Thomas Chauque: Strengthening the South African Air Traffic Safety Electronics Landscape
Thomas Chauque is the Executive President of the South African Air Traffic Safety Electronics Personnel Association (SAATSEPA), an affiliate of the International Federation of Air Traffic Safety Electronics Associations (IFATSEA). He earned his National Diploma in Electronic Engineering from the Central University of Technology and completed his experiential training with ATNS as a Trainee Technician between 2016 and 2017. He, thereafter, joined the South African National Space Agency in November 2017 as an Instrumentation Technician. Thomas earned a B. Tech in Telecommunication Engineering from the University of South Africa in 2022 and is currently pursuing a Post-Graduate Diploma in Future Studies (Managing New Technology) at the University of Stellenbosch. Thomas’ journey with South Africa’s ATNS began on October 1, 2022 as an Engineering Instructor. Hailing from Embalenhle in Mpumalanga, Thomas is a passionate sports-man, holding a Karate Referee certification and a black belt in karate.
In this interview with Air Traffic Safety Electronics International Managing Editor, Adeyinka Olumuyiwa Osunwusi, Thomas shared his insights regarding a wide array of issues surrounding aviation operations and the air traffic safety electronics profession in South Africa.
For starters, could you paint a clear picture of the state of the air traffic safety electronics profession in South Africa Today?
In South Africa, the ATSEP profession stands at a pivotal turning point. While challenges remain, particularly around infrastructure maintenance and the integration of emerging technologies, the industry continues to benefit from strong training programs, regional partnerships, and a growing electronics sector. With sustained investment in modern infrastructure, ongoing skills development, and strengthened international collaborations, the ATSEP community is well-positioned to shape the future of air traffic management and play a critical role in ensuring the safety, efficiency, and resilience of South Africa’s aviation system.
What do you see as the main challenges confronting South African ATSEP today?
Specialisation within the ATSEP profession remains a persistent challenge, with limited pathways for professionals to focus on advanced or niche technical areas. On-the-job training is often unstructured, leaving gaps in the transfer of practical skills and standardised learning. System thinking, which is critical for managing the complexity of modern CNS/ATM environments, is still underdeveloped and in some cases perceived as a foreign concept. Documentation practices also present difficulties, with inconsistencies in quality, availability, and standardisation. Furthermore, maintenance approaches vary significantly across stations—some assign entire sites to ATSEPs, while others allocate weekly tasks—resulting in uneven practices and inefficiencies in system reliability and accountability.
And how, from your perspective, should South Africa’s ATNS and SAATSEPA be responding to these challenges?
A coordinated approach between ATNS and SAATSEPA is essential to strengthening the ATSEP profession and ensuring the safety, reliability, and efficiency of South Africa’s air traffic management system. On the infrastructure side, ATNS must prioritise the modernisation of CNS/ATM systems, enforce strict maintenance schedules, and explore public-private partnerships to accelerate technology upgrades, while SAATSEPA provides technical input on maintenance priorities, participates in audits, and promotes a proactive culture of equipment monitoring.
Regulatory alignment is equally critical. ATNS should strengthen their collaboration with SACAA to ensure ATSEP roles are clearly defined and compliant with international standards, while SAATSEPA actively lobbies for licensing, certification, and professional recognition aligned with ICAO guidelines. Career development also plays a central role. ATNS can create structured career paths that offer advanced technical training, leadership opportunities, and cross-functional exposure, while SAATSEPA supports mentorship, professional advocacy, and recognition of ATSEP contributions. To future-proof the workforce, ATNS must implement continuous learning programs focused on emerging technologies such as remote towers and AI-based systems, complemented by simulation and hands-on training.
In turn, SAATSEPA should help shape curricula, address training gaps, and support competency development. Finally, both organisations must commit to cultural reform – ATNS by fostering transparency, accountability, and meritocracy, and SAATSEPA by championing ethical standards, fairness, and professional integrity. Together, these combined efforts create a resilient and forward-looking framework that empowers South African ATSEPs to thrive in an evolving aviation landscape.
From an African perspective, how would you describe the African aviation industry today in terms of its technological, operational, regulatory, and infrastructural dynamics?
The African aviation industry today reflects a mix of progress and persistent challenges across technological, operational, regulatory, and infrastructural dynamics. On the technological front, many African ANSPs and airports still rely on legacy CNS/ATM systems, with limited deployment of advanced tools such as remote towers, ADS-B, or AI-driven traffic management. Encouragingly, countries like South Africa, Kenya, Morocco, and Nigeria are pioneering initiatives in digital towers, automated flight data processing, and integrated radar networks, while the broader adoption of GNSS and predictive analytics signals untapped opportunities for greater efficiency, safety, and harmonization.
Operationally, steady traffic growth has outpaced capacity in several regions, with bottlenecks arising from limited infrastructure, staffing shortages, and uneven safety management practices. While some states maintain strong ICAO compliance, others struggle with training gaps and maintenance backlogs, compounded by the uneven distribution of skilled ATSEPs across the continent. Regulatory frameworks remain fragmented, as certain countries have well-established CAAs, while others lag in enforcing ICAO standards. Regional efforts—through AFCAC, ICAO’s AFI initiatives, and the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM)—are working toward harmonised oversight, licensing, and safety standards, though many nations continue to face challenges in audit readiness, certification, and enforcement due to resource constraints.
Infrastructure presents another area of contrast: while major hubs such as Johannesburg, Nairobi, and Addis Ababa boast modern facilities, smaller regional airports often lack basic navigation aids, surveillance systems, and maintenance capacity.
And what’s the position of South Africa today as far as the certification and licensing of South African ATSEP is concerned?
Our position is that ATSEPs should ultimately be licensed to ensure professional recognition, accountability, and alignment with international best practices. However, as a first step, we will begin by focusing on ATSU licensing under the framework of an Electronic Safety Organisation. It is important to note that individual ATSEP licensing is not currently mandated by ICAO, as ATSEP licensing has not yet been incorporated into Annex 1 as a compulsory requirement.
Where does South Africa stand today regarding the development of the competences and the honing of the skills of South African ATSEP, particularly in relation to the growing digitalization, automation, and virtualization of the ANS/ATM landscape?
Each time a new system is introduced, only a limited number of ATSEPs are sent to the manufacturer for training, after which they return to participate in installations and gain further hands-on exposure. In some cases, specialized training is arranged on an ad hoc basis for selected ATSEPs at the manufacturer’s facilities, which, while valuable, does not always ensure widespread skills transfer across the workforce. With technology advancing rapidly under the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), it has been proposed that future intakes at the ATNS Aviation Training Academy also include Electrical Engineering students specializing in computer systems, as their expertise is increasingly critical to support the integration of advanced digital and automated systems in air traffic management.
South Africa is hosting the 53rd General Assembly of IFATSEA in Cape Town later this year. How significant is this to you and SAATSEPA?
Hosting the 53rd IFATSEA General Assembly in Cape Town is a milestone moment for ATNS and SAATSEPA. It signifies international recognition of the role our organization and the ATSEP association play in the ATSEP profession and positions South Africa as a leader on the African continent in advancing air traffic safety electronics.
For SAATSEPA, it is both an honour and a responsibility: an honour because it showcases the professionalism and expertise of our ATSEPs on a global stage, and a responsibility because it gives us the platform to influence international discussions on key issues such as certification, training, cybersecurity, and the future of CNS/ATM systems. This Assembly also provides an invaluable opportunity to strengthen collaboration with our African partners, build strategic networks, and share our local experiences while learning from global best practices. Ultimately, hosting this Assembly is about affirming South Africa’s commitment to safety, innovation, and excellence in aviation, and ensuring that our ATSEPs are prepared for the technological and operational challenges of the future.
The theme of the 53rd IFATSEA General Assembly is centred on addressing cyber threats against CNS/ATM systems. How real are these threats?
A major worry for the global aviation sector is highlighted by the 53rd IFATSEA General Assembly’s subject, which focuses on mitigating cyber threats against Communication, Navigation, and Surveillance/Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM) systems. In addition to being genuine, these threats have materialised in a number of situations around the world, including in South Africa.
The aviation sector in South Africa is becoming increasingly concerned about cyber threats to CNS/ATM systems. Even while cybersecurity frameworks and tactics have advanced significantly, the dynamic nature of cyber threats demands constant adaptation and cooperation from all parties involved. To protect the integrity and safety of South Africa’s aviation infrastructure, it is imperative to strengthen incident response capabilities, improve information sharing, and cultivate a cybersecurity culture.
There are also issues surrounding threats posed by GNSS anomalies. How real are these threats as far as the South African airspace is concerned?
Indeed, there is a genuine and growing threat to South African airspace from Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) anomalies, such as jamming and spoofing. The increase of GNSS interference occurrences worldwide highlights the possible threats to aviation safety, even though specific incidents in South Africa are not frequently reported. Even though there haven’t been any GNSS interference occurrences in South Africa that have been made public, the rise in these instances worldwide and the region’s vulnerabilities make preventative actions crucial. Important actions to protect aircraft operations in South African airspace include putting in place reliable monitoring systems, strengthening regulatory frameworks, and preserving alternate navigation capabilities.
Overall, and talking about your role as the SAATSEPA Executive President, what are your visions for SAATSEPA and the South African air traffic safety electronics landscape going forward?
With every ATSEP in South Africa certified, equipped, and prepared to safely and effectively traverse the rapidly changing digital skies, we envision SAATSEPA as a beacon of excellence. We want to establish South Africa as a regional leader in air traffic safety electronics by promoting industry-wide standards, adopting developing technology, and bolstering professional development. This will guarantee that our skies are not only safe now but also ready for the future.
In my capacity as Executive President, I hope to establish our organization as a catalyst for resilience, creativity, and professional excellence in the technical aviation industry. While addressing the particular difficulties of our national and regional environment, we will promote the official recognition, licensing, and certification of our members, guaranteeing conformity with international standards. We will create a workforce that is knowledgeable and prepared for the future by making investments in ongoing training, encouraging cooperation with industry partners, and embracing digital transformation, which includes automation, virtualization, and cyber resilience. We will simultaneously foster an environment of honesty, diversity, and mentoring that supports both seasoned professionals and the upcoming generation. Ultimately, our goal is to ensure that our technical community is not only prepared for the demands of today but also positioned as leaders in shaping the safe, efficient, and technologically advanced aviation systems of tomorrow. ◙
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