The Association of Air Traffic Controllers of Macedonia (ZKLM) announced today regarding the security event in the sky above Skopje on September 7, saying that it stands in defense of the collective reputation and professionalism of the controllers, who, as it emphasizes, are the target of unfounded condemnations. . Declaring this event a "serious incident", says the Association, without checking the facts, does not go in the direction of a fair and true elucidation of the case.

According to ZKLM, a report on a security event was submitted in a timely manner by the executors who worked in the affected sector and was processed by the relevant departments, services and institutions, which further act on the reported event, in accordance with existing legal procedures, and there was never a case of cover-up of events. It also notes "that Flightradar24 is not a relevant tool for providing accurate real-time position and as such should not be used to draw conclusions".

VIDEO | Avoided collision of two planes over Skopje, CAA started an investigation

ZKLM states in a statement that air transport is a complex system consisting of people, procedures and technologies, which cooperate and act with each other in order to create the safest way to travel.

The occurrence of safety events in aviation, the Association points out, is always the result of a complex interaction of a large number of factors, which act in a way that overloads the safety system and results in an undesirable outcome. Because of the critical importance of safety on the job, an air traffic controller is a profession with a high level of responsibility. Macedonian air traffic controllers are properly trained professionals who, with the highest level of quality, serve a record number of flights, often in difficult weather conditions, operating under their authority to reach their destinations safely and regularly. ZKLM stands in defense of the collective reputation and professionalism of the controllers, who are the target of unfounded convictions, the announcement states.

The establishment of a culture of fairness in aviation, the statement added, has resulted in a high standard of safety, with which aviation accidents and incidents have become extremely rare, but still not completely non-existent and occur in our country, as well as in Europe and the world. Taking a systemic approach to investigation, rather than individual blame, is key to strengthening aviation safety.

- For the event of September 7th, a report for a security event was submitted in a timely manner by the executors who worked in the affected sector and it was processed by the relevant departments, services and institutions, which further act on the reported event, according to existing legal procedures. It never became a case of covering up events. Declaring this event a "serious incident" without verifying the facts does not go in the direction of fair and true elucidation of the case. We note that Flightradar24 is not a relevant tool for providing accurate real-time position and as such should not be used to draw conclusions, states ZKLM.

It calls on the media reporting on this event, as they state, to maintain the level of journalistic integrity and objective reporting, to respect the course of the investigation according to the prescribed norms and practices in aviation before publishing on such sensitive topics, as well as to refrain from giving of lump-sum comments until obtaining official and final results. In addition, they appeal to avoid spreading speculations and comments regarding the event on social media, which can be misinterpreted.

After the media reports that a collision of two civilian planes was avoided in the sky over Skopje on the 7th of this month, the Civil Aviation Agency for MIA confirmed that the Navigation Service Provider M-NV duly reported a security event and indicated that the Agency will act on it.

And the Committee for the Investigation of Aviation Accidents and Serious Incidents (KINSIV) announced that it would open an investigation. From Monday in M-NAV, as they announced, in M-NAV they will make the necessary conversations, they will listen to the recordings of the conversations of the controllers with the pilots of the planes and look at the recordings. – We do not determine guilt, but the reason that led to such an incident. We will also seek statements from the pilots of both aircraft through their aviation authorities, and will inform the public. Everything else will be speculation at the moment, said the president of KINSIV Zoran Ilievski.

As announced by the Navigation Service Provider M-NAV, a report on the safety event was submitted within the prescribed period and an investigation was opened to determine the actual situation and the reasons.

M-NAV emphasized that such events, as everywhere in Europe, are always promptly reported and processed by all relevant departments.

- On September 7, at 18.30:XNUMX p.m., a report for a security incident was submitted within the prescribed period by the executors who worked in the affected sector. According to the rules and prescribed procedures, the application was registered by the IMS (Integrated Management Systems) department and submitted to the Civil Aviation Agency. Also, according to the valid procedures, the IMS (Integrated Management Systems) department opened an investigation to determine the actual situation and the causes of the event. We would like to point out that such events, as everywhere in Europe, are always promptly reported and processed by all relevant departments, services and institutions, according to the existing legal procedures, M-NAV stated in a statement.

The SDK.mk portal, referring to the flight tracking site Flytradar24, reported that Turkish Airlines and Sanexpress planes almost collided in the sky above Skopje International Airport on September 7 at 18.32:XNUMX.