, air traffic control and for all other interested civil aeronautical institutions.

MATTA continues with the activities for enforcing the professionalism of the ATSEP, improving the training conditions, upgrading the knowledge as well as improving the working conditions. All this is a trigger for us that empowers us and encourages us for greater engagement, because only then we can achieve the core priority – maintaining a high level of air traffic safety.

Link to the study
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Mr. Fahrudin Hamidi , the president of the Management Board welcomed Croatia Control representatives , Mr. Vlado Bagarić – Director General and Mr. Tomislav Mihetec Deputy Director of ATM, at M-NAV premises on 29th April 2021.

During this meeting both ANSP`s representatives, discussed on the current situation imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic crisis and its negative impact that it has been having in the major drop in air traffic, causing deep financial crisis in the aviation industry.

M-NAV presented its measures and activities taken in order to prevent the Covid-19 spread among its operational staff as more critical and crucial in the continuation of normal air traffic operation and other measures to reduce most of the costs in order to maintain the company’s liquidity.

Among the topics of discussion was the preparation of a draft MOU which would include cooperation in the field of safety, training and airspace management.

Croatia Control representatives offered their help and support in the implementation of SECSI FRA, EU regulation 2017/373, assistance in the PBN implementation in TMA, the preparation of some working procedures in the safety, quality and security domain.

They gave a brief presentation of the functionalities of their AMC portal which is a valuable airspace management tool especially designed for drones and any other unmanned aircrafts.

Likewise they presented their new Air Traffic Control Officer (ATCO) Training Centre and the Tower (TWR) simulator which is located in Split. The TWR simulator is being used for in house ATCO training purposes and they invited M-NAV to visit their premises where they would closely present all their innovations and training centers both in Zagreb and Split.

M-NAV remains prepared and willing to strengthen its cooperation and good relations with all regional ANSPs in order to improve its services and maintain its primary task to keep our skies safe.

Every year, World Meteorological Day is celebrated in accordance with the convention of the World Meteorological Organization which entered into force on March 23, 1950.

World Meteorological Day 2021 is dedicated to the theme “Ocean, our climate and weather”. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) celebrates its focus in connecting the ocean, climate and weather within the Earth System.

Climate change is warming the ocean, and this has a profound effect on our weather. The WMO’s annual report on the condition of the global climate shows that 2020 was one of the three warmest years ever recorded, despite the cooling of La Nina in the Pacific Ocean. The past decade from 2011-2020 was the warmest ever. The warm ocean temperature is at a record level, and it`s rise continues. The sea ice is melting. The rate of sea level rise is speeding up. Over the past year, we have seen prolonged droughts that have extended fire seasons around the world. Devastating fires in Australia, for example, have been linked to ocean temperatures affecting a drier seasonal climate pattern. Warm ocean temperatures have helped trigger a record season of hurricanes in the Atlantic and unusually intense tropical cyclones in the Indian and South Pacific Oceans. Storm damage in these areas has demonstrated the power of the ocean and its devastating impact on coastal communities

For more information on the link https://youtu.be/F7dUKEurZnI

Mr. Fahrudin Hamidi, President of the Management Board and Executive Director of the Air Navigation Services at M-NAV GOJSC Skopje, yesterday, 09th of March 2021 at our premises, had a meeting with Mr. Ylber Sela, Director of LIA.

In this meeting Mr. Hamidi informed about the difficulties and the need of M-NAV in terms of the use of albanian language at its full extend at the official level in accordance with the Law on the Use of Languages and the possibility to use the Albanian language in practice which includes translation of internal documents necessary for the normal and efficient functioning of our company. The difficulties are related to the current financial situation as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic due to which we are not able to employ professional translator/interpreter even though this employment has been planned in our Financial Plan for 2021. At the first given opportunity, M-NAV will proceed towards the solution to this problem.

Mr. Sela stated that the LIA will provide all necessary assistance to M-NAV for the translation/interpretation of forms, administrative acts, as well as other official documents of our company.

It is true, war begets sacrifices and torment but in the issue at hand it brought hope! During the Second World War many of the men were responding to a call of arms to fight for their countries, and this left open many jobs to be done by the women left at home. Among these jobs, starting from 1941 a handful of women started taking on the toughest of challenges, flight control was only a small part! Who was the first woman controler, we do not know for sure but several names are mentioned when a small group of women started applying themselves in this profession! You can read more on this topic on the following link: The First Women Controllers (faa.gov)

What is the story regarding the macedonian pioneers in this field was best told by one of our colleagues who has been the longest in this profession, Nadica Gavrilovska. She shares her story in an interview that has been published on the 35th page of The Controller magazine, issue of October 2019. As Nadica retells, when in 1976 she went to Belgrade, at the time a regional center for training in SFR of Yugoslavia, the commission in charge of admissions advised her that flight control is not a profession for women. She was told that she can choose a more woman friendly position as a flight attendant. From the air navigation services the highest she could hope to achieve is training for a Flight Information Officer.After finishing this training, Nadica took a position at the Skopje Airoport but she never gave up on her dream- that one day she will be in control of the skies above! A few years later, in 1979, a woman named Liljana Stojanovska was allowed to commence training for air traffic control. She finished with flying colors and thus becoming officially the first licenced controller in Macedonia, working at the Ohrid Airport. These two trailblazing women paved the road for their future colleagues: Svetlana (Ceca) Bunjevac, Marina Shutarev, Katica Trenevska, Zorica Krndija, Frosina Doneski and many more who followed in their footsteps.

Recently M-NAV GOJSC, did a selection of new students for controllers, but unfortunately from the eleven chosen, only one is a woman, our youngest and future controller Daniela Denkovska!

The true reason why so little women apply for these trainings, we shall have to look deeper in the essence of the social stereotypes and home up-bringing, but our mission remains, that every woman that wants to become an air traffic controller will not put up with the answer: ” It is not a profession for women!”

In the table above you may see the actual percentage of gender representation in all the sectors. From the beginnings of MNAV GOJSC Skopje, the Managing Board has never had a female member and from all of the five current top management positions (Executive directors and their deputies), only one, and for the first time is a woman. Until recently, the Sector for Technical Service has not had not one woman employee, but now there are already two. Slowly, but surely this man-inclusive profession is giving up on excluding the females. We are very grateful to the women who paved the way for us, who with their patience and endurance fought the social taboos and here and now We give a solemn promise that our professionalism will not betray their sacrifice.

The last year of 2020 was one of the most challenging and year full of hardship for M-NAV GOJSC due to the impact caused by the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemics. Although during the summer period we saw a minimal restoration of the situation as a result of air traffic towards the tourist destinations in Greece and Turkey, the second wave of Covid – 19 started in the last quarter, generating new restrictions to be imposed at State level in most European countries which re-imposed new preventive measures with partial closure of borders and introduction of quarantine measures at the entrance to their territory and all this caused additional hit to our revenues . In the year of 2020, M-NAV GOJSC Skopje suffered loss of over 5 million Euros which directly and to a large extent affects the current liquidity of the Company.

Eurocontrol Feedback

Looking at the 2020, traffic loss for North Macedonia was on average 58%, or some 12k flights lower (arrivals and departures only) when compared to the previous 2019 year.

If we consider overflights for the last year, we saw 57.1% drop, while there was -65.3% lower for arrivals and departures when compared to 2019.

The following table presents the situation at ACC level (Area Control Center) and for the main airport in our country.

Latest Eurocontrol Traffic Scenarios 2021

The first month of 2021 is expected to be approximately -64% down which is close to the EUROCONTROL short-term draft traffic scenario, last published in September 2020. In response to the latest COVID waves and risks associated with new variants, many States across Europe are imposing measures on travel which strongly discourages air travel unless it is for essential reasons. As a result, demand is greatly suppressed and airlines are dramatically reducing their capacity accordingly.

It is expected that the epidemiological situation will have improved in many European States by Q2 of this year and that the most vulnerable citizens across Europe will have been vaccinated (despite delays in the roll-out). In turn, this could lead to the possibility for non-essential air travel to become more accessible, which could facilitate a small improvement during Q2, followed by a larger recovery in the summer period.

Even if the epidemiological situation has improved by Q2, many States may potentially will continue to act with their national travel restrictions which will severely curtail demand and the possibility for air travel to start gradually to recover until the Summer period at the latest.

In the year of 2021 as well, as it was case of 2020, M-NAV GOJSC Skopje will face a significant air traffic drop compared to the period before the outbreak of the pandemics, thus causing direct financial implications on the Company which are anticipated to be over 55% from 2019.

The Management Board of M-NAV GOJSC Skopje headed by its President extends highest assurances that will proceed to monitor and analyze all information regarding the Covid-19 crisis and how to improve the air traffic situation. We hope that the cooperation between the countries in view of harmonized regulation of measures and restrictions on entry into the countries will continue in positive direction which could be a trigger for aviation industry recovery. The dynamics of the Covid -19 vaccination of the population worldwide plays a vital role for faster air traffic recovery and increased demand for air transport.

M-NAV GOJSC Skopje is committed to gather analysis and statistics which will assists us to be ready to handle such crisis in future.

We remain optimistic that at the beginning of the summer the situation will gradually begin to recover and people`s confidence to use the air transport will return, so we, as air navigation service providers remain committed to achievement of our mission, ensuring safe and efficient air traffic, above all.