The CAA and Department for Transport cannot deliver airspace modernisation alone. We are working collaboratively with a range of aviation organisations, such as air navigation service providers, airports, airlines, manufacturers, representative organisations and, where appropriate, bespoke delivery bodies. A wider range of other stakeholders, including communities, will need to be engaged throughout this delivery.
The AMS governance structure is key to delivering airspace modernisation successfully. by overseeing delivery of the AMS elements. It ensures that each of the organisations involved has the right role, powers and/or incentives, underpinned by appropriate governance and enforcement. It sets out which organisations make decisions, what they are responsible for, and the stakeholders they will engage with. The governance structure has evolved over time and will continue to evolve.
There are two distinct strands to governance of the AMS:
- ongoing review of the strategic content to ensure it remains appropriately aligned with the legal and policy framework
- oversight activities reporting progress on delivery activities through the CAA airspace modernisation oversight team including providing annual AMS progress reports (see below) to the Secretary of State.
Overall airspace modernisation governance structure
The first tier of the governance structure is the DfT/CAA Co-sponsors Airspace Modernisation Strategy Programme Board, including the Ministry of Defence. This has links to the CAA Executive Committee Airspace Board, and potentially in the future to an Industry Modernisation Steering Group.
The second tier of the structure comprises:
- Airspace Modernisation Oversight – a team within the CAA, responsible for delivery monitoring and oversight of NERL, ACOG, and Ministry of Defence-led elements, including CAA-led elements at policy development stages, including:
- the CAA Airspace Modernisation Programme Board.
Engagement groups include: Joint and integrated air traffic services (J&I/JANSC), National Air Traffic Management Advisory Committee (NATMAC), DfT Airspace Modernisation Stakeholder Engagement Group, and other external groups as needed.
For a visual representation of this structure please see our Overall airspace modernisation governance structure organogram.
CAA airspace modernisation oversight and internal governance
The first tier of the governance structure is the CAA Airspace Modernisation Programme Board.
The second tier of the structure comprises:
- Aircraft Capability Steering Group – containing the HAPS (High Altitude Platform Systems) Delivery Group and the RPAS C2 (Command and Control) Delivery Group
- Digital Data Transformation Steering Group – containing the SWIM Delivery Group
- Spectrum, Comms, Navigation, Surveillance Steering Group – containing the Infrastructure Delivery Group and potentially a future Virtual Datalink Delivery Group
- Airspace Integration Steering Group – containing the ATM/UTM Delivery Group, the Detect and Avoid Delivery Group, the Electronic Conspicuity Delivery Group, the ICAO Flight Information Service (FIS) Delivery Group and potentially a future Airspace Structures Delivery Group. There is also a link between the steering group and the Future Aviation Industry Working Group – Airspace Integration.
For a visual representation of this structure please view our CAA airspace modernisation oversight and internal governance structure organogram.
The above updates the information about AMS governance in Appendix A of AMS Part 1