ENAIRE, a leader in aeronautical training, completes another edition of the Professional Course in Air Navigation Services Management

ENAIRE closed out the 23-24 edition of the Professional Course in Air Navigation Services Management by presenting the diplomas to the graduates. This internal degree is organised with the Autonomous University of Madrid and the Polytechnic University of Madrid as part of the TRAINAIR PLUS programme of the International Civil Aviation Organization.

José Antonio Santano, Secretary of State for Transport and Sustainable Mobility and ENAIRE's President, opened the event, which was held at the Palacio de Zurbano in Madrid. In his speech, he remarked how “it is difficult to find training this specific that is aimed at the general management of air navigation services, and that takes as a reference what happens in the sector in the international context”.

As part of its Strategic Plan, ENAIRE initially created the Corporate Campus with the aim of integrating training activities to improve the skills of its employees beyond the current formal training of its operational staff.

The evolution of the initiative towards the domestic and international air transport sector means that currently, in its fourth edition and third as an academic degree, this programme provides a unique and outstanding academic initiative that brings together institutions and companies involved in the air transport sector.

“If we consider the variety of nationalities and backgrounds of the students who have completed or are enrolled in this programme, its international appeal is readily apparent. This appeal places ENAIRE, and our universities as well, as global leaders in the field of air navigation services training and know-how”, noted ENAIRE's President.

This year also saw the first international edition of the programme's module in English with the technical course Foundations and Planning of Air Navigation Services, which was very well received. It is offered online and in English in order to grow our international vision. “We are receiving very good feedback, so we are considering offering the other two modules to complete the programme in this same format in coming years”, Enrique Maurer acknowledged.

Of note is the wide range of fields covered by the programme, with an emphasis on teamwork: every ENAIRE stakeholder is represented amongst the students in the programme:

- 40% are ENAIRE employees

- 34% are students from other aeronautical organisations, whether state-owned, or airlines or the airport manager Aena.

- 18% are employees of technology and/or consultancy companies

- 8% are from professional associations 

[José Antonio Santano, Secretary of State for Transport and Sustainable Mobility and ENAIRE's President and Enrique Maurer, ENAIRE's CEO].

Enrique Maurer, ENAIRE's CEO, stated that “we are convinced that the variety of professionals in the classroom (whether in person or online) greatly enhances the understanding of the sector from multiple points of view, and also relations, promoting networking among students and instructors”.

Currently, the programme has 47 instructors, 22 of whom are ENAIRE professionals, and 25 are from the world of technology consultancy, the Air and Space Force, and university professors (UPM and UAM).

They have been very involved in this project, providing not only their technical/operational knowledge, but also contributing improvements to enhance the programme, meetings to explore areas for improvement, which we are very satisfied with and that we are relying on to continue improving this initiative, as noted by ENAIRE in its statements.

The recognition of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) of the Professional Course in Air Navigation Services Management makes it a unique and innovative training programme and a benchmark as a professional course on air navigation at the national and international level.

The ICAO's endorsement of this professional course ensures that its teaching content and methodologies will be fully consistent with the regulations and recommendations of International Civil Aviation.

[From left to right: Luis Rubio Andrada, director of the Master's program at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid; José Antonio Santano, Secretary of State for Transport and Sustainable Mobility and ENAIRE's President; Enrique Maurer, ENAIRE's CEO; and Fernando Gómez Comendador, director of the Master's program at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid]. 

About ENAIRE

ENAIRE is the air navigation service provider in Spain.

As a company of the Ministry of Sustainable Transport and Mobility, it provides en route control services for all flights and overflights from five control centres in Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Gran Canaria and Palma, as well as approach services to every airport in the country.

In addition, 46 airports receive communication, navigation and surveillance services from ENAIRE, which also maintains their air traffic control systems, and 21 of them, including the country's busiest airports, rely on its aerodrome air traffic control services.

ENAIRE is Europe's fourth largest air traffic manager and participates in the A6 Alliance, a coalition of air navigation providers responsible for over 80% of European air traffic, and which is seeking to modernise the air traffic management system. It is also a member of other international alliances promoting the Single European sky, such as SESAR Joint Undertaking, SESAR Deployment Manager, iTEC, CANSO and ICAO.

ENAIRE, as the responsible agency identified by the Ministry of Sustainable Transport and Mobility to implement the U-Space system in Spain, will, through its digital platform, provide the Common Information Services (CIS), which are essential to facilitate U-space services to drones and Urban Air Mobility in cooperation with local air traffic services, so that all types of aircraft can fly safely in the same airspace.

ENAIRE has received the highest score in Europe on the aviation safety key performance indicator for four years in a row. It has also been awarded the EFQM 500 Seal for its safe, efficient, innovative and sustainable management of air navigation services.