The Air Traffic and Navigation Services (ATNS) SOC Limited has released its Integrated Report 2024/2025, detailing a year of operational challenges, leadership changes and strategic reforms aimed at restoring the integrity and stability of South Africa’s air navigation system.
The reporting period, which ended on 31 March 2025, was dominated by the suspension of 326 instrument flight procedures (IFPs) across the network, a compliance lapse that disrupted regional flight operations and prompted ministerial intervention. The Minister of Transport, Barbara Creecy, appointed a Committee of Experts to oversee ATNS’s stabilisation programme, with Acting CEO Matome Moholola now leading implementation alongside the board.
Despite the turbulence, ATNS reported a modest profit of R9.4 million on revenue of R1.79 billion, with cash holdings rising to R1.22 billion. The entity achieved 79% of its annual performance targets, though air traffic movements declined slightly to 287,760. A delay in tariff approvals by the Regulating Committee resulted in revenue losses during the first three quarters of the year.
Human capital remains a key concern. ATNS operates with 1,113 employees, 48% of whom are women. Persistent shortages of air traffic controllers and flight procedure designers are being addressed through expanded training at the ATNS Aviation Training Academy, which plans to enrol 120 students in 2025/26, up from 30 in the previous year.
The company’s capital expenditure declined to R134 million as it prioritised operational recovery and strategic investments in modernisation. A major upgrade agreement with Atech, part of the Embraer Group, will deliver a new Air Traffic Flow Management system by 2027, enhancing resilience and predictability in South Africa’s airspace.
Environmental and sustainability progress was marked by ATNS’s recognition under CANSO’s GreenATM programme, the only African organisation, according to the report, to achieve this status. Initiatives include solar-powered facilities, energy-efficiency upgrades, and carbon-emission tracking under international standards.
Regionally, ATNS continues to manage 6.1% of global airspace, supporting 27 African states through the SADC VSAT and NAFISAT networks. Non-regulated business activities — training, consultancy, and satellite communication — now contribute 15% of total revenue, reflecting growing demand across the continent.
The organisation’s new 2025–2030 Corporate Strategy outlines five priorities: stabilising operations, rebuilding technical capacity, enhancing infrastructure reliability, expanding African market participation, and embedding sustainability and digital transformation across its operations.
While the Integrated Report highlights ongoing governance reforms, it also underscores the scale of work ahead to restore ATNS’s operational credibility and stakeholder confidence. With ministerial oversight in place, the company’s recovery trajectory will be closely watched as South Africa’s aviation sector heads into the next decade of modernisation.
Access the ATNS reports here: https://atns.com/2025%20Reports
