A few years ago Thabani Mthiyane knew nothing about aviation.
In fact, he entered the aviation industry by “accident”, as he recalls, but today he manages South Africa’s ever growing air traffic and says his main mission is to ensure the safety of the country’s skies at all times.
Even before Mthiyane was appointed CEO of the Air Traffic and Navigation Services (ATNS) in July this year as a senior executive at the state-owned company, his role has always been that of a leader.
He played a crucial role in managing the higher than normal airplanes that came in and out of South Africa during the 2010 FIFA World Cup. After leaving Eskom, where he worked as a senior engineer in 2001, Mthiyane decided to enter what was unfamiliar territory to him, an industry which was at the time still dominated by white males. But it was a decision that would later change his life and mark the beginning of a blossoming career in aviation.
Over the years, he has acquired extensive technical and operational experience in all aspects of air traffic management. His colleagues say he has the right credentials and skills to take ATNS forward.
Air Safety
Mthiyane is aware that many people have probably never heard of ATNS, but like traffic officers who ensure order and safety on our roads, the ATNS team of specialists work around the clock, every day to keep our skies safe. So the next time you are on-board that Boeing 737 cruising comfortably and land safely at your destination don’t only thank the pilot, spare a thought for Mthiyane and his team.
The young executive, who is also working towards completing his World Executive MBA through the George Washington University, in the US, admits that each day on the job comes with its crucifying challenges. He holds a BEng (Hons) in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Pretoria, a BSc Eng in Electrical Engineering from the University of Natal and a National Diploma in Electronic Engineering from Technikon Natal.
When he decided to leave his comfort zone as an engineer, he knew it was a gamble. He had no knowledge of the industry and doubted whether he had the skills to succeed in it.
But what he found at ATNS moved him. There he was introduced to the amazing world of aviation, where safety, technology and innovation took precedence over anything, an industry that is an essential component of the world economy and global security. He was quick to learn and in just 11 years, he has been elevated to the position of CEO, a rare achievement for someone who was just called by a friend to apply for a position at ATNS.
“I believe I got into this business by accident. Someone called me one day and said there’s a position somewhere are you interested to come for an interview…being young then coming up here to do that interview, I had nothing to lose. I was relatively successful in my career, so it was more like let’s go and have a look,” he says.
Mthiyane cites God and being a religious person for his success in life. But he is aware that it also takes extreme hard work to succeed in any industry, particularly one that has historically been a no go area for blacks. But he is counting on his decade-long experience at ATNS and many years as an engineer to get him through.
“Being at the helm of this organisation allows me the opportunities to do what I’ve always believed in terms of taking it forward. I will allow me to steer the organisation towards what I always envisaged considering my experience and what we want the organisation to do.”
He notes that aviation is global industry and one needs to be globally competitive to play effectively in this field.
ATNS was one of the more than 100 countries that took part at the inaugural World Air Traffic Management Congress, and the Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation (CANSO) Global Air Traffic Management Operations Conference in Madrid, Spain, earlier this year.
Gateway to Africa
South Africa is the gateway to Africa and the largest economy on the continent and that comes with greater demand for travelling to the country. Every airline company wants direct flights to Johannesburg and Cape Town. Mthiyane says under his watch, ATNS will need to handle these demands without fail and risks to air traffic safety.
He’s confident that South Africa will be able to meet the growing air traffic and that the country will continue to be globally competitive and respond to Africa’s needs.
He believes what he has achieved in the past 10 years is proof that he can conquer any obstacle in his line of work.
But he’s also adamant that for him it is no longer about the money and him growing in the career, but ensuring that South Africa sustains its reputation as home to one of the best aviation industries in the world.
This year ATNS celebrates its 20 year anniversary as South Africa and Africa’s leading air navigation services provider.
A lot has changed since the company was formed in 1993, says Mthiyane and it is for this reason that ATNS continues to invest wisely to support the country’s overall transport infrastructure.
ATNS was instrumental in the successful hosting of the FIFA 2010 World Cup in South Africa - from 11 June until 11 July 2010. This success was based upon comprehensive, long term planning and preparation to ensure that there was enough capacity to support the demand of the airspace users during the event.
“Our major problem for us at that time was the King Shaka airport in Durban because we had very tight time constraints. We had to have the airport commissioned end of May and the world cup was starting the following month.
“The biggest threat at that time for us was that we couldn’t test everything when we were handing over the airport on the 31st of May, because it was just not possible,” says Mthiyane.
He says while ATNS’s primary business focus remains air traffic management and aviation safety for South Africa, the company’s scope has grown to extend beyond the country’s borders to neighbouring countries and the rest of the continent.
As one of the global leaders in technology and infrastructure, says Mthiyane, South Africa needs to be used as a guide by its peers in the continent and help other emerging traffic controllers excel in this vital industry. Skills shortage however remains the biggest challenge of the aviation industry in the continent.
He says getting young people with the right skills into the industry, needs to be the main focus for both ATNS and the government.
“Right now we are looking at plans of what the organisation needs to look like in 10 years’ time. It should be one of the leaders, providing more services to the continent. It should be definitely larger than what it is now.
“We should become a true global partner and a responsible citizen and not only provide services for the privileged and the rich because the assumption is that these are the people who are flying. How do we make and impact and benefit the people in the rural areas will be among our focus.”
Mthiyane says until now, aviation has been dominated by a few individuals and this needed to change to attract skills from rural areas and previously disadvantaged schools. He’s confident that with the support of the government, as the major shareholder, transformation in the industry will be achieved. –SAnews.gov.za
