Montenegro's Civil Aviation Agency Director Says Air Traffic Safety Needs Constant Investment and Professional Staff
Why It MattersSkilled-staff retention and equipment upkeep are emerging as binding constraints on air navigation safety for smaller regulators, which now compete with the wider aviation market for qualified experts.
Ivan Šćekić, Director of Montenegro's Civil Aviation Agency (CAA), said air traffic safety is the agency's top priority and stressed the importance of investing in personnel and modernizing equipment. He spoke at the opening of the ICAO CNSS symposium in Kotor, saying that continuous investment in technical infrastructure, the application of modern technologies and the strengthening of the professional staff who manage the systems are necessary. "Today's impressive technology doesn't have as much value without the people who operate and maintain it," he said.
Representatives of the Agency are taking part in the global forum ICAO Air Navigation World 2026 – Communications, Navigation, Surveillance and Spectrum Symposium (CNSS), which the CAA supported. Šćekić underlined the importance of maintenance, regular testing and modernization of CNS equipment, and said innovations in aviation must go hand in hand with quality supervision and adequately trained personnel. He noted that the aviation market is highly competitive and that retaining highly qualified experts in civil aviation is becoming increasingly difficult.
He said the CAA is strengthening its control mechanism, conducting efficient supervision, adhering to the highest international safety and security standards, and acting proactively on security risks. He added that the CAA strongly supports initiatives that bring together the aviation community, such as this event organized by ICAO and the International Federation of Aviation Safety and Security Staff Associations (IFATSEA).
