WILLEMSTAD – The government of Curaçao approved the draft of a new cooperation protocol for overseeing air navigation services (ANS) on Wednesday.
ANS providers are organizations that deliver services for air navigation, including air traffic control, communication, navigation, and monitoring of aircraft in a specific airspace. The Dutch Caribbean Air Navigation Service Provider (DC-ANSP) is responsible for guiding aircraft in the airspace of Curaçao and Bonaire and for efficiently managing air traffic in the Curaçao Flight Information Region.
The protocol regulates the cooperation between the involved parties in overseeing the ANS providers, who are responsible for safe and efficient air navigation in the airspace. This collaboration is considered crucial, as the airspaces managed by various ANS providers are partially interconnected.
While the exact content of the protocol is not available, it is likely that it includes agreements on coordinating oversight tasks between the involved authorities within the Kingdom to ensure compliance with international aviation standards and to guarantee safe and efficient air navigation services through joint efforts and information sharing. Clearly defining the roles and responsibilities of each party to avoid overlaps and promote effective cooperation is part of this process.
The Director-General of the Curaçao Civil Aviation Authority (CBA) is authorized to sign the protocol on behalf of the government of Curaçao. The decisions were made based on a proposal submitted by the Minister of Traffic, Transport, and Spatial Planning on December 16, 2024. The draft national decree has also been submitted to the Governor for signing, completing the formal approval process.