IATA Criticizes

September 06, 2007ATC

In a report sent privately to Brazilian officials and airlines, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) says Brazil’s military-run ATC system is “unreliable, unsafe and inefficient.” Labor problems and other disruptions in ATC have “magnified the deficiencies of the ATC system,” the report states, since last September’s midair between an ExcelAire Embraer Legacy 600 and Gol Airlines Boeing 737-800 over the Amazon, killing all 154 aboard the airliner. IATA says the 2006 accident rate for Brazilian operators was 3.5 times higher than the world average and emphasizes that fixes must be made immediately. It wants to “establish a communication link” with the Defense Ministry, which runs Brazils ATC system, to set up monthly collaborative decision-making meetings to address aviation safety issues. Further, the group is asking for the Defense Ministry to implement a contingency plan to mitigate ATC problems; resolve ATC political-labor issues; comply with all ICAO rules; and ensure that all area control centers have adequate radar surveillance, ground-to-air communications and navigational aids.