Innovation, sustainability and ENAIRE’s Master’s programme as key drivers of aerospace talent

ENAIRE, the national air navigation service provider, is taking part with leading speakers in the Aerospace Innovation, Talent and Education Forum (FITEA), held from Wednesday 29 to Friday 31 October at the IMDEA Materials headquarters in Getafe (Madrid). Innovation as a lever for decarbonising the aviation sector, controller training using virtual reality technology developed by ENAIRE, and the Air Navigation Services Management Master’s Degree – delivered in collaboration with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the Polytechnic and Autonomous Universities of Madrid – are among the key initiatives presented by the national air navigation service provider at FITEA. 

ENAIRE presents the most in-demand skills in the sector, its decarbonisation strategy, and its specialised training for air navigation managers, in collaboration with universities and ICAO

FITEA is an initiative aimed at bringing the aerospace industry closer to students, educators, and professionals, promoting the development of qualified talent in fields such as engineering, technology, science, and aviation. The Forum is organised and supported by the Getafe City Council, GISA, ALEF Getafe, Getafe Aerospace Network, Andalucía Aerospace, Aviation Group, and others.

At the Forum’s opening ceremony on Wednesday, 29 October, three awards were presented with the collaboration of ENAIRE, SENASA, and INECO. ENAIRE’s Director of Strategy and Innovation, Mariluz de Mateo, presented the She Rockets Award – which recognises the best initiative promoting women’s integration in a sector traditionally dominated by men – to Iberia’s ‘Quiero Ser’ programme, led by Tatiana Pérez-Tabernero, which seeks to inspire young women to pursue careers in aviation. SENASA presented the Aero Start Up Vanguard Award to Lara Iglesia for her project ‘Pirineos Drone’, while INECO presented the FITEA Award to Violeta Gandullo for her project ‘Pequeños Exploradores del Espacio’ (Little Space Explorers).

Also on Wednesday, ENAIRE’s Head of Recruitment, Assessment and People Development, Herminia Ruíz Galán, took part in the panel Competencies for Take-off, where she reflected, from an institutional and professional standpoint, on which skills and competencies will be essential in the aerospace sector in the coming years, and how public, private, and academic institutions can prepare to meet these challenges.   

FITEA also featured the participation of ENAIRE’s Head of Sustainability and Institutional Relations, Estíbaliz Salazar, who joined other experts in the panel Innovating through Awareness:Ethical and Sustainability Challenges in the Aerospace Sector. In her remarks, Salazar underscored the sector’s unwavering commitment to sustainability, technological safety, and ethical innovation.

[Mariluz de Mateo (ENAIRE) presents the ENAIRE She Rockets Award to Tatiana Pérez-Tabernero].

Innovating in sustainability

“Through the Fly Clean plan, ENAIRE has achieved a 96.7% horizontal efficiency rate in Spain’s route network in 2024, avoiding nearly 2 million nautical miles – equivalent to 91 trips around the Earth – and cutting CO2 emissions by 68,000 tonnes. Moreover, ENAIRE leads Europe in the implementation of continuous climb and descent operations, which make a significant contribution to vertical efficiency”, explained Salazar.

In addition, ENAIRE’s Head of ATC (Air Traffic Control) Development and Training, Juan Antonio Lombo, also played a key role at the forum by leading a workshop on air traffic control, which included a presentation of GAMMA-SIM, the air traffic control simulator developed by ENAIRE. This virtual reality-based system is designed to train air traffic controllers in highly realistic and dynamic environments.

In the field of academic and training excellence, Cristina García Cortés, Head of ENAIRE Campus, delivered a presentation highlighting the organisation’s unique educational offering: the Master’s in Air Navigation Services Management, run in collaboration with Madrid’s Autonomous University (UAM), Polytechnic University (UPM), and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). The programme is certified under ICAO’s TRAINAIR PLUS scheme, which endorses its quality and expertise.

Elsewhere, María López, Head of ENAIRE’s Client and Corporate Social Responsibility Division, will introduce on Friday two organisations with which the national air navigation manager maintains close cooperation as part of its commitment to social responsibility: ENVERA, with which ENAIRE is currently developing its third project to integrate people with disabilities into the aviation sector, and Las Sillas Voladoras, one of the associations belonging to ENAIRE’s Aviation Solidarity Corner, which focuses on ensuring accessibility for everyone, with or without disabilities, to enjoy the experience of flying.  

Additionally, María López will host the workshop Explore the World of Aerospace Engineering, which will delve into the skills and challenges of this fascinating profession, as well as the career opportunities available within the aerospace sector.

About ENAIRE 

ENAIRE is the air navigation service provider in Spain. 

As a company of the Ministry of Sustainable Transport and Mobility, it provides air traffic control services during the en route and approach phases of all flights to and from Spain and overflights. In addition, it manages communications, navigation and surveillance services from ENAIRE in the airspace and the entire AENA airport network in Spain and provides aerodrome air traffic control services in 21 airports, including the busiest. 

ENAIRE is the fourth largest European air navigation service provider, and it is a member of international partnerships A6 Alliance, SESAR (Single European Sky ATM Research) Joint Undertaking, SESAR Deployment Manager, iTEC, CANSO (Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation) and collaborates closely with ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization). 

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 600 Seal for its safe, efficient, innovative and sustainable management of air navigation services.