YLW Connection - Fall 2008 - (Page 6)

EYES ON THE SKY | B Y N AV CANADA NAV CANADA keeps watch over air traffic at Kelowna NAV CANADA controllers Jeff McCrae and Don Edwards (r) S canning from high in the tower, unseen by air travellers visiting Kelowna, a group of highly-trained professionals is working hard to help keep passengers safe and air traffic moving efficiently. They’re called air traffic controllers and they work for NAV CANADA. It’s their responsibility to keep the hundreds of aircraft that arrive at and depart from YLW each day at a safe distance from each other by providing take-off and landing clearances, giving direction and altitude instructions and controlling vehicle movements on runways and taxiways. “Many travellers have never heard of NAV CANADA,” says Paul England, Manager of the Kelowna air traffic control tower, “but we’re an essential part of Canadian aviation.” NAV CANADA is the private-sector company that runs the country’s air navigation system. It provides air traffic control, flight information, weather briefings, aeronautical information services, airport advisory services, and over a thousand electronic aids to navigation. The company, which operates on a breakeven basis, has 5,300 employees and runs 116 staffed operations facilities across the country. It is responsible for the second largest airspace in the world. NAV CANADA was founded in 1996 when industry stakeholders – air carriers, general and business aviation, employee unions and the Federal government – purchased the air navigation system from Transport Canada. Since then, NAV CANADA has established itself as a leader in the industry for its safety record, service delivery, and the advanced air navigation technologies it develops and uses. More than $1.2 billion has been invested in new systems, equipment, and infrastructure since 1996. And the investment has had a positive impact on safety and efficiency. By employing advanced technologies, air traffic controllers can help pilots fly shorter and more efficient routes, reducing the amount of fuel burned per trip and saving aircraft operators money. Less fuel burn also means less green house gases (GHGs), which is good for the environment. These efforts have produced fuel savings for airlines of more than $100 million dollars per year and have reduced the amount of GHGs in the atmosphere by an estimated 424,000 tonnes per year. “It’s a coordinated effort,” says England. “We work as a team and are constantly in communication with our counterparts at other NAV CANADA facilities.” 6 YLW CONNECTION

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of YLW Connection - Fall 2008

Accelerate Communications - YLW Connection - Fall 2008
Contents
Airport Services
Building for the Future
Eyes on the Sky
Winter Destinations Announced!
A Brand New Way of Life
YLW's Environmental Initiatives
Runway Extension: Multiple Benefits
Ready to Hit the Slopes?
Airport Growth Across the Country
Technology:�Changing the Look of Recruitment
Ten Golden Rules of Lugging your Luggage
Let's Get Technical:�iFIDS
The Changing Dynamic of Air Travel
YLW�News
Trivia & Games

YLW Connection - Fall 2008

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