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VOLUME 62 NUMBER 3, 2007 IC A O JOURNAL KEEPING WATCH ON THE WORLD’S VOLCANOES INNOVATIVE AB INITIO TRAINING FOR THE AIRLINE PILOT MULTI-CREW PILOT LICENCE

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Page 1: KEEPING WATCH ON THE WORLD’S VOLCANOES ICAO · KEEPING WATCH ON THE WORLD’S VOLCANOES INNOVATIVE AB INITIO TRAINING FOR THE AIRLINE PILOT MULTI-CREW PILOT LICENCE. How Suite It

V O L U M E 6 2 NUMBER 3 , 2007

ICAOJ O U R N A L

KEEPING WATCH ON THE WORLD’S VOLCANOES

INNOVATIVE AB INITIO TRAININGFOR THE AIRLINE PILOT

MULTI-CREW PILOT LICENCE

Page 2: KEEPING WATCH ON THE WORLD’S VOLCANOES ICAO · KEEPING WATCH ON THE WORLD’S VOLCANOES INNOVATIVE AB INITIO TRAINING FOR THE AIRLINE PILOT MULTI-CREW PILOT LICENCE. How Suite It

How Suite It Is !

Introducing The New

Embassy SuitesMontreal

Elegantly Appointed 2 Room SuitesCooked-to-Order Breakfast

Evening Manager’s ReceptionFireplaces in Most Suites

Jacuzzi BathtubsKitchenette

Hilton HHonors Rewards Program

Steps from the ICAO OfficesSpecial ICAO Corporate Rates

Opening August 2007

Pre-Opening Reservations Number Individuals 1-888-561-7666

Groups 514-847-9546 Ext. 57

EVERYTHING FOR A REASONTM

Page 3: KEEPING WATCH ON THE WORLD’S VOLCANOES ICAO · KEEPING WATCH ON THE WORLD’S VOLCANOES INNOVATIVE AB INITIO TRAINING FOR THE AIRLINE PILOT MULTI-CREW PILOT LICENCE. How Suite It

MAY/JUNE 2007VOL. 62, NO. 3

ICAO JournalThe magazine of the International Civil Aviation Organization

FEATURES

6 Volcanic ash advisory centre highlights ways to optimize proceduresOne possibility for improving the effectiveness of volcanic ash advisories is to develop, as the Buenos Aires centre has done, a system for the earlydetection of volcanic activity that generates automatic alerts …

10 Meteorological agency focused on improving aviation weather servicesTo keep pace with demand for its services, the meteorological agency in Tanzaniahas recently acquired contemporary forecasting workstations and deployedautomatic weather observing systems at major airports …

12 Multilateration technology is well suited to a wide range of applicationsBest known perhaps for its surveillance capabilities and role in facilitatingtransition to a full ADS-B environment, multilateration has also found use in tasks not directly concerned with ATC …

15 MPL represents a state-of-the-art ab initio airline pilot training programmeThe newly established multi-crew pilot licence is focused from Day One onpreparing the co-pilot candidate for the right seat of an advanced airliner, usinga competency-based approach to training developed with an emphasis onimproving flight deck safety …

18 Non-standard ATC practices and procedures unveiled by incident investigationAn unauthorized take-off by a Cessna 172 pilot who misunderstood an instructionfrom the tower controller produced a risk of collision with an Airbus A320 andhighlighted the need for improvements in ATC practices at the aerodrome …

20 Airport operator can play crucial role in promoting joint safety managementThe findings of a recent study suggest that safety is best served when theairport operator assumes overall responsibility for its management at theaerodrome and spearheads collaborative safety efforts …

22 Bustling aerotropolis has arisen at many leading airportsAn airport with many of the attributes of a city is popularly known as anaerotropolis, a relatively new economic phenomenon of growing importance to the world’s airport authorities …

UPDATE24 ICAO proposes major amendment of general aviation provisions

• Seminars to help introduce performance-based navigation• ICAO issues interim policy guidance on GNSS cost allocation• Amendment greatly simplifies ICAO Annex 10• Bosnia and Herzegovina assumes responsibility for airspace

COVER (Photo by Rosa Bremmer/LuckyOliver photos)

The nature of the multi-crew pilot licence that was introduced late last year is notclearly understood throughout the aviation community, in part because of inaccuratestatements about the newly created licence that have appeared in media reports. Thearticle beginning on page 15 presents some important facts about this innovative newtraining initiative.

WWW.ICAO.INT

THE ICAOCOUNCIL

PresidentROBERTO KOBEH GONZÁLEZ

1st Vice-PresidentI. M. LYSENKO

2nd Vice-PresidentDr. A. SIPOS

3rd Vice-PresidentJ. E. ORTIZ CUENCA

SecretaryDr. TAÏEB CHÉRIFSecretary General

Argentina – D. O. Valente

Australia – S. Clegg

Austria – S. Gehrer

Brazil – V. Elyseu Filho

Cameroon – M. A. Mbeng

Canada – L. A. Dupuis

Chile – G. Miranda Aguirre

China – T. Ma

Colombia – J. E. Ortiz Cuenca

Egypt – S. Elazab

Ethiopia – T. Mekonnen

Finland – L. Lövkvist

France – J.-C. Chouvet

Germany – Dr. K. Kammann-Klippstein

Ghana – K. Kwakwa

Honduras – A. Suazo Morazán

Hungary – Dr. A. Sipos

India – Dr. N. Zaidi

Italy – F. P. Venier

Japan – T. Araki

Lebanon – H. Chaouk

Mexico – D. Méndez Mayora

Mozambique – D. de Deus

Nigeria – Dr. O. B. Aliu

Pakistan – M. Rauhullah

Peru – M. Vélez Malqui

Republic of Korea – G. Shin

Russian Federation – I. M. Lysenko

Saint Lucia – H. A. Wilson

Saudi Arabia – S. A. R. Hashem

Singapore – K. P. Bong

South Africa – M. D. T. Peege

Spain – L. Adrover

Tunisia – I. Sassi

United Kingdom – M. Rossell

United States – D. T. Bliss

Page 4: KEEPING WATCH ON THE WORLD’S VOLCANOES ICAO · KEEPING WATCH ON THE WORLD’S VOLCANOES INNOVATIVE AB INITIO TRAINING FOR THE AIRLINE PILOT MULTI-CREW PILOT LICENCE. How Suite It

ICAO JOURNAL4

Editor: Eric MacBurnie Production Clerk: Arlene BarnesEditorial Assistant: Regina Zorman Design Consultant: François-B. Tremblay

THE OBJECTIVES of the Journal are to provide a concise account of theactivities of the International Civil Aviation Organization and to featureadditional information of interest to ICAO Contracting States and the inter-national aeronautical world. Copyright ©2007 International Civil AviationOrganization. Unsigned and Secretariat material may be reproduced in fullor in part provided that it is attributed to ICAO; for rights to reproduceother signed articles, please write to the editor.

OPINIONS EXPRESSED in signed articles or in advertisements appearing inthe ICAO Journal represent the author’s or advertiser’s opinion and do notnecessarily reflect the views of ICAO. The mention of specific companies orproducts in articles or advertisements does not imply that they are endorsedor recommended by ICAO in preference to others of a similar nature whichare not mentioned or advertised.

Published in Montreal, Canada. Second class mail registration No. 1610. ISSN1014-8876. Date of publication of Issue 3/2007: 12 July 2007. Publishedsix times annually in English, French and Spanish.

PRINT SUBSCRIPTIONS: $40 per year (Order No. 3101-A). Single copiesavailable for $10 (Order No. 310019). Prices in U.S. funds. For subscrip-tion and circulation inquiries, please contact ICAO Document SalesUnit. Telephone: +1 (514) 954-8022; Facsimile: +1 (514) 954-6769; E-mail:[email protected]. Important Note: The current issue may be viewed in PDFformat without delay at ICAO’s website (http://icao.int/icao/en/jr/jr.cfm).Issues dated 2005 or earlier are viewable using the downloadable DjVureader. Planned publication dates for 2007 are 16 February, 23 April,15 June, 13 August, 14 September and 20 December.

E-SUBSCRIPTIONS: Readers are invited to register at ICAO’s website to receivean e-mail alert as soon as each issue of the Journal becomes available online. Toregister for this free service, please visit www.icao.int/icao/en/jr/subscribe.cfm

ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE: Yves Allard, FCM Communications Inc., 835Montarville St., Longueuil, Quebec, Canada J4H 2M5.Telephone: +1 (450) 677-3535;Facsimile: +1 (450) 677-4445; e-mail: fcmcommunications@ videotron.ca.

EDITORIAL OFFICE: International Civil Aviation Organization, 999 Univer-sity St., Room 1205, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3C 5H7. Telephone:+1 (514) 954-8222; Facsimile: +1 (514) 954-6376; e-mail: [email protected].

GRAPHIC ART/DESIGN: Bang Marketing (www.bang-marketing.com).

PRINTING: Transcontinental-O’Keefe (www.transcontinental-printing.com).

ICAO HEADQUARTERS: 999 University St., Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3C 5H7.Telephone +1 (514) 954-8219; Facsimile +1 (514) 954-6077; e-mail: [email protected].

www.icao.int VISIT ICAO’s website for a wealth of information includingpast issues of the ICAO Journal, information on advertising in ICAO’s maga-zine, the latest news releases, a complete listing of ICAO publications andaudio visual training aids, the ICAO aviation training directory, Secretariat jobvacancies, technical cooperation project postings, and much more.

ICAO PUBLICATIONS: The Catalogue of ICAO Publications and Audio-VisualTraining Aids contains a list of all document titles as well as abstracts andindicates the availability of language versions. The catalogue is issued annu-ally in hard copy. Monthly supplements list new publications and audio-visual training aids as they become available, as well as amendments andsupplements. Most ICAO publications are issued in English, French,Russian and Spanish; Arabic and Chinese are being introduced on a gradualbasis. (The most efficient way to order an ICAO publication is online athttp://www.icao.int using VISA or Mastercard. All transactions conducted onthis server are encrypted and secure.)

ICAO ESHOP (www.icao.int/eshop): eSHOP is a commercial website offeringonline access to ICAO documentation for an annual fee. A subscription givesaccess to the full texts of international conventions and protocols, all annexesto the Convention on International Civil Aviation (the Chicago Convention),publications pertaining to air traffic management, and the annual reports ofthe ICAO Council.

DGCA DIRECTORY: ICAO has developed an electronic database of informationon national civil aviation administrations from around the world. The Directoryof National Civil Aviation Administrations (Document 7604) is continuouslyupdated, based on information received from ICAO’s 190 Contracting States.The online directory is available through ICAO’s website at an annual subscrip-tion fee of U.S. $150. For further information, please contact the DatabaseAdministrator ([email protected]).

ICAO Journal

AfghanistanAlbaniaAlgeriaAndorraAngolaAntigua and BarbudaArgentinaArmeniaAustraliaAustriaAzerbaijanBahamasBahrainBangladeshBarbadosBelarusBelgiumBelizeBeninBhutanBoliviaBosnia and

HerzegovinaBotswanaBrazilBrunei DarussalamBulgariaBurkina FasoBurundiCambodiaCameroonCanadaCape VerdeCentral African

RepublicChadChileChinaColombiaComorosCongoCook IslandsCosta RicaCôte d’IvoireCroatiaCubaCyprusCzech RepublicDemocratic People’s

Republic of KoreaDemocratic Republic

of the Congo

DenmarkDjiboutiDominican RepublicEcuadorEgyptEl SalvadorEquatorial GuineaEritreaEstoniaEthiopiaFijiFinlandFranceGabonGambiaGeorgiaGermanyGhanaGreeceGrenadaGuatemalaGuineaGuinea-BissauGuyanaHaitiHondurasHungaryIcelandIndiaIndonesiaIran (Islamic

Republic of)IraqIrelandIsraelItalyJamaicaJapanJordanKazakhstanKenyaKiribatiKuwaitKyrgyzstanLao People’s

Democratic RepublicLatviaLebanonLesothoLiberiaLibyan Arab

Jamahiriya

LithuaniaLuxembourgMadagascarMalawiMalaysiaMaldivesMaliMaltaMarshall IslandsMauritaniaMauritiusMexicoMicronesia

(Federated States of)MonacoMongoliaMontenegroMoroccoMozambiqueMyanmarNamibiaNauruNepalNetherlandsNew ZealandNicaraguaNigerNigeriaNorwayOmanPakistanPalauPanamaPapua New GuineaParaguayPeruPhilippinesPolandPortugalQatarRepublic of KoreaRepublic of MoldovaRomaniaRussian FederationRwandaSaint Kitts and NevisSaint LuciaSaint Vincent and

the GrenadinesSamoaSan MarinoSao Tome and Principe

Saudi ArabiaSenegalSerbiaSeychellesSierra LeoneSingaporeSlovakiaSloveniaSolomon IslandsSomaliaSouth AfricaSpainSri LankaSudanSurinameSwazilandSwedenSwitzerlandSyrian Arab RepublicTajikistanThailandThe former Yugoslav

Republic of Macedonia

Timor-LesteTogoTongaTrinidad and TobagoTunisiaTurkeyTurkmenistanUgandaUkraineUnited Arab EmiratesUnited KingdomUnited Republic

of TanzaniaUnited StatesUruguayUzbekistanVanuatuVenezuelaViet NamYemenZambiaZimbabwe

ICAO Headquarters

999 University StreetMontreal, QuebecCanada H3C 5H7Telephone: 514-954-8219Facsimile: 514-954-6077E-mail: [email protected]: www.icao.int

REGIONAL OFFICES

Asia and Pacific OfficeBangkok, ThailandTelephone: + 662-537-8189Facsimile: + 662-537-8199E-mail:[email protected]

Eastern and Southern African OfficeNairobi, KenyaTelephone: + 254-20-7622-395Facsimile: + 254-20-7623-028E-mail: [email protected]

European and North Atlantic OfficeParis, FranceTelephone: + 33-1-46-41-85-85Facsimile: + 33-1-46-41-85-00E-mail: [email protected]

Middle East OfficeCairo, EgyptTelephone: + 202-267-4841Facsimile: + 202-267-4843E-mail: [email protected]: www.icao.int/mid

North American, Central Americanand Caribbean OfficeMexico City, MexicoTelephone: + 52-55-52-50-32-11Facsimile: + 52-55-52-03-27-57E-mail: [email protected]

South American OfficeLima, PeruTelephone: + 51-1-575-1646Facsimile: + 51-1-575-0974E-mail: [email protected]: www.lima.icao.int

Western and Central African OfficeDakar, SenegalTelephone: + 221-839-93-93Facsimile: + 221-823-69-26E-mail: [email protected]

Promoting the Development of International Civil AviationThe International Civil AviationOrganization, created in 1944 to promotethe safe and orderly development of civilaviation worldwide, is a specialized agency ofthe United Nations. Headquartered in Montreal,ICAO develops international air transport standardsand regulations and serves as the medium for cooperation in all fields of civil aviation among its 190 Contracting States.

ICAO CONTRACTING STATES

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5NUMBER 3, 2007

PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

THE GROWTH of airline passenger and freight traffic in theAsia/Pacific region has been the fastest in the world over thepast two decades, and this trend is expected to continue for thenext 20 years. According to the latest ICAO forecasts, passen-ger-kilometres and freight tonne-kilometres for airlines of theregion will increase at an average annual rate of 5.8 percentand 8 percent, respectively.

While most of the past growth has been driven by the newlyindustrialized countries of the region, future growth will bedetermined by developments in China and India, whose com-bined traffic currently represents around 6 percent of theworld’s air traffic, both in terms of tonne-kilometres and pas-senger-kilometres performed, and about 25 percent of region-al traffic (all statistics concerning China exclude Hong Kongand Macao Special Administrative Regions).

Over the past five years, the average traffic growth of airlinesbased in these two countries has far outpaced that of the world’saverage growth. Both countries and their airlines have put in placeaggressive plans to cope with the dramatic growth, with multi-bil-lion dollar airport projects and orders for new aircraft totallingmore than 1,000 jets to be delivered over the next five years.

The rankings of the two countries, in terms of passenger vol-ume, is shown in the adjacent table. With strong projectedgross domestic product (GDP) growth rates and rising percapita incomes, most forecasts for China and India call for anaverage annual growth rate of around 8 percent or higher overthe next two decades.

The predicted total investment in airport construction inChina is estimated at 150 billion yuan (U.S. $18 billion) for theconstruction of more than 40 new airports by 2010. There aresome 690 aircraft on the order book, with deliveries scheduledto the year 2013. China already ranks second in the world forcivil air traffic, both in terms of tonne-kilometres and passenger-kilometres performed.

India’s air carriers have ordered around 430 new aircraft thatare scheduled to enter service with existing airlines in aphased manner by 2012-13. India’s airline industry is expectedto show very strong growth rates over the next few years, withdomestic traffic outpacing a respectable increase in interna-tional traffic. Based on conservative estimates, the country isexpected to move up to around 8th place for total traffic (i.e.domestic plus international) by 2012, and to around 4th spot interms of domestic traffic volume by around 2010.

Passenger traffic and world rank, 2006 and 2005

Passenger Traffic Total Domestic2006 2005 2006 2005

China 158 million 137 million 144 million 125 million

Rank 2 2 2 2

India 40 million 28 million 33 million 22 million

Rank 12 15 7 11

2005 2010 2015 2020 2025

40

35

30

25

20

15

10

5

0

Perc

enta

ge

Share of the world population accounted for by China and India

China

India

China

India

China

India

China

India

China

India

2005 2010 2015 2020 2025

16

14

12

10

8

6

4

2

0

Perc

enta

ge

Share of world GDP generated by China and India

China

India

China

India

China

India

China

India

China

India

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

35

30

25

20

15

10

5

0

-5

-10

Perc

ent

Percentage change in total capacity (available seat-km)

China

2005 2010 2015 2020 2025

14

12

10

8

6

4

2

0

Perc

enta

ge

Share of world air traffic accounted for by China and India

China

India

China

India

China

India

China

India

China

India

India

World

15.4%

13.6%

3.3%

COMPOUND ANNUAL GROWTH RATE, 2000-06

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

45

40

35

30

25

20

15

10

5

0

-5

Perc

ent

Percentage change in total scheduled traffic (total passenger-km)

China

India

World

15.3%

17.1%

4,4%

COMPOUND ANNUAL GROWTH RATE, 2000-06

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EARLY in-flight encounters with vol-canic ash clouds demonstrated theneed to establish an independent

system — one intended specifically for avi-ation safety — to keep watch on the morethan 600 volcanoes around the world thatare known to be active. Such monitoring isnecessary because of the harm that vol-canic ash poses to aviation operations. Oneoft-cited encounter involved a BritishAirways Boeing 747 which lost power on allfour engines after they ingested ash fromMt. Galunggung, in Indonesia. The B747descended to 12,000 feet before its crewcould restart the engines and proceed to anemergency landing in Jakarta.

The establishment of a global volcanicash monitoring and warning system based

VOLCANIC ASH ALERTS

Volcanic ash advisory centre highlightsways to optimize procedures

One possibility for improving the effectiveness of volcanic ash advisories is to develop, as the BuenosAires centre has done, a capability for the early detection of volcanic activity by using a satellite-basedsystem that automatically generates alerts

GUSTAVO ALBERTO FLORES

BUENOS AIRES VOLCANICASH ADVISORY CENTRE

(ARGENTINA)

on existing observing networks dates backto the early 1980s. The initiative was spear-headed by the ICAO Volcanic AshWarnings Study Group (VAWSG), and laterthe International Airways Volcano WatchOperations Group (IAVWOPSG).

Efforts by these experts led to theintroduction of IAVW-related provisionsin relevant regulatory documents. Theseprovisions concern ground-based and air-craft observations of volcanic eruptionsand ash clouds as well as satellite detec-tion and monitoring of volcanic ash and,to a lesser extent, the monitoring of vol-canic eruptions by a network of volcanicash advisory centres (VAACs). The provi-sions also cover how VAAC information isreported, and to whom.

Primary functionsA VAAC is a regional meteorological

centre designated by an air navigationagreement to provide advisories. The advi-sory information on the extent and fore-

cast movement of volcanic ash in theatmosphere is communicated to variousaviation-related facilities including meteor-ological watch offices (MWOs), area con-trol centres (ACCs), flight information cen-tres (FICs), world area forecast centres(WAFCs) and international operationalmeteorological (OPMET) data banks.

These various facilities are notifiedwhenever a volcano has erupted or isexpected to do so, or whenever volcanicash is reported in a VAAC’s area ofresponsibility. The VAAC performs itsprimary task by monitoring relevant geo-stationary and polar-orbiting satellite datato detect the existence and extent of vol-canic ash in the atmosphere, and byusing transport and dispersion models topredict the movement of an ash cloud.

Forecasts on the extent and movementof volcanic ash cloud are issued every sixhours to the offices and centres citedabove, as well as to relevant regional areaforecast centres. The six-hour bulletinscontinue until such time as the volcanicash cloud is no longer identifiable fromsatellite data and, moreover, there are nofurther reports of volcanic ash or addi-tional eruptions.

There are currently nine ICAO-designat-ed VAACs around the world, including theVAAC located at Buenos Aires, whose activ-ities are the focus of this article. The othercentres are located in Anchorage, Darwin,London, Montreal, Tokyo, Toulouse,Washington, D.C. and Wellington.

Buenos Aires VAAC. Like all VAACs,the Buenos Aires centre — whichentered operation only last year — hasbeen assigned an area of responsibility.This extends from latitude 10 to 90degrees south, and from 30 to 90 degreeslongitude west. The area includes a sec-tor of the Andean Cordillera whereapproximately 100 active volcanoes have

6 ICAO JOURNAL

Jim

Jo

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Since ash clouds can travel to areas far from their source, flight crews need preciseand timely information about their dispersion

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been identified, of which more than 20are classified as high risk.

The volcanoes found in this sector ofthe cordillera are predominantly charac-terized by violent and sudden expulsionof volcanic ash, which is comprised offinely pulverized rock. Carried aloft, thisash can be dispersed over great distancesand can reach heights beyond thetropopause. When it falls to the ground, itcan have catastrophic consequences thatmust be handled by emergency manage-ment organizations whose operationsmay require substantial funding, as wasthe case with the eruption of Mt. Hudsonin August 1991.

Remote Sensing Monitoring. Meteoro-logical satellites are used to monitorpotentially active volcanoes. The VAACalso carries out post-eruption monitoring,and observes the successive positions ofvolcanic ash clouds using direct imagesor algorithms which highlight volcanicash when the satellite view is obstructedby steam clouds.

To support its remote sensing activi-ties, the National Meteorological Serviceof Argentina that hosts the Buenos AiresVAAC arranged with the National SpaceActivities Commission of Argentina(CONAE) to develop a satellite sensingsystem for the early detection of volcanicactivity. This system consists essentiallyof the automatic execution of an algo-rithm for detecting hot spot-related anom-alies and their association to a volcanowithin a radius of five kilometres.

Whenever there is cause for concern,the CONAE system issues an automaticadvance alert notice to a predeterminedand restricted list of correspondents.This notice indicates the name of the vol-cano in question, the time at which theanomaly was recorded, and the charac-teristics of the anomaly. The alert is trans-mitted to cellular telephones as an e-mailtext message.

Once such an alert has been dispatched,another CONAE application generates sec-tor-by-sector imagery of the area surround-ing the anomaly based on the sensor data.This graphic information is also sent auto-matically to authorities by e-mail.

The system also analyses and deter-mines which upcoming satellite over-flights can provide information of greaterresolution. It programmes the capture of

VOLCANIC ASH ALERTS

these data and pinpoints the location ofthe anomaly in order to support monitor-ing, analysis and decision-making.

As these volcanic activity reports occuronly occasionally, the CONAE systemissues a daily report on a designated sig-nificant point, such as an oil company gasvent or flaring tower, to demonstrate to

operators that the system remains active.Regional services. As with other VAACs,

the Buenos Aires centre incorporates aspecialized regional meteorological cen-tre (CMRE). It is responsible for varioustasks, which are described briefly below.

Through the VAAC’s communicationssection, the specialized regional meteoro-logical centre receives warnings on incip-ient volcanic activity. Together with thecentre’s remote sensing personnel, theCMRE analyses satellite images. In orderto confirm whether the forecast ash cloudtrajectory agrees with the trajectoryobtained from the volcanic ash forecasttransport and dispersion (VAFTAD)model, the results of the dispersionmodel are compared with the successivesatellite imagery.

The CMRE determines when to initiate

the volcanic ash “Alert Phase,” at whichpoint volcanic ash advisories are pre-pared and distributed throughout theregion and internationally in accordancewith the established standards and proce-dures. It also determines when to initiatethe “All-Clear Phase.” The VAAC’s opera-tional tasks are suspended whenever the

volcanic ash cloud is no longer identifi-able and the reporting of ash clouds anderuptions have ceased.

Following any episode of volcanic activ-ity, the CMRE analyses the weaknessesand strengths of the established proce-dures, and proposes suggested changes,if necessary.

Room for improvementThe Buenos Aires VAAC is currently

focused on optimizing its operational pro-cedures, and has made a number of pro-posals in this respect. For example, theBuenos Aires centre has recommendedto the States associated with its area ofresponsibility that they sign formal agree-ments to foster cooperation and coordina-tion between their MET offices as well asoperational units providing aeronautical

NUMBER 3, 2007 7

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Volcanic ash advisory centres keep watch on more than 600 active volcanoes aroundthe world because of the harm that volcanic ash poses to aviation operations

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information services (AIS) and air trafficservices (ATS), vulcanology agencies, andairlines. Formal agreements would helpensure the timely exchange of informationand would also better support decision-making about the safe use of airspace.

The VAAC wish list cites several poten-tial improvements. It points out, for exam-ple, that volcanic ash SIGMETs and fore-casts could be better prepared and distrib-

uted by following ICAO guidelines, and rec-ommends harmonizing the colour codingused by vulcanological organizations andthe International Air Transport Association(IATA) to signify the level of volcanic ashalert. It proposes the updating of eachState’s contact list and operational proce-dures to ensure the speedy disseminationof alerts, noting that it is crucial that suchlistings provide contact information foroffices and units that remain operationalaround the clock. The VAAC also called forperiodic exercises entailing the exchangeof volcanic ash cloud information (such anexercise was conducted by the BuenosAires VAAC in coordination with theWashington VAAC in November 2006).

The VAAC has also proposed the cre-ation of a guide on preparing airportemergency plans for responding to thedisruption of operations caused by thedispersion of volcanic ash. A draft guide

VOLCANIC ASH ALERTS

on volcanic ash emergency planning is tobe discussed by regional air navigationplanners at a future meeting.

Future projects. The Buenos AiresVAAC has a number of projects underdevelopment. Notable among these is aplan to expand the VAAC’s current remotesensing system for the early detection ofvolcanic activity to include automaticdetection of indicators such as the pres-

ence of sulphur dioxide or portionsof the atmosphere contaminated byhigh levels of volcanic ash. Thisproject was to have been completedby the end of 2006, but remains inthe development phase because ofits complexity and the large num-ber of variables to consider.

Another important project is thecreation of training modules for thevarious sections of the VAAC (i.e.the individual sections of the VAACresponsible for remote sensingmonitoring, communications, spe-cialized regional meteorologicalservices, and administrative sup-port). In creating such modules,certain factors that hinder the train-ing process have to be taken intoconsideration. These include thelack of personnel in the area of spe-cialization, a situation that oftenmakes it impractical to relieve oper-ating personnel of their regularduties; scarce economic resources,

often making it hard for employers to coverthe cost of transportation, accommodation,etc.; a lack of suitable training centres; anda lack of training policies that make it diffi-cult to establish career objectives.

To address training issues, Argentinahas devised a plan for training aviationpersonnel that it is currently implement-ing nationwide, and is encouraging otherStates to introduce a similar plan on aregional level. Such action is focused ondeveloping an accurate report on the sta-tus of operating personnel, making it pos-sible for the training process to addressactual common needs.

In brief, the Argentine plan consists ofseveral steps, beginning with a survey ofthe course certificates held by personnel.Subsequent steps involve establishingthe desirable knowledge profiles, devel-oping the standards for the granting ofcertificates of competence, and standard-

izing operational procedures. Advancedsteps include the identification of meth-ods for updating operational procedures,the definition of a legal framework forstandardizing operational proceduresand, finally, the dissemination of opera-tional procedures to personnel. As a laststep, the plan also provides for continu-ous distance training.

SummaryWhen an episode of volcanic activity

takes place, the ash clouds emitted canaffect vast areas. Carried by winds aloft,ash clouds can travel to areas that arevery far from their source. This is whyflight crews need precise and timelyinformation about ash cloud dispersion.Such information makes it possible foroperators to plan safe alternative routesin an orderly manner, which may requirecomplex coordination by ATS units.

Flight crews have a pivotal safety roleto play. When aircraft inadvertently flythrough or near to this hazard, theircrews must, with the utmost dispatch,notify ATS units of the occurrence so thatalternative routings can be identified withsupport from the VAACs.

In establishing operating procedures,State civil aviation administrations, aircarriers and meteorological authoritiesmust jointly address the issues related to volcanic ash emission. These operat-ing procedures should be periodicallyreviewed to ensure harmonization withICAO standards and recommendedpractices and guidance material such asthe Manual on Volcanic Ash, RadioactiveMaterial and Toxic Chemical Clouds(Document 9691) and the Handbook onthe International Airways Volcano Watch(Document 9766).

It should be borne firmly in mind thatwhen a hazard of this type occurs, it is cru-cial that all parties are fully aware of theirrespective roles. In this way, advisoriesmay be issued as promptly as possible withthe purpose of minimizing the event’seffect on operations, particularly withrespect to safety, and without overlookingthe adverse economic impact that canresult from the dispersal of volcanic ash. ■■

8 ICAO JOURNAL

Mr. Flores is the Operational Supervisor at the BuenosAires Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre. He is a member ofthe ICAO International Airways Volcano WatchOperations Group (IAVWOPSG).

Satellite image (top) and photo of Mt. Lanin, apotentially active volcano in the Argentine Andes

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YOU’D BE SURPRISED WHERE YOU FIND US

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We already control the airspace in 180 countries:

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T HE growing availability of afford-able air travel throughout theworld has considerably widened

aviation’s role in creating wealth in thedeveloped countries, but has alsobrought enormous benefits to developingeconomies by unlocking their potentialfor trade and tourism.

In Tanzania, for example, the liberaliza-tion of air transport, together with eco-nomic growth in sectors such as miningand tourism, have contributed significant-ly to the rapid growth of air transport inrecent years. The number of local andinternational airlines operating in thecountry has increased dramatically, withflight movements rising from 115,636 in2001 to over 155,000 in 2005, an averageannual change of 8.5 percent. At the sametime, the number of domestic and inter-national airline passengers in Tanzaniaalmost doubled, climbing to 2.17 millionin 2005 from 1.27 million four years previ-ously. In other words, the average annualgrowth in passenger volume exceeded 17percent during the four-year period.

The safe and efficient operation of avia-tion is dependent on the availability oftimely and reliable weather information.Given the possible range of severe weath-er that may be encountered in tropicalAfrica, high quality weather servicesusing the latest technology are importantto the full spectrum of air carriers, from

METEOROLOGICAL SERVICES

Meteorological agency focused on improvingaviation weather services in Dar es Salaam FIR

To keep pace with demand for its services, the meteorological agency in Tanzania has recently acquiredcontemporary forecasting workstations and deployed automatic weather observing systems at majorairports, and is now focused on providing additional staff training and achieving full cost recovery

M.S. MHITA

P.F. TIBAIJUKA • A.J. MLAKI

TANZANIA METEOROLOGICAL AGENCY

operators of light aeroplanes employedon rural services to wide-body transportsserving intercontinental routes. All of thismakes aviation weather forecasting inTanzania, and indeed all of Africa, animmense challenge. One of the key play-ers in meeting aviation’s weather infor-mation needs is the Tanzania Meteo-rological Agency (TMA).

Aeronautical meteorological services.According to international provisions forair navigation, TMA has the responsibili-ty of providing meteorological forecasts,weather-watch and en-route services atall civil aerodromes in the Dar es Salaamflight information region (FIR), in addi-

tion to its national responsibility for pro-viding meteorological information at mili-tary aerodromes.

The meteorological personnel stationedat the country’s three international airportsof Nyerere (Dar es Salaam), Kilimanjaroand Zanzibar, as well as those at 11 otheraerodromes scattered throughout thecountry, make the hourly meteorological(METAR) reports and transmit this infor-mation to the air traffic services (ATS)units and to the Central Forecast Officelocated in Dar es Salaam, where they areexchanged locally, regionally and interna-tionally via the ICAO aeronautical fixedtelecommunication network (AFTN).

10 ICAO JOURNAL

Ch

arle

s J.

Sh

arp

View of Mt. Kilimanjaro from a high flyingairliner. Given the possible range of severeweather that may be encountered in trop-ical Africa, high quality weather servicesusing the latest technology are importantto the full spectrum of air carriers.

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During the past decade, the global avi-ation industry has witnessed rapidadvances in science and technology. Thishas necessitated the commissioning ofnew facilities and created a need for staffto be properly trained to operate andmaintain up-to-date systems. While cer-tainly beneficial, such advances have alsohad a significant implication for the fund-ing of national meteorological services indeveloping countries, especially in Africa.Considering the possible impacts of thecurrent and future economic, scientificand technological environment on theprovision of meteorological services, it ishoped that users will understand and sup-port the collaborative spirit that serviceproviders must adopt to effectivelyaddress the impact of such changes.

The aviation industry requires mainte-nance of high standards of service in theinterest of flight safety. With respect toaeronautical meteorology, this requiresimplementation of the standards and rec-ommended practices developed by ICAO.Important aspects requiring compliancewith ICAO and World MeteorologicalOrganization (WMO) regulations include

METEOROLOGICAL SERVICES

the qualifications and experience of staff,quality management of instruments andequipment, and infrastructure and serv-ice provision.

As a semi-autonomous entity, the TMAis partly funded by the Government ofTanzania. Importantly, it is also partly self-financing, meeting its operational coststhrough the levying of charges on itsclients in accordance with ICAO’s guide-lines on cost recovery. (TMA has alsodeveloped a charging system for special-ized, non-aviation meteorological serviceswhich takes into account the type of dataor information produced, the labourinvolved, etc.) Furthermore, the agency isrequired to manage its affairs in a busi-nesslike, cost-effective manner conform-ing with modern management practicesand techniques, and in particular to applythe highest standards of financial manage-ment and accounting to its operations.

Like most aeronautical meteorologicaloffices in Africa, Tanzania makes use ofthe world area forecast system (WAFS)products obtained through the satellitedistribution system for information relat-ing to air navigation (SADIS). WAFS prod-ucts are supplied by the world area fore-cast centre (WAFC) in London and fromthe meteorological data dissemination(MDD) service or from data obtainedfrom advanced centres via the Internet.The TMA also has an FTP address foraccessing SADIS products. A few coun-tries on the continent have developed theirown local numerical weather predictionproducts. Occasionally, products from theEuropean Centre for Medium RangeWeather Forecasts (ECMWF) are usedfor routine weather forecasting, as well asfor deriving aviation weather products.

Tanzania has acquired two modern inter-active forecasting workstations from theU.K. Met Office (HORACE) and fromMétéo France (SYNERGIE). High level air-craft cruising above flight level (FL) 240 arestill served with WAFS products for signifi-cant weather charts and upper-level windsand temperatures, while aircraft operatingbelow FL240 are currently served withproducts generated locally using numericalweather predictions created by theHORACE and SYNERGIE workstations.

TMA also runs its own numericalweather prediction limited area model(WRF), which supports forecasts that are

valid for periods ranging from six to 48hours. Low level significant weathercharts are produced twice daily for FL100and FL180.

Latest service improvements. In itsendeavour to improve on services to theaviation industry, TMA has upgradedobservations in the terminal areas bydeploying automatic weather observingsystems (AWOS). So far these automatedsystems have been installed at Nyerereand Kilimanjaro international airports,where they have greatly improved bothobservational data and terminal aero-drome forecasts (TAFs).

TMA offers meteorological briefings atall three international airports and threeother major airports, displaying significantweather charts, upper-level winds andtemperature, and satellite imagery, as wellproviding oral presentations to aircraftoperators and flight crews. Internet con-nections are available at 12 airports to pro-vide access to aviation and other meteoro-logical information generated by theCentral Forecasting Office. HourlyMETARs from all local stations are distrib-uted to the 12 airports using the Internet.

Cost recovery. In addressing cost recov-ery for airports and air navigation servic-es (ANS), the chief executives of thethree key players, namely, the TanzaniaAirports Authority, the Tanzania CivilAviation Authority and the TanzaniaMeteorological Agency, are all of theopinion that the revenue recovered by allthree agencies does not reflect the actualcost of providing the services.

A tripartite committee involving theabove-cited institutions was formed in 1999to determine the cost of providing aeronau-tical services and propose the appropriatemethodology for implementing air naviga-tion charges, including their collection andequitable allocation among the three organ-izations. The terms of reference called forthe committee to determine relevant costcentres, identify activities and tasks attrib-utable to aeronautical costs, and perform acost analysis. The committee was alsoasked to estimate future costs based onprojected aviation traffic.

NUMBER 3, 2007 11

M.S. Mhita is the Director General of the TanzaniaMeteorological Agency. His co-authors, P.F. Tibaijukaand A.J. Mlaki, are the TMA’s Director of Forecastingand Manager of Network Operations, respectively.

continued on page 31

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IT is not surprising that automaticdependent surveillance-broadcast(ADS-B) is poised to become a key

element of the world’s future air trafficmanagement (ATM) system. Its benefitsare now well understood, both by opera-tors and air navigation service providers(ANSPs). Not only does ADS-B enhancesafety while increasing capacity and effi-ciency, it also promises substantial costsavings. In announcing its ADS-B pro-gramme last year, for example, the U.S.Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)stated that it would permit the eventualdecommissioning of much of the coun-try’s secondary surveillance radar (SSR)network, thereby saving about U.S. $1 bil-lion. Airservices Australia launched asimilar programme in 2005, and it tooexpects significant savings when use ofADS-B reaches the point where its SSRnetwork can be safely retired.

Perhaps less well known is the fact thata number of ANSPs are already movingto a new surveillance technology whichprovides equivalent and often better per-formance than the traditional SSR, at amuch lower acquisition and maintenancecost. But even more important is the factthat this technology, known as multilater-ation, can provide ANSPs with an eco-nomical foundation for their eventualtransition to a full ADS-B environment.

In its surveillance role, multilaterationdoes away with the need for expensiverotating radar antennas, replacing SSRswith several small and inexpensive sta-tions strategically located to cover thesame or greater airspace volume. Eachunmanned station acts as a passive “lis-

SURVEILLANCE TECHNOLOGY

Multilateration technology is well suitedto a wide range of applications

Best known perhaps for its surveillance capabilities and role in facilitating transition to a full ADS-B environment, multilateration technology can be used effectively in multiple ways, includingthe automation of an airport’s billing system

ALEX SMITH • RUSSELL HULSTROM

ERA CORPORATION

(UNITED STATES)

tening post,” instantaneously receivingevery aircraft transponder transmissionwithin line-of-sight range, out to the high-est jet altitudes. One or more multilatera-tion stations can be combined active/pas-sive units, both transmitting transponderinterrogation signals identical to an SSRand then listening to their responses.Multilateration stations can receive alltransponder responses (i.e. basic Mode-A/C, Mode-S, military IFF and ADS-B).

When incoming transponder signals arereceived by these stations, each immedi-ately transfers its data to a centrally locat-ed processing unit the size of a filing cabi-net, where advanced signal time-of-arrivaland triangulation techniques are appliedto determine the precise position of eachaircraft. These are then passed to the airtraffic control (ATC) centre using stan-dard protocols, including all the data nor-mally provided by an SSR. However, themultilateration process is much faster,allowing controllers to track traffic everysecond, compared to viewing targets witheach sweep of an SSR’s rotating antenna.The frequent tracking produces a verysmooth trace on the controller’s displayscreen rather than the progressive“jumps” characteristic of SSR targets.What’s more, strategic location of the lis-tening stations allows reception of aircraftsignals in areas that are below SSR cover-age or that are blocked by interveningstructures. Position accuracy is also astrong point: over many evaluations, multi-lateration has been shown to be at least asaccurate, and usually more so, than con-ventional SSR.

Diverse applicationsMultilateration installations are now

operating at a large number of locationsaround the world. These applicationsrange from long-range, high-altitude air-

space surveillance over very large areas,to terminal area traffic monitoring, to pre-cise tracking and display of aircraft andvehicle movements on the airport sur-face. Such installations are even beingused to automate the collection of aircraftuser fees.

Among countries that have adoptedwide area multilateration is the CzechRepublic, which has chosen this solutionover SSR to accurately track, maintainseparation and record the increasingnumber of high-altitude aircraft transitingits airspace to destinations beyond. TheCzech Republic’s ANSP has establishedwhat is arguably one of the largest air-space areas in the world to be covered bymultilateration traffic surveillance, atleast with respect to those areas wherethe provision of conventional SSR is con-sidered too costly.

In the terminal area, the tracking andseparation of aircraft has been traditional-ly an exclusive SSR function. Whileunquestionably safe and efficient, SSRcoverage of key areas can be hamperedby local high terrain. This limitation ledto the earliest certified use of multilatera-tion for terminal airspace control atOstrava, in the Czech Republic.

Located within a wide horseshoe ofmountains, Ostrava and its surroundingterminal airspace posed a difficult chal-lenge for the operation of SSR. The ANSPconsequently opted in 2001 for a multilat-eration network solution, which was com-missioned in 2002. By the following year,sufficient data had been obtained on thesystem’s performance to receive formalapproval from the Civil Aviation Authorityto reduce terminal area aircraft separa-tion to three nautical miles from the typi-cal five miles. As well, the low level cover-age of the multilateration system permit-ted its exclusive use below 3,000 feet in

12 ICAO JOURNAL

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the Ostrava terminal area, well below thesurveillance coverage of regional radars.

Yet one of the most demanding applica-tions of the multilateration technique is inits use for monitoring landing approachesand airport surface movements. Toachieve this, a number of the system’ssmall receivers are strategically placed

around the airport and its runwayapproaches to produce clear and unob-structed line-of-sight displays of all air-craft from the commencement of theirfinal approaches to their landings andsubsequent taxiing to their terminals.

In the approach area, multilateration’svery high one-second update rate providescontrollers with a virtually continuous andextremely accurate picture of theapproach stream, which is especially valu-able in monitoring parallel runway opera-tions. As a result, multilateration systemshave recently been chosen by the authori-ties at Beijing’s Capital International and

SURVEILLANCE TECHNOLOGY

Madrid’s Barajas airports for this purpose— an application that previously had beenthe exclusive domain of radar.

Perhaps equally important is the sys-tem’s application to monitoring move-ments on the aerodrome’s surface, whichparadoxically remains one of aviation’smost hazardous operating environments.

With the current emphasis on avoidingrunway incursions at aerodromes aroundthe world, surface surveillance hasunderstandably increased in importance.

In this respect, multilateration offerssignificant advantages. Inevitably, evenlocal radars are “blanked” in some sectorsby airport buildings and other obstruc-tions, sometimes leaving significant areasof the airport surface uncovered andtherefore invisible to controllers. In con-trast, appropriately positioned multilatera-tion stations can cover the total aero-drome surface without being affected byadverse weather conditions.

Aside from their installation in aircraft,vehicle tracking units can be installed onall vehicles which use the operationalareas. Small, affordable and quicklyinstalled, these units can readily be seenon the controller’s display, with theirunique vehicular identification tags allow-ing quick differentiation from taxiing air-

craft, and thereby allowing appropri-ate communication messages to besent. In January 2007, the Dutch ANSPselected multilateration-based vehicletracking units for over 300 servicevehicles at Amsterdam Schiphol, following similar introductions at theCopenhagen, Prague, Santiago andCape Town airports. At Schiphol, vehi-cle movement monitoring will be anintegral part of the airport’s advancedsurface movement guidance and con-trol system (A-SMGCS), as it will be inthe multilateration-supported A-SMGCSat Beijing.

One unique application of the tech-nology is in its very precise heightmeasurement of aircraft overflying athigh altitudes. The worldwide intro-duction of reduced vertical separationminima (RVSM) is unquestionablyhaving a very beneficial effect on air-space capacity. Throughout most ofthe world, aircraft may now operatewith 1,000 feet vertical separationbetween 29,000 and 44,000 feet, com-pared to the previous 2,000 feet ofseparation necessary because of thelower accuracy of earlier aircraftaltimeters. Nevertheless, the impor-tance that aviation attaches to redun-dancy dictates that independentchecks of aircraft flying in RVSM air-space is a prudent step. Consequently,

a growing number of RVSM monitoringstations have been established at keypoints along major traffic routes. At Linz,Austria, a purpose-built five-station multi-lateration system routinely measures thealtitude of aircraft operating in RVSM air-space to an accuracy of 50 feet and passesthis information — along with each air-craft’s individual identification — to theEurocontrol Centre at Bretigny.

Multilateration has also found use intasks not directly concerned with air traf-fic control, but which provide unusuallyvaluable services to airport administra-tions. For example, the system lends

NUMBER 3, 2007 13

Small unmanned sensor is one of several in a multilateration network surrounding OstravaAirport, in the Czech Republic. The Ostrava network tracks all transponder-equipped air-craft flying below the coverage of neighbouring SSRs.

Era

Co

rpo

rati

on

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itself well to noise and curfew monitor-ing, and several small airports haveadopted it for that purpose. More impor-tantly, it provides very accurate details ofthe arrival and departure times of all air-craft — information that facilitates theautomation of airport billing systems.

Airport operators typically employmonitors that observe aircraft move-ments and enter the data manually.Estimates are hard to come by, but itappears certain that a substantial amount

of an airport’s revenue may be lost undersuch circumstances. In December 2006,the Port Authority of New York and NewJersey issued a contract for provision of aspecifically tailored system dedicated tothe fully automatic tracking and billing ofall aircraft movements at its Kennedy,LaGuardia, Newark and Teterboro air-ports. Combined, these airports handleover 1.4 million aircraft operations andover 94 million passengers per year, mak-ing it one of the largest airport systems inthe world, with significant revenue gener-ated from the accurate billing of users.

Multilateration and ADS-BADS-B is now entering service and will

gradually spread to worldwide adoptionover the next 10 to 15 years. In ADS-B,each appropriately equipped aircraft auto-matically transmits bursts of data whichinclude the aircraft’s identification, alti-

SURVEILLANCE TECHNOLOGY

tude, track, speed, intent (i.e., climbing,descending or flying level), plus otherinformation. These transmissions arereceived by ATC and also by all otherADS-B equipped aircraft within receptionrange, where they are presented on cock-pit displays in a similar fashion to that ofan ATC screen. The cockpit displays usu-ally restrict the presentation to showother aircraft within a crew selectable alti-tude band of up to 3,000 feet above andbelow their aircraft, thereby providing

pilots with exceptional situational aware-ness of the traffic of interest, with obvioussafety benefits. Eventually, it may be pos-sible under certain circumstances for thesystem to be used by pilots for maintain-ing separation.

Today, relatively few aircraft carry com-plete ADS-B installations, but a growingnumber are transmitting ADS-B data fromtransponders that are tracked by multilat-eration installations. In the future world-wide ADS-B environment, networks ofunmanned, strategically located ground-based transceivers will be established.These will receive the ADS-B transmis-sions from all aircraft within receptionrange and instantly retransmit this infor-mation to controllers’ screens at the near-est ATC centre. In certain systems, theATC centre can uplink weather, NOTAMsand other important flight information tothe aircraft via the same transceivers.

During the lengthy transition to a com-plete ADS-B environment, the mostimportant uplinked data will undoubtedlybe that describing the flight paths of air-craft not yet equipped with ADS-B. Thesewould be visible to controllers using radaror multilateration surveillance, but with-out the uplink would not be visible to thecrew of an aircraft equipped for ADS-B.

Details of unequipped traffic are provid-ed to ADS-B equipped aircraft via the traf-fic information service-broadcast (TIS-B),one of the ADS-B system’s two supportingfeatures. The other, known as the flightinformation system-broadcast (FIS-B),will carry weather, NOTAMs and otherpriority information. Both uplink trans-missions are specific to the ground-basedtransceiver’s coverage areas.

For ANSPs, the critical questions aretherefore those that concern the timingof their transition to a full ADS-B controlenvironment and the associated invest-ment in a network of dedicated ground-based transceivers to cover their air-space. The date by which ground-basedtransceivers will be needed in a specificarea is hard to determine, being depend-ent on the rate at which aircraft operatorsinstall equipment in their aircraft.

One economical solution to this transi-tion dilemma is a scheme in which thebasic multilateration ground stationincorporates the full functions of aground-based transceiver for a futuretime when aircraft equipage is extensive.During the interim period, basic multilat-eration provides high performance cou-pled with low-cost acquisition andreduced maintenance expense, either incovering additional airspace surveillancerequirements or in replacing legacySSRs, should that be necessary beforefull ADS-B service is required.

Supportive of management trendsThe benefits of multilateration are

being increasingly realized by ANSPsaround the world, especially now that the

14 ICAO JOURNAL

Jim

Jo

rgen

son

Alex Smith, the Chairman of Era, is also a co-founder ofthe company. Russell Hulstrom is Vice President of GlobalSales. Era, formerly Rannoch Corporation, is headquar-tered in Alexandria, Va., with product research anddevelopment centres located in the United States andthe Czech Republic.

More information on multilateration and ADS-B technologies is posted at the company’s website(www.erabeyondradar.com).

continued on page 32

ADS-B offers highly attractive performance, functionality and economics, while multilateration offers performance equivalent to a traditional SSR without requiringsubstantive avionics changes and investment by the aircraft operator

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T HE nature of the multi-crew pilotlicence (MPL) that was intro-duced late last year is not clearly

understood throughout the aviation com-munity. In part this lack of comprehen-sion has been fuelled by inaccurate state-ments about the newly created licencethat have appeared in media reports.While the aviation community generallyhas been supportive of the new licence,certain comments based on misunder-standings about the rationale for the inno-vative programme have been unsupport-ive and could impede this valuableendeavour even before its advantagestake effect.

The new licence qualifies the holder toperform co-pilot duties on aeroplanesoperated with more than one pilot. It com-

PILOT LICENSING

MPL represents a state-of-the-art ab initioairline pilot training programme

The newly established multi-crew pilot licence is focused from Day One on preparing the co-pilot candidate for the right seat of an advanced airliner, using a competency-based approach to trainingdeveloped with an emphasis on improving flight deck safety

CAPT. CHRIS SCHROEDER

CAPT. DIETER HARMS

INTERNATIONAL AIR TRANSPORT ASSOCIATION

plements, and does not replace, existingways of qualifying as a co-pilot for multi-crew operations (see “Technologicaladvances facilitate change in licensingand training standards,” ICAO JournalIssue 2/2006, page 22).

The MPL reflects the competency-based approach to training that was intro-duced by a 2006 amendment to ICAOAnnex 1 (the annex to the ChicagoConvention which contains provisions forpersonnel licensing). The new licencewas subject to a risk and safety benefitstudy conducted by an ICAO panel ofexperts. Moreover, MPL implementationincorporates specific risk control meas-ures developed by the expert panel, aswell as a post-implementation proof-of-concept programme.

One common misconception aboutMPL is that the programme emerged as acountermeasure to the pilot shortage inAsia, and especially in China and India,where the pool of qualified personnel can-

not keep pace with currentindustry growth. In fact, theMPL programme simply recog-nizes the significant advancesin methodology and technolo-gy in the training sector thatallow the air transport indus-try to sustain rapid growth bygenerating an influx of moreappropriately trained pilots.

The MPL is part of sweep-ing changes to ICAO Annex 1which came into effect inNovember — the first majorupdate of the annex’s provi-sions since 1948. When theinitiative to modernize theinternational training provi-sions commenced in October2000, there was no pressureto address the problem of a

worldwide pilot shortage. Indeed, whenthe ICAO Flight Crew Licensing andTraining Panel (FCLTP) convened its firstmeeting in 2002, the world’s aviation com-munity was still feeling the repercussionsof 9/11, an event that suppressed demandfor air transport services, and hence pilotrecruiting. While the panel was not con-cerned about a pilot shortage, however, itwas patently obvious that the 40-year oldstandards and recommended practices(SARPs) of Annex 1 (as well as the SARPsof Annex 6, which is concerned with theoperation of aircraft) had become out ofstep with the evolving best industry prac-tice and did not reflect the capabilities ofadvanced training devices, especially inthe area of high-fidelity simulation.

The panel of experts that agreed on thechanges needed in Annex 1 — subse-quently reviewed by the Air NavigationCommission and approved by the ICAOCouncil — were nominated by 15 mem-ber States and a wide range of industrybodies representing pilots and aircraftoperators, including airlines. One of thetasks facing this diverse group of expertswas to evaluate alternative approaches toab initio training for pilots to be employedin air transport, and today’s MPL is theoutcome of this comprehensive effort.

There is a perception among some thatthe MPL was created primarily as a meansto save time and money by investing lessin training. The FCLTP experts who fash-ioned the programme during the 2002-06period were unanimously motivated by adesire to improve the safety standards thatgovern the operation of modern multi-crew civil aircraft. The MPL initiative wasnot driven by economic factors, althoughmost members of the FCLTP, now dis-banded, foresaw that the operations-ori-ented training approach could also reducethe duration and cost of pilot training.

NUMBER 3, 2007 15

THE INITIAL RESULTS OF MPL training pro-grammes around the world will be carefully moni-tored by ICAO to assess whether there is a require-ment to expand or improve on the current guidancematerial. Under the proof-of-concept project, protect-ed information concerning the performance oftrainees during and following the MPL training pro-gramme will be forwarded to ICAO by licensingauthorities so that the organization can evaluate theexisting MPL programme requirements and docu-mentation on a periodic basis. The measure is intend-ed to safeguard the long-term integrity of the MPL.

The quality of the data supplied to ICAO, espe-cially in the early years of the MPL programme’s

PROOF-OF-CONCEPT INITIATIVEDEPENDS ON DATA QUALITY

continued on page 33

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The new MPL, as defined by Annex 1 andthe first edition of ICAO Document 9868, theProcedures for Air Navigation Services –Training (PANS-TRG) that became applica-ble late last year, represents the best docu-mented training system in ICAO’s history.ICAO requirements include a stringent qual-

ification standard for the approved trainingorganizations that intend to deliver MPLtraining, as well as a data exchange betweenaviation authorities, training organizationsand airlines. Also required is a continuousassessment of the student’s performanceduring all phases of the MPL course.

Document 9868 prescribes the MPLtraining scheme in detail, as well as therequired competency units and their ele-ments, the respective performance criteria

PILOT LICENSING

and instructor competencies. The docu-ment also furnishes States with guidelinesfor implementing an MPL programme;importantly, this includes guidance on thedesign and development of the MPLcourse, sample training objectives andassessment material, and explanations for

the application of thethreat and error man-agement frameworkas an overarchingprinciple that pervadesall flight operations.

Contrary to thetraditional ab initiotraining path, whichis based on invento-ry and hours logged,the MPL training

scheme is focused on the need to developcompetencies which were identified byanalysing the tasks performed by a crewoperating a modern multi-crew transportin all phases of flight. In accordance withmodern instructional system design,these competency units were brokendown into elements which were furtherdivided into performance criteria or state-ments of observable behaviour, each cor-responding to a training objective. Course

developers are able to establish an effectivecurriculum by defining the ultimate train-ing objectives and mastery tests and thenhighlighting the training modules anddevices required to develop these skills.

Some in the industry are under theimpression that MPL candidates are notrequired to obtain solo flying experience.On the contrary, there was never a doubtabout the necessity of including solo fly-ing in the programme. Some pilot-in-com-mand experience is important for build-ing confidence. For this reason, theInternational Air Transport Association(IATA) supports retaining the Annex 1requirement for a minimum of 10 hoursof solo time. In all, the candidate isrequired to log a minimum of 240 hours.The flight experience in aircraft mustinclude cross-country navigation, nightoperations, upset recovery and flight byreference solely to instruments. Much ofthe flying is acquired during Phase 1(Core) of the four-phase programme.

Although the principle of threat anderror management, as a fundamentalaspect of multi-crew operations, is intro-duced at the earliest stage of MPL train-ing, the capacity of a small single-engineaeroplane to meet multi-crew trainingobjectives is admittedly limited. In thisrespect, training devices that provide formulti-crew interaction play the moreeffective role.

Training for multi-crew flight operationsstarts in earnest with Phase 2 (Basic) andremains on an operational basis for the sub-sequent training phases. In Phase 2, the rel-evant flight simulator training device mustbe — to borrow the term adopted forEuropean regulations — at minimum aflight and navigation procedure trainercompliant with the multi-crew concept(FNPT II/MCC), and ideally should repre-sent the specific aircraft type in use by theairline. The flight simulator training devicecan also represent a generic turbine-powered, multi-engine and multi-crew aero-plane. Whether generic or not, it isrequired to feature a daylight visual systemdesigned so that both pilots can see the

16 ICAO JOURNAL

Capt. Chris Schroeder is Assistant Director, Flight Oper-ations for the International Air Transport Association,and is based in Montreal. Capt. Dieter Harms, a SeniorConsultant to IATA, served as an adviser to the ICAOFlight Crew Licensing and Training Panel until it was dis-banded in 2006.

continued on page 31

The MPL training scheme focuses on the development of com-petencies needed for multi-crew operations using trainingmodules and devices required to hone the relevant skills

CA

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A N UNSAFE situation arose atQuebec City Jean LesageInternational Airport on the

morning of 13 June 2004 when an AirbusA320 and Cessna 172 took off from inter-secting runways at the same time. Thevigilant airline crew delayed the rotationof their Airbus A320 after spotting the air-borne Cessna on a crossing path. Thereport of the incident highlighted theneed for safety measures with respect toair traffic control (ATC) and administra-tive procedures at the aerodrome, andalso raised concerns over the use of cer-tain ATC phraseologies that are open tomisinterpretation by flight crews.

Misunderstanding led to incidentAir Canada Flight 513 (ACA513), an

Airbus A320 with 140 passengers onboard, was on a scheduled instrumentflight from Quebec City to Toronto,Ontario. At 0933:44 local time, ACA513was cleared for take-off on Runway 24 atJean Lesage International Airport.

Sixteen seconds later, a Cessna 172departing from the same airport wasinstructed by the tower controller to taxito position on the intersecting Runway 30

INCIDENT REPORT

Non-standard ATC practices and proceduresunveiled by incident investigation

An unauthorized take-off by a Cessna 172 pilot who misunderstood an instruction from the towercontroller produced a risk of collision with an Airbus A320 departing on an intersecting runway, and highlighted the need for improvements in ATC practices at the aerodrome

TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARDOF CANADA

(see figure, page 19). The crew of ACA513did not hear the controller talking to thepilot of the Cessna 172.

At 0934:34, a Cessna Citation in theparking area called the Quebec Cityground controller. The strength of thetransmission was low and the pilot’s voicewas practically inaudible. To improvereception quality, the controller deactivat-ed the air frequency transmit button. Hethen realized that the Cessna 172 hadstarted its take-off roll without clearanceand was abeam of taxiway Bravo.Immediately thereafter, the controllertwice attempted to instruct the crew ofACA513, which was rolling at a speed of58 knots abeam of taxiway Alpha, to aborttake-off. After realizing that the AirbusA320 was not slowing down, the con-troller then attempted to instruct the pilotof the Cessna 172 three times to initiatean immediate left turn. Neither theinstruction to ACA513 nor to the Cessna172 could be heard on the air frequencybecause the air frequency transmit but-ton had been deactivated.

At 0935:20, about 1,000 feet from theintersection of Runways 24 and 30, whenthe A320 had reached its rotation speed(146 knots), the captain saw the Cessna172 in flight on a converging track. Heimmediately ordered the co-pilot, whowas at the controls, to delay the rotationand to not take off until they had crossedRunway 30. Radar data show that theCessna 172 flew over the Airbus A320with 200 feet of clearance above the inter-section of the two runways.

The weather was suitable for visualflight. The winds were calm; there wereno clouds below 5,000 feet, visibility wasover six miles, and there was no precipi-tation. The automatic terminal informa-tion service (ATIS) message indicatedthat intersecting runways were active.

The Cessna pilot, who had not paidattention to the messages between thetower and the Airbus crew, thought thatthe instruction to taxi to position on therunway included a clearance to take off.

When the ATC communicationsrecording was reviewed following theincident, a number of phraseology errorswere noted. As a result, the Trans-portation Safety Board of Canada (TSB)examined the recording of the con-troller’s most recent operational commu-nications skills check, a review thatrevealed many instances of incorrectphraseology which had not been noted bythe delegated evaluator.

The procedures for controlling air traf-fic are set out in the Nav Canada ATCManual of Operations (MANOPS). Themanual states that if an aircraft isNumber 1 in the departure sequence, thecontroller can instruct it to taxi to posi-tion on the runway without specifyingthat it must wait for take-off clearance.The ATC MANOPS does not define“Number 1 for take-off.” In this occur-rence, the controller did not ask theCessna 172 to wait after instructing it totaxi to position on Runway 30. The con-troller considered that the Cessna 172was Number 1 in the departure sequencebecause the Airbus A320 had receivedclearance to take off.

The controller may clear several air-craft to taxi to position for take-off onintersecting runways provided that:• the aircraft receive a departuresequence number when a departing air-craft is not Number 1 for take-off; • the aircraft that is not Number 1 isinstructed to “wait” and is informed of thereason for the delay; • all aircraft are visible to the aerodromecontroller; and • traffic information is given to the sec-

18 ICAO JOURNAL

INCIDENT REPORT

This article is an abbreviation of the final report on anincident involving a risk of collision between an AirbusA320 and a Cessna 172 at the Jean Lesage Interna-tional Airport in Quebec City, Canada on 13 June 2004.Released by the Transportation Safety Board of Canadaon 5 April 2006, Report A04Q0089 can be viewed in itsentirety at the organization’s website (www.bst.gc.ca/en/reports/air/). Extracts appear here in the interest ofpromoting awareness of safety issues.

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ond and subsequent aircraft in thedeparture sequence.

The controller must separate a depart-ing aircraft from an aircraft using anintersecting runway, or a non-intersect-ing runway where the flight paths inter-sect, by ensuring that the departing air-craft does not begin its take-off roll untilthe preceding departing aircraft haspassed the intersection, flown over thetake-off runway or turned to avoid anyconflict.

Review of the ATC tape revealed that,in the 15 minutes preceding the incidentand in the five minutes after the incident,62 of the messages on the air andground frequencies were sent by thecontroller. Strict application of the ATCMANOPS standards revealed a substan-tial number of deficiencies in standardphraseology, including omission to iden-tify the station, incorrect informationsequence, omission of information, incor-rect call-sign on a take-off clearance, andincorrect phraseology and terminology tocancel the take-off clearance of theAirbus A320.

In June 2003, Transport Canada per-formed an audit of the air traffic services(ATS) at the Quebec tower, and noted thatseveral reports on operational communi-cations skills contained no comments as tothe quality of phraseology. Also, the auditteam noted that the bank of questions andthe knowledge verification tests for thequalification maintenance programmecontained very few critical questions incomparison with the number of ordinaryquestions. Transport Canada found thatthe Quebec tower was in com-pliance with established stan-dards, and a corrective actionplan for the above-noted non-safety–related deficiencies pro-posed by Nav Canada wasaccepted by Transport Canada.

In a review of the Quebectower held 14-18 June 2004,Nav Canada identified the following deficiencies, amongothers:• some anomalies relating tocommunications procedures; • control personnel did notcomply at all times with theATC MANOPS requirementsby not informing all aircraft of

INCIDENT REPORT

traffic, by not ensuring that readbackswere correct, and by not informing air-craft of the reason for the delay afterclearing them to taxi to position andinstructing them to “wait”; and • some entries resulting in aviationoccurrence reports did not indicatewhether the report had been forwarded.

A memorandum from Nav Canada inAugust 2004 indicates that all deficienciesidentified had been corrected or were inthe process of being corrected.

The investigation found that, at theQuebec tower, there were some deviationsfrom operating standards and that some

controllers were not fully familiar with theradio system and some ATC MANOPSprocedures. It was discovered that:• some controllers do not report unau-thorized take-offs; • some controllers do not know, or donot fully know, the functions of the but-tons on the radio console in the tower;• pilots are not required, according tosome controllers, to read back instruc-tions to taxi containing the instruction“wait”; and • there was an inconsistency with regard tothe interpretation as to when an aircraftbecomes Number 1 in the traffic sequence.

According to current regula-tions, Nav Canada must reportall failures to comply with theCanadian Aviation Regulations(CARs) associated with the useof an aircraft. However, theinvestigation of the incidentrevealed that not all unautho-rized take-offs were reported bythe Quebec tower, even thoughNav Canada policy and directionrequire that all aviation occur-rences be reported. The reasonsgiven for not reporting this typeof occurrence were as follows:• the possibility that the reportwould be prejudicial to a new

NUMBER 3, 2007 19

IN INVESTIGATING THE MID-2004 risk-of-collision inci-dent at Quebec City’s airport, it was discovered there havebeen no reports of take-offs without clearance at the aero-drome for at least the preceding five years. However, theinvestigation also determined that there had been unreport-ed incidents of unauthorized take-offs, and that Nav Canadaand Transport Canada audits of the Quebec tower had notdetected this deficiency.

It appears that some controllers and pilots alike do notunderstand that it is crucial to report each and every inci-dent or error in the system in order to measure the effec-tiveness of aviation safety programmes, including those thatmeasure risks of collision.

CRUCIAL TO REPORT EVERY INCIDENT

Québec Airport Elevation 244 ft

The controller spots the Cessna 172 in rotation and tries to prevent the Airbus A320 from taking off

217í asl24

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244’ asl

Control tower

About 1000 feet from the intersection, the Airbus A320 crew sees the Cessna 172 in flight

Flight path of the Cessna 172

Flight path of the Airbus A320

Part of Runway 30 not visible from position A1 when the controller is seated

About 1,000 feet from the intersection of Runways 24 and 30, when the Airbus A320had reached its rotation speed, the captain saw the Cessna 172 in flight on a convergingtrack. He immediately ordered the co-pilot to delay the rotation until after they hadcrossed Runway 30.

continued on page 34

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A RECENT study on safety sys-tems at five European airportshighlights several essential pre-

requisites for managing safety effectively.The comparison of the safety systems inplace at different airports identified threemeasures in particular that are neededboth at the individual organizational leveland at the airport systemic level. In brief,the study, completed in December 2006,highlighted the need to:• define safety as a clear strategicresponsibility;• ensure independence of the safetydepartment, whose roles include over-sight and providing advice; and• implement a community-wide approach

SAFETY MANAGEMENT

Airport operator can play a crucial role inpromoting proactive joint safety management

The findings of a recent study suggest that safety is best served when the airport operator assumesoverall responsibility for its management at the aerodrome and spearheads collaborative safety efforts based on the results of risk analyses

MARIEKE POOLMAN

MARK LEEMANS • MARTIJN MUSSCHE

KPLUSV(NETHERLANDS)

to safety, a strategy known as joint safetymanagement.

The study looked in depth at aviationsafety processes in place at LondonHeathrow, Frankfurt, Paris Charles deGaulle, Madrid Barajas and Schiphol air-ports, and included interviews with rep-resentatives of governments, airportoperators, major air carriers and air traf-fic services (ATS). Of particular interestwere the organization of safety processesand the coordination and procedures fol-lowed by various stakeholders, as well asthe development of a safety culture.

Clear, strategic responsibilityThe study confirmed a strong correla-

tion between the presence of a healthysafety culture and the attitude of seniormanagement towards safety. Safety man-agement receives higher priority and ismore developed where senior manage-ment looks on safe operations as a matter

of strategic importance to the organiza-tion’s very existence. Does senior man-agement present safety goals in the formof quantitatively expressed strategic tar-gets, and is it held accountable for meet-ing these targets?

In some jurisdictions, senior managersare compelled to pay close attention tosafety because of their potential personalliability. For example, in one country cov-ered by the study, senior managers runthe risk of imprisonment should theirorganization be found liable for an acci-dent as a result of judicial proceedings.

In some organizations, senior manage-ment visibly assumes responsibility byinitiating innovative approaches to safety.One driver for this proactive process isthe highly visible personal responsibilityassumed by the organization’s chief exec-utive officer (CEO), and the possibleadverse response to an incident or acci-dent by the organization’s shareholdersand clients. For this reason, the studyconcluded that privatization can have apositive effect on safety management inthose organizations that have clearlymade safety a high-level responsibility.Such privatization, however, needs totake place in a climate where sharehold-ers recognize the importance of safety tothe well being of the organization.

Clarity is paramount. Where there ispatent recognition of the consequences ofincidents and accidents to the organiza-tion as a whole, and for senior manage-ment in particular, good safety perform-ance is defined as a strategic corporatetarget. Moreover, efforts are made tointegrate safety considerations into everydecision, as evidenced from the way theorganization approaches risk analysis. Ina safety-conscious organization, everychange in organizational structure orprocesses is subjected to a risk analysis.

20 ICAO JOURNAL

REACTIVE

Safety objectives

Safety directives

Safety measures

Riskinventory

Trends &changes

Risk assesment

Threatidentification

Safety threats

Safetyactions

Decisionmaking

Safetymonitoring

Safety policy

PROACTIVE

Safety level

Safety recommendations,statistics

The safety management process contains both reactive and proactive elements; at alarge airport, safety management is more effective when it involves all of the stake-holders in a proactive approach that is grounded on risk analyses

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This pertains to changes having to dodirectly with the core business processesas well as changes having no discernibleimpact on operational safety, such as therelocation of the corporate office.

In terms of their strategic responsibili-ty for safety, what sets one organizationapart from another is expressed in thegoals they set, the extent to which safetyis addressed as an explicit part of strate-gic decision-making, and the role thatsenior management plays in decisionsthat could influence safety. Another indi-cator is the manner in which an organiza-tion’s strategic goals are addressed by itscorporate structure and the allocation ofits resources.

In setting their strategic targets, someorganizations need to be more explicitabout the role of safety. By doing so, theypromote safety as an integral part of deci-sion-making and stimulate the safety cul-ture of the entire organization. Seniormanagement must actually be seen totake responsibility for safety by champi-oning safety measures. There are severalexamples of positive cultural changesoccurring after senior management initi-ated novel approaches to safety.

Independence essentialIn larger entities, safety departments

tend to exist at both the organizationallevel and the local airport level, where infact more than one department may befound. This creates a requirement for agreat deal of interaction.

Most officials interviewed for the studyopined that a safety office can performmore effectively when it functions apartfrom the operations department. Suchseparation makes it possible to focusentirely on monitoring safety and givingadvice on improvements, and facilitatesthe safety department’s role as an inter-nal oversight authority. Oversight isaccomplished by ensuring that risk analy-ses are conducted properly, and that safe-ty is taken into account when makingdecisions. While this independence isbeneficial, some direct relationship withoperations is desirable, and typically thisis achieved by assigning active pilots orair traffic controllers to part-time posi-tions within the safety department.

ATS entities typically organize safetymanagement at the corporate and local

SAFETY MANAGEMENT

airport levels. At the corporate end, thesafety department reports directly to theCEO; at the local level, the safety officereports to the highest local manager.

The role of the corporate safety officeis three-fold: it collects and analyses safe-ty information of concern to the entireorganization; it advises on safety improve-ments at the corporate level; and it serves

as an oversight body and adviser to thelocal safety departments. Decisions hav-ing to do with risk and measures to safe-guard or improve safety follow strict, for-malized processes, and the responsibilityfor decision-making lies with the mostsenior managers.

Airlines also typically have a safetydepartment at the corporate level whichreports to the most senior manager; inthese organizations, too, decisions aboutsafeguarding or improving safety are usu-ally formalized.

At most of the airports studied, safetyis the responsibility of the operationsdepartment. In some cases, the safetydepartment reports to the operationsmanager, and at one airport studied, theoperations manager also served as thesafety manager. The rationale behind thispractical approach is that safety goeshand-in-hand with operations, and sinceimprovements in safety must manifestthemselves in the operational sphere, itonly makes sense to combine the roles.However, a few of the managers inter-

viewed for the study observed that safetymanagers who were assigned an opera-tional role were at a disadvantage, sincethey were compelled to negotiate safetymeasures with those responsible forachieving efficient operations.

The following picture emerges fromthe study: the more independent a safetydepartment and the more access it has to

senior executives, the more that safetywill be explicitly reflected in the strategicgoals of the organization. Similarly, thehigher the safety office appears on theorganizational chart, the more resourcesand authority that this department is like-ly to have at its disposal.

This situation can also apply to organi-zations of a smaller scale. Independencecan be assured by creating a structuraldivide between the safety department atthe operational level and the office that isdesignated to act as the oversight author-ity and safety advocate.

Joint safety effortSeveral themes emerged with respect

to the extent to which airports promotecollaborative or joint safety management,

NUMBER 3, 2007 21

Jim

Jo

rgen

son

A safety department can perform more effectively as an oversight body and adviserwhen it functions separately from the operations department

The authors, employed by a consultancy firm based inthe Netherlands, recently completed a study on safetysystems at the largest European airports under contractto the Amsterdam Airport Schiphol Safety AdvisoryCommittee. This article is a summary of the lessons evi-dent in the KplusV study’s comparison of the safety man-agement processes observed at several airports.

continued on page 35

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IN the not-so-distant past, an airportwas simply a terminus that served airtravellers and shippers — a place for

passengers to begin or complete theirjourney. The traditional definition of anairport, however, is being refined toreflect the reality that many airports areactually complex industrial enterprises.

Quite apart from their essential airsideactivities, many large airports today housecommercial facilities within the terminalbuilding that serve both passengers andthe non-travelling public. Airport authori-ties collect concession fees (i.e. non-aero-nautical revenues) from concessionaireswho specialize in various business activi-ties, and in numerous airports around theworld this income is significant. Indeed,such revenues often exceed the traditional

AIRPORT ECONOMICS

Bustling aerotropolis has arisenat many leading airports

An airport with many of the attributes of a city is popularly known as an aerotropolis, a relativelynew economic phenomenon of growing importance to the world’s airport authorities

RUWANTISSA ABEYRATNE

ICAO SECRETARIAT

income obtained through airport landingand passenger charges.

More and more, airports are evolvingfrom being basic aeronautical infrastruc-tures. Typically, terminal buildings incor-porate duty free shops, specialty retailand brand name boutiques, restaurants,hotels, banks, office complexes, recre-ation and fitness centres.

A number of major hubs are facing aboom in non-aeronautical activities thatare not directly related to air travel. Forinstance, Chek Lap Kok, Hong Kong’sinternational airport, has more than 30high-end designer shops. Singapore’sChangi International pampers to fitnesscravings and the continuing need forentertainment by hosting cinemas,saunas and even a swimming pool in theairport itself. Frankfurt Main has theworld’s largest airport clinic, with thecapacity to serve 36,000 patients annually,while Detroit Metropolitan Wayne

County has a 420 bedroom hotel in itsmain concourse. Munich Airport has itsown hospital, while Amsterdam Schipolhas a Dutch master’s gallery and a casi-no. Beijing has quite a few banks carry-ing on business within the terminal build-ing, while Stockholm’s Arlanda Airportin 2005 solemnized marriages and offici-ated over 450 weddings in the vast chapellocated within the terminal.

All this is of course related to the factthat a busy airport has scores of relative-ly affluent travellers flowing continuouslythrough its terminals. This potential mar-ket for goods and services has promptedairport operators to refine their manage-ment structure. For example, manyauthorities have established separate realestate management and property divi-sions to capitalize on their landside com-mercial activities and enhance real estatevalues. One of the foremost in this area isAeroports de Paris, which established itsreal estate division in 2003 to overseelandside commercial activities comingunder the purview of Paris Charles deGaulle and Orly airports. AmsterdamSchipol is doing the same and developingits real estate potential to build largeoffice complexes, meeting and entertain-ment facilities, logistics parks, shoppingand other commercial activities. Someother airports have aggressively put inplace free trade and customs-free zones,golf courses, child and daycare centres,factory outlet stores and fitness centres.

Beijing, which is expected to emerge asone of the busiest airports in the next fewyears, is going ahead with building itsCapital Airport City. This will provideshopping, entertainment, education,sports and leisure activities, while accom-modating activities related to commerce,finance trade and housing. Dallas FortWorth has concentrated its activities in thefield of real estate development as a prof-

22 ICAO JOURNAL

Among airports with major non-aeronautical activities is Singapore Changi, whichcaters to entertainment and recreation cravings by hosting cinemas, saunas, andeven a swimming pool in the airport itself. Shown is a close-up view of Changi’srestful orchid garden.

Civ

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itable adjunct to its tradi-tional airport activities.Hong Kong airport’sSkyCity is a colourfulproject which will containa million square metresof retail, exhibition, officeand hotel space very nearto the terminal. This com-plex will also accommo-date cinemas and minitheme parks.

Yet another spectaculardevelopment is the new air-port city of Kuala LumpurInternational Airport, whichwill be commercially heldtogether by its large Gate-way Park. This park willhost office complexes, retailstores, a large automotive market and leisurevenues which will cater to the aviation andnon-aviation market in the city. In Seoul,Incheon International Airport will have itsown mega-complex in its “Winged City,”which provides for large business areas,shopping and tourism zones, as well ashousing and medical services for airportworkers and nearby residents.

Also in Asia, Suvarnabhumi, the newBangkok International Airport that hasjust opened, has an entire “airport city”within its boundaries that includes aninternational business centre and confer-ence and exhibition complex, shoppingmalls, car parks, hospitals, restaurants,and a large entertainment centre.

It is clear that what these airports aredoing is developing a metropolitan com-mercial business district anchored ontheir strategically placed resources tocreate employment and generate rev-enue. This is a highly lucrative commer-cial practice and strategy implemented bymajor airports that are conscious of mar-ket potential.

The aerotropolis, as it is popularly known,is a natural corollary of the upturn of theeconomy in major cities as well as the con-temporaneous advantage of an airport inpromoting commerce in a fast moving glob-ally networked economy. Advanced technol-ogy and high-speed communications areessential for today’s businesses, and a mod-ern airport ensures these are available tothousands of business travellers. Althoughthe concept of the aerotropolis has been

AIRPORT ECONOMICS

developed as a suc-cessful business modelmostly in the Westernworld, Asia is not farbehind and is gainingrapidly on a competi-tive level, as the ex-amples above indicate.

Being very simi-lar in concept to thetraditional metropo-lis, which is a con-trived formation of acentral city andcommuter- l inkedsuburbs, the aero-tropolis responds to society’s demandsfor an agile multimodal transportationsystem with accessible sophisticatedtelecommunications. A functional aero-tropolis is optimized by corridor and clus-ter development of high-volume commer-cial activity facilitated through “aero-lanes” such as expressway links andtrains linking the airport city to the air-port itself. Infrastructure also has to becreated for the smooth flow of buses,taxis and trucks between the two points.

Any major airport has the potential tobecome an aerotropolis, provided dedi-cated expressways and high-speed railfurnish links to business and residentialclusters. Also required is efficient infor-mation communications technology.

There are three basic conditions thatenable the aerotropolis to flourish. Theseare privatization, liberalization and global-

ization. Privatization involves the wholespectrum of economic activities thataffect infrastructural services and couldextend to such activities as power gener-ation and customs clearing services. Ithas two main advantages, specifically theattainment of maximum profit and animprovement in service efficiency. Forthis reason, public enterprise has largelylost its appeal.

The liberalization and globalization ofmarkets has occurred with the recogni-tion of the advantages and virtues ofintensified competition. Liberalizationleads to greater entrepreneurial activity,and new private companies, with theirmarket entry, make larger marketspotentially available. The result of thisheightened competition is better serviceat more competitive prices. In the case

NUMBER 3, 2007 23

The annual Christmas Market at Munich Airport (top) fostersa sense of community. Any major airport has the potentialto become an aerotropolis provided dedicated expresswaysand high-speed rail link business and residential areas; picturedis the high-speed magnetic levitation train that servesShanghai’s Pudong Airport.

Mu

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CA

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continued on page 31

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24 ICAO JOURNAL

ICAO UPDATE ICAO proposes major amendment of general aviation provisionsICAO Contracting States and international organizationshave been asked to comment by 15 July 2007 on a propos-al to overhaul the ICAO provisions for international generalaviation (GA) operations contained in Annex 6 (Part II) to theChicago Convention.

The proposed modifications to the GA provisions are con-sidered necessary because of major developments in the GAsector in the years since the regulations were first introduced,among them the emergence of a rapidly expanding corporateaviation sector and an innovative scheme known as fractionalownership, a concept that many States have yet to address.

The GA provisions currently contained in the annex wereby and large established in 1968 and are still geared towardsthe GA environment prevalent at that time.

The ICAO Air Navigation Commission has recognized thatthe current Annex 6, Part II, “is lagging behind the develop-ments in general aviation and is in danger of becoming irrele-vant,” the ICAO Secretary General informed member States ina letter disseminated at the end of March. “If timely action isnot taken to amend Part II, this segment of international avia-tion could undergo changes in an uncoordinated manner asStates develop their own regulations for contemporary gener-al aviation, including large turbojet aircraft operating interna-tionally and on intercontinental routes,” the letter states.

The proposed amendment, intended to become applicableon 20 November 2008, was developed with the assistance ofthe International Business Aviation Council (IBAC) and theInternational Council of Aircraft Owner and Pilot Associations(IAOPA), and reflects significant changes including the adventof new technologies and more capable GA aircraft. It propos-es dividing Part II of Annex 6 into three sections, with the firstsection covering general provisions and definitions. Section IIwould cover provisions applicable to all GA operations, andSection III would concern provisions for business/corporateoperations and any operation involving large aircraft or anyturbojet aircraft.

The amended provisions would address GA issues such asinstrument approach criteria and equipage with ground prox-imity warning systems, and would introduce more stringentrequirements for corporate and business operations and theoperation of more sophisticated aircraft.

The proposed amendment does not yet address the ques-tion of fractional ownership as there is a lack of a clear andconsistent definition for these types of operations and uncer-tainty about their commercial or non-commercial nature.However, States have been asked to comment on how frac-tional or shared ownership is treated by their regulatory sys-tems. They were also urged to provide ICAO with specificinformation on its legal status so that the organization canwork on resolving the issues in this area. It is possible provi-sions for fractional ownership could be included in Annex 6,Part II, in the future.

States have been asked to comment specifically on aproposed change to instrument approach criteria for gener-al aviation. The current provisions apply an “approach ban”to all GA aircraft, whereby a precision instrument approachcannot continue beyond the outer marker fix and a non-pre-cision approach cannot continue below 300 metres (1,000ft) above the aerodrome unless the reported visibility or run-way visual range (RVR) is above the specified minimum. Theproposed amendment contemplates eliminating theapproach ban for all GA operations, or alternatively, apply-ing a modified ban only to operations involving large andturbojet aircraft covered under the new Section III. Underthe latter option, the reported visibility requirement is elimi-nated with the result that the ban applies only to thoseapproach operations where RVR is reported. States arerequested to provide specific comments on both of theseoptions in light of their own operating environments andrequirements for general aviation. ■■

Seminars to help introduceperformance-based navigationICAO’s performance-based navigation (PBN) initiative hasentered a new phase following the recent dissemination of aPBN manual in final draft form on the ICAO secure website,

NEW PUBLICATIONS F R O M I C A O

Visit ICAO’s website (www.icao.int) to order documents or obtain a complete list of ICAO publications and audio-visual training aids,or e-mail [email protected]

All prices are in U.S. dollars, and are subject to change. Prices include the cost of delivery by best method, as determined by ICAO

Manual on Testing of Radio Navigation Aids (Doc 8071)Volume II — Testing of Satellite-based Radio Navigation Systems5th Edition, 2007; 76 pagesISBN 92-9194-889-6Order No. 8071P2 … $41

Manual on Volcanic Ash, Radioactive Material and Toxic Chemical Clouds (Doc 9691)2nd Edition, 2007; 178 pagesISBN 92-9194-888-8Order No. 9691 … $96

CNS/ATM Business Case Analysis Tool 2007, CD-ROMOrder No. CD-109 … $300

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as well as other guidance on how States and air navigationservice providers (ANSPs) can implement the PBN concept,which was developed as the most practical solution for reg-ulating the expanding proliferation of navigation applications.The new information, available at ICAO-NET (www.icao.int/icaonet), includes guidelines on issuing operational approvalsfor PBN for different phases of flight. Since PBN revises thecurrent required navigation performance (RNP) concept, thePBN Manual replaces the Manual on Required NavigationPerformance, which is now out of print.

In order to assist States and operators with the introductionof PBN operations, ICAO is currently in the midst of organizingworkshops in all regions of the world. So far 10 seminars havebeen planned, including one in Bangkok from 11 to 14 September,and another in New Delhi from 17 to 21 September.

The PBN seminars are intended for all stakeholders in thePBN implementation process, among them the State regula-tory authorities, aircraft operators, ANSPs, and proceduredesign organizations. While some States are already movingahead with PBN implementation, others will find the informa-tion provided at the seminars to be a necessity in getting theirprogrammes under way.

More information on the seminars, and PBN in general, canbe found at the ICAO PBN website (www.icao.int/pbn). ■■

NUMBER 3, 2007 25

Disclosure of ICAO safetyoversight audit resultsA total of 87 Contracting States and two territories hadagreed by mid-May 2007 to the disclosure of either their fullsafety oversight audit report or an executive summary of theaudit report at ICAO’s public website. Audit results are cur-rently available to all Contracting States at a secure web-site, but as of 23 March 2008 such information will bereleased in summary form to the public provided that themember State has authorized its disclosure. Beyond thisdate, ICAO intends to issue a press release revealing theidentity of those States that have not given their authoriza-tion to release their audit results.

Efforts will be made during the 36th Session of the ICAOAssembly this September to encourage senior governmentofficials to sign the release consent forms if their States havenot already provided such consent. The forthcomingAssembly, to be held at ICAO headquarters from 18 to 28September, will set out a work programme and budget for theorganization for the coming three years, 2008-10.

Since January 2005, audits conducted under the UniversalSafety Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP) are performedaccording to the comprehensive systems approach. This coversall of the safety-related provisions in 16 of the 18 annexes to theChicago Convention, and is greatly expanded over the initialaudit mandate, which was concerned with just three of theConvention annexes.

To date, 26 final safety oversight audit reports have beenposted at the ICAO secure website, and nine States have pro-vided consent to the release of audit information under this cur-rent audit cycle to the public. Recent final safety oversight auditreports that were posted on the ICAO secure website in Apriland May 2007 include Botswana, Bulgaria, El Salvador, Greece,Italy, Liberia, Namibia and Sierra Leone. ■■

ANB Director appointedNancy J. Graham (United States) hasbeen appointed Director of ICAO’s AirNavigation Bureau (ANB) for a four-year term. Ms. Graham assumed herduties on 2 April 2007.

The holder of a master’s degree in sci-ence (technology management) and abachelor’s degree in management, Ms.Graham joins ICAO from the U.S.Federal Aviation Administration (FAA),where she served most recently as

Asia/Pacific Regional Director (2005-07). In this capacity she wasresponsible for leading FAA efforts to strengthen safety in theregion while encouraging procedural and system harmonization.

Prior to the Asia/Pacific posting, Ms. Graham was theInternational Technical Programme Manager at FAA’s region-al office for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Specializingin air traffic management (ATM) technologies, systems andprocedures, she has served as the senior ATM adviser to theChief Operating Officer of the U.S. Air Traffic Organizationand to the Director of the European and Middle EastInternational Area Office, and has represented the FAA at var-ious ICAO venues.

Ms. Graham formerly served as the Integrated Product TeamLeader for the FAA’s International Oceanic and OffshoreProgrammes, and has been Co-Chair for the informal ICAOAsia/Pacific Working Group responsible for implementing satel-lite-based communications, navigation and surveillance (CNS)systems in the international oceanic operational environment.

Prior to joining the FAA in 1991, Ms. Graham served in theU.S. Navy as the Programme Manager for Surface ShipWeapons Systems. ■■

Nancy J. Graham

Amendment greatly simplifiesICAO Annex 10A recent amendment to ICAO Annex 10 addresses a widerange of provisions for different communications, navigationand surveillance (CNS) systems such as the aeronauticaltelecommunication network (ATN), the aeronautical mobile-satellite (route) service (AMS(R)S), the universal access trans-ceiver (UAT) and automatic dependent surveillance-broad-cast (ADS-B) using the 1090 MHz extended squitter.

Standards and recommended practices (SARPs) for thesesystems have been restructured, with technical specifica-tions divided into a “core” element of SARPs, complementedby additional material to be published in an ICAO manual andby references to documents developed by other standards-making bodies such as the International TelecommunicationUnion (ITU) and RTCA.

The amendment simplifies Annex 10 by replacing some1,500 system-specific provisions for the AMSS with approx-imately 150 performance-oriented SARPs that are mainly ofa generic nature and not tied to a specific technology. Theamendment of new system-level provisions for extendedsquitter, relocation of Mode S and extended squitter data for-mats, and the transfer of some other detailed provisions to anew technical manual, allow for a further significant reductionof standards in Annex 10. ■■

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26 ICAO JOURNAL

A colloquium on aviation emissions held at ICAOheadquarters in mid-May provided a comprehensiveoverview of a complex issue that will be high on theagenda of the 36th Session of the ICAO Assembly thisSeptember.

Where the question of aviation emissions is con-cerned, the forthcoming meeting of ICAO’sContracting States is just the beginning of an ICAO-led global effort needed to reduce the impact of avia-tion on the environment, according to ICAO CouncilPresident Roberto Kobeh González. “We also have tothink of the upcoming years and ICAO’s continuingleading role in a post-Kyoto period,” he explained in awelcome address to the colloquium participants.

ICAO, as the only global forum that can bring all par-ties together on international civil aviation environmen-tal issues, will continue to lead the way, together withits 190 member States and in cooperation with themain international non-governmental organizations,asserted the Council President.

The Council President highlighted the importance of com-piling information before taking action, noting that theInternational Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) had recentlyissued its fourth assessment report. “Once we increase ourunderstanding of the situation, we will be in a better positionto assess the magnitude of the problem, review proposedmitigation measures and establish a clear direction,” heinformed the colloquium.

ICAO Secretary General Dr. Taïeb Chérif also underscoredthe importance of utilizing data in the effort to minimize theadverse effects of civil aviation on the environment, one ofICAO’s primary strategic objectives.

“Information is key to meeting this environmental chal-lenge,” he remarked. “Agreed and accurately characterizedscientific and technical data are essential in developing for-

ward-looking solutions. Precise technical information on avia-tion emissions and their impact on local air quality and globalclimate must form the basis of all measures.”

Looking to the future, Dr. Chérif said that ICAO should devel-op the capability to provide information on the status of emis-sions and to assess the reduction achieved through techno-logical and operational means, thus allowing the organizationto determine whether additional measures are necessary.

Work is also under way to develop technological and opera-tional goals, the Secretary General added. “We must continue tochallenge aviation by setting goals,” he proposed, noting that thisprocess had worked well with respect to nitrogen oxides (NOx)emissions. In the longer term, he predicted ICAO would probablyregulate new aircraft engines with alternative fuel sources thatwould produce a reduced impact on the atmosphere.

In mitigating the environmental impact of aviation emissions,Dr. Chérif stressed that all possible mitigation measures wouldneed to be explored. “Such measures must be made availableunder a clear framework, a framework that provides Stateswith the flexibility to select alternatives in the most cost-effec-tive manner.” The ICAO emissions plan, he added, could proveinstrumental in helping States achieve this goal.

Taking part in the three-day event were representatives froma wide spectrum of the aviation and scientific communities.Among the participants were panellists from leading civil avia-tion administrations as well as other government and industrybodies and a number of university research centres. Variousdiscussions focused on scientific findings, methodologies usedto assess the impact of aviation emissions, and technologicaldevelopments, operational measures and market-basedoptions geared to mitigate the effects of aviation on local airquality and global climate. A concluding panel discussionlooked at possible approaches to deal with aviation emissions.

The colloquium focused on the outcome of the latest meet-ing of the Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection(CAEP), which agreed, among other things, on provisionalemissions trading guidelines that will be examined by the 36th

Session of the ICAO Assembly this fall (see “Experts proposeguidance on how to include aviation in emissions tradingscheme,” ICAO Journal Issue 2/2007, pg 29).

MONTREAL CONVENTION

Bosnia and Herzegovina deposited its instrument ofaccession to the Montreal Convention of 1999 during abrief ceremony at ICAO headquarters on 9 March 2007,bringing the total number of parties to the Convention to76. Shown on the occasion are Milenko Misic, Ambas-sador of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Ottawa (left) andDenys Wibaux, Director of the ICAO Legal Bureau.

ICAO colloquium focuses on aviation emissions

Participants at the Colloquium on Aviation Emissions held at ICAO headquar-ters from 14 to 16 May 2007 heard various stakeholders advocate possibleapproaches for dealing with engine emissions in aviation

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Generally, colloquium participants expressed broad supportfor the leadership role played by ICAO in addressing the prob-lem of emissions and other environmental issues, while pointingout the need for action by the entire aviation community. Moreinformation on the ICAO Colloquium on Aviation Emissions,including video clips of some of the presentations, is availableat the ICAO website (www.icao.int/envclq/clq07). ■■

NUMBER 3, 2007 27

ICAO issues interim policy guidanceon GNSS cost allocationICAO has established policy guidelines on global navigationsatellite system (GNSS) cost allocation that are available tothe organization’s 190 member States in draft form until aconsensus has been reached on the definition of basic serv-ices and liabilities of GNSS service providers.

The policy guidelines are the conclusions of a study thatwas initiated in 1998, when a worldwide conference onCNS/ATM systems implementation called on ICAO to addressthe issue of cost allocation amongst all users of GNSS, includ-ing its allocation between civil aviation and other user cate-gories. Since then, a Secretariat study on the matter has beenconsidered by various forums.

In a letter dated 29 June, ICAO member States were urgedto apply the tentative policy guidance as much as possible intheir negotiations with GNSS providers, responsible authori-ties and other interested parties. “The provisional guidancecould serve as a tool for the civil aviation community toensure an equitable treatment of all users,” ICAO SecretaryGeneral Taïeb Chérif informed member States.

ICAO continues to monitor developments and to collectrelevant information to make an inventory of GNSS applica-tions. The organization will also further coordinate technical,legal and economic aspects associated with GNSS cost allo-cation. Once a consensus on the critical issues has beenbuilt, the provisional guidance is to be redrafted with appro-priate wording for inclusion in ICAO’s formal policy state-ment, the Policies on Charges for Airports and Air NavigationServices (Document 9082).

The provisional guidelines accepted by ICAO Council earlythis year call for basic GNSS services to be provided free ofcharge as a common good to a multiple number of user cate-gories. Where there is a requirement for more advanced GNSSservices, including augmentation services, the provisionalguidance recommends instituting user charges to cover thehigher costs associated with the higher quality service.

Before any costs are recovered for GNSS services, howev-er, ICAO recommends using a consultative process to arriveat an agreement on how the cost will be allocated. Cost allo-cation amongst all users should be discussed and agreedupon through transparent negotiations and consultationsbetween a GNSS service provider and representatives of civilaviation as well as other user categories, the provisionalguidelines state.

The draft guidance also states that the cost allocationshould be consistent with ICAO’s policies on air navigationservices charges. Such uniformity ensures that civil aviationis requested to pay only its fair share of the relevant costs,ICAO concluded, and prevents unfair discrimination againstinternational civil aviation. ■■

SEMINAR SERIESIntroduction

toPerformance Based Navigation

PBNICAO is conducting 10 seminars on PBN in each ICAO region around the world to introduce the

PBN concept and how to implement PBN.

This free seminar is a must-have for State regulators, air navigation service providers,

Operators, ATM Planners, procedure designers and others who will be involved in, or need to

know about, the implementation of PBN.

The first regular seminars will be in the Asia-Pacific Region:

11-14 September 2007Bangkok, Thailand

17-21 September 2007New Delhi, India

Register now at our web site

http://www.icao.int/pbn

where you can also find information on future seminar dates and additional

information on

PBN

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28 ICAO JOURNAL

Bosnia and Herzegovina assumesresponsibility for airspaceThe Government of Bosnia and Herzegovina assumed fullresponsibility for the airspace over its territory on 20 April 2007,when control was officially transferred from the EuropeanForce (EUFOR). The transfer took place at the ICAO Europeanand North Atlantic Office in Paris with the signing of a protocolby the Commander of EUFOR and the Minister of Transportand Communication of Bosnia and Herzegovina, a ceremonythat was attended by high-level officials from NATO,Eurocontrol, the European Commission and ICAO.

The ICAO regional office played a role in drafting the proto-col, whose signing signalled the last step in a process thatstarted 10 years earlier, following the signing of the DaytonAgreement. The Minister of Transport and Communication alsoexpressed Bosnia and Herzegovina’s appreciation for ICAO’ssupport in establishing a functioning civil aviation administra-tion and for its ongoing assistance with implementing the pro-visions of the Convention on International Civil Aviation.

The full transfer of responsibility for the airspace aboveBosnia and Herzegovina, a phased process that began in2000 with the opening of its upper airspace to civil air traffic,means the country now has the obligation to provide air nav-igation facilities and to implement standard systems neededfor conducting international aviation operations.

More information on the recent transfer of Bosnia andHerzegovina airspace control, in particular video clips anddocuments related to the signing of the protocol, is available at the ICAO European and North Atlantic Officewebsite (www.paris.icao.int/). ■■

FELLOWSHIP FUNDS

A group of States has made a donation of over U.S.$19,000 to the recently established Assad Kotaite Gradu-ate and Postdoctoral Fellowship Fund. The ABIS Group —comprised of Austria, Belgium, Ireland, Luxembourg, theNetherlands and Switzerland, presented the donation atICAO headquarters on 29 May 2007. Shown at the presen-tation are (l-r): Ricardo J. Heighes-Thiessen, Director of theICAO Technical Cooperation Bureau; Lionel Alain Dupuis,Representative of Canada on the Council of ICAO; SilviaGehrer, Representative of Austria on the Council of ICAO;ICAO Secretary General Dr. Taïeb Chérif; Daniel Ruhier,Alternate Representative of Austria on the Council of ICAO;and ICAO Council President Roberto Kobeh González.

World’s airlines post higher profitsThe scheduled airlines of ICAO’s 190 member States postedan estimated combined operating profit of 2.9 percent ofoperating revenues in 2006, a significant improvement overthe 1 percent recorded in 2005.

Expressed in U.S. currency, operating revenues for 2006are tentatively estimated at $452.4 billion, up approximately9.5 percent over 2005, with estimated operating expenses at$439.5 billion, some 7.5 percent higher than the precedingyear. Yields, expressed in terms of operating revenues pertonne-kilometre performed, rose from 80.2 cents to an esti-mated 83.5 cents, while operating expenses increased from79.3 to an estimated 81.1 cents. (A tonne-kilometre is a com-bined measure of passenger, freight and mail traffic whichtakes into account the distance flown.)

The net financial result — excluding the reorganizationexpenses of some U.S. carriers — is provisionally estimatedto be a profit of about 0.6 percent of operating revenues, animprovement over the loss of about 1 percent in 2005.

The positive operating results came in spite of average jetfuel price increases of about 12 percent over 2005, whichitself saw dramatic increases in the average fuel price (some 49 percent higher than 2004). Airlines adopted several offset-ting measures to the escalating price, including specific fuelsurcharges and related provisions, as well as reductions incontrollable expenses, especially distribution costs and gen-eral overheads. This led to a reduction in unit costs of around3.4 percent. Yields increased by 4 percent, more a reflectionof the fuel surcharge and exchange rate differences than realstrength on the pricing front.

It is estimated that airlines of four of the world’s six statis-tical regions achieved, on aggregate by region, a positiveoperating result, thereby contributing to the overall operatingand net results shown by the industry in 2006. The majorimprovement was in the performance of North American car-riers, where a combination of capacity management andincrease in traffic and fares led to a return to profitable oper-ations ($7 billion in operating profits in 2006, compared to amarginal $200 million operating loss in 2005). Other regionsthought to have achieved positive results were Europe,Asia/Pacific and the Middle East.

Looking to the future, slowing growth in real yields and lim-ited scope to achieve further reductions in costs will affectcarriers already faced with low operating and net margins. Onthe positive side, buoyant economic conditions and success-ful efforts to stimulate traffic should sustain above averagetraffic growth, especially by carriers in Europe and Asia. Theexpected positive impact of open skies agreements betweenthe U.S. and Europe, India and China, and other liberalizationagreements, should see the industry maintain traffic growthand profitability in the coming years. ■■

Number of fatal airlineaccidents decline in 2006ICAO’s annual analysis of aviation safety and security data hasrevealed that 2006 witnessed 13 fatal accidents and 755 pas-senger fatalities in scheduled air services worldwide, and 16acts of unlawful interference causing two deaths and 27 injuries.

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NUMBER 3, 2007 29

In 2005, member States reported 712 passenger fatalities as aresult of 17 accidents, and six acts of unlawful interference inwhich three persons were killed and 60 were injured.

The safety statistics, based on preliminary informationcompiled from 190 Contracting States, are related to com-mercial air transport aircraft of more than 2,250 kilograms(4,960 lb) take-off mass, and reflect only those accidentsresulting in passenger fatalities.

ICAO’s analysis of aircraft accidents (which does not includethose related to acts of unlawful interference) unveiled thatdespite an increase in passenger fatalities, the accident rate in2006 rose only marginally to about 0.0193 fatal accidents per100 million passenger-kilometres flown, compared with a rate of0.0191 in 2005. The marginal rate increase reflects growth ofaround 5 percent in the volume of passenger-kilometres.

Non-scheduled operations experienced 13 fatal accidentsin 2006, compared with 18 fatal accidents in the previousyear. The number of passenger fatalities related to non-scheduled operations also decreased, to 81 from 249, in2005. Accident rates for non-scheduled transport could notbe estimated because of the lack of comprehensive trafficfigures for such services.

During 2006, 16 acts of unlawful interference included fourunlawful seizures or attempted seizures, three attacks on avi-ation facilities, three acts of sabotage or attempted sabotage,and one in-flight attack. ■■

AGREEMENTS SIGNED

ICAO Secretary General Dr. Taïeb Chérif and Jean-Christophe Chouvet, the Representative of France onthe Council of ICAO, recently signed two agreementson cooperation between France and ICAO. The agree-ments provide for the secondment of experts to theICAO Secretariat to perform duties related to the Orga-nization’s strategic objectives.

ICAO Council appointmentVergniaud Elyseu Filho has beenappointed Representative of Brazil onthe Council of ICAO. Mr. Elyseu Filho’stenure commenced on 1 January 2007.

Mr. Elyseu Filho graduated in 1970with a degree in law from MackenzieUniversity, São Paulo. He subse-quently studied law at institutions inboth Brazil and Europe, including theUniversity of São Paulo, where hespecialized in public law, The HagueAcademy of International Law, and

the Faculté Internationale pour L’Enseignement du DroitComparé (FIEDC) in Strasbourg. He graduated from theBrazilian Diplomatic Academy in 1976 and joined his coun-try’s Ministry of External Relations the following year.

After serving in the Division of International Acts (Treaties)and subsequently in the Western European Division, in 1981Mr. Elyseu Filho was appointed as Second Secretary at theEmbassy of Brazil in Stockholm, Sweden. He returned in1985to Brazil to serve as Advisor and Deputy Head of the Divisionof Science and Technology, and went abroad again in 1989as the First Secretary of the Brazilian Mission to InternationalOrganizations in Vienna.

Mr. Elyseu Filho was appointed Deputy Head of theDivision of Disarmament and Sensitive Technologies in 1993,and became Deputy Head of the Division of the UnitedNations in 1997. The following year he was assigned to theEmbassy in Bonn, Germany, where he served as Counsellorin charge of political matters. In 2000 he was namedCounsellor at the Embassy of Brazil in the United States. Heleft Washington, D.C. in 2004 to become Head of the Divisionof Science and Technology in the Ministry of ExternalRelations. Prior to joining ICAO, Mr. Elyseu Filho served frommid-2006 as Deputy Consul General of Brazil in Montreal. ■■

V. Elyseu Filho(Brazil)

Pilots and lawyers underscoreneed to protect safety dataA meeting of Brazilian pilots, lawyers and jurists in Sao Pauloin early May, held in conjunction with the 2nd Forum forBrazilian Civil Aviation Development, examined the issue ofsafety data protection, and called for Brazilian legislators tointroduce measures to properly protect such data. ICAO gavea presentation to the meeting on legal guidance with respectto ICAO Annex 13; the guidance is intended to assist Statesto enact national laws and regulations to protect informationgathered from safety data collection and processing systems(SDCPS), while allowing for the proper administration of jus-tice. The group also heard presentations on this topic by rep-resentatives of the International Federation of Air Line Pilots’Associations (IFALPA).

In recent years, technological advances have led to an accel-erated development of safety data collection, processing andexchange systems that generate information used to implementcorrective safety actions and proactive, long-term strategies, butincreasingly such information has also been used for disciplinaryand enforcement purposes, and admitted as evidence in criminalproceedings (see “Guidance material addresses concerns aboutprotection of safety information,” ICAO Journal Issue 6/2006, pp26-28). The pilots and lawyers meeting in Sao Paulo — membersof the Brazilian National Civil Aviation Agency, Flight CrewMembers Union, Airlines Union and the Brazilian Air and SpaceLaw Society — expressed concern about this trend and urgedtheir government to provide legal protection for SDCPS. Amongother things, the pilots and lawyers suggested that Brazil estab-lish an independent accident investigation and prevention safetyboard, and that further consideration be given to the new legalguidance contained in Annex 13. ■■

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30 ICAO JOURNAL

ICAO Council appointmentFrancesco Paolo Venier has beenappointed Representative of Italy on theCouncil of ICAO. Mr. Venier commencedhis tenure on 19 February 2007.

Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina,Mr. Venier graduated with a degree inpolitical science from the University ofPadua in 1981, and entered the diplo-matic field for the Government of Italyin 1990. After serving in the Office ofthe Secretary General of the ItalianMinistry of Foreign Affairs, he was

appointed in 1992 as First Secretary of the Embassy of Italyin Guatemala. He became Political Counsellor at theEmbassy of Italy in New Delhi, India in 1996.

In 2000 Mr. Venier returned to Rome to serve as Chief ofthe Mediterranean and Middle East Desk in the DirectorateGeneral for Development Cooperation at the Ministry ofForeign Affairs. He later was named Chief of Staff at theDirectorate General for Development Cooperation.

Mr. Venier became the First Counsellor and Deputy Headof Mission at the Embassy of Italy in Jakarta, Indonesia in2003. He was also in charge of the Economic, Commercialand Aid Section of the Italian Embassy. In 2006 he wasnamed the Consul General of Italy in Montreal, a post that hecontinues to hold in addition to performing his duties on theICAO Council. ■■

F.P. Venier(Italy)

ICAO Council appointmentMario Vélez Malqui has been appointedRepresentative of Peru on the Councilof ICAO. Mr. Vélez Malqui’s appoint-ment took effect on 1 April 2007.

A career diplomat who was born inNaples, Italy, Mr. Vélez Malqui joinsICAO while concurrently serving asthe Counsul General of Peru inMontreal. He commenced his diplo-matic career in Lima in 1971 followinghis graduation from the DiplomaticAcademy of Peru.

During his 35 years with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs ofPeru, Mr. Vélez Malqui has held progressively responsiblepositions both at home and abroad, culminating in hisappointment in 2004 as the Minister of the TechnicalSecretariat of the Multisectorial Commission of the Institutionfor the Integration of Regional Infrastructure in South America(IIRSA), and as the Representative of Peru to the IIRSA.

Mr. Vélez Malqui has served in various embassies aroundthe world, specifically in Denmark, Germany, Israel,Nicaragua and Paraguay, and most recently in Berlin,Germany from 2002 to 2004, where he held the post ofMinister. In addition, he has been the Consul General of Peruin Los Angeles, United States, and early in his career servedat the Permanent Mission of Peru to International Organizations,in Geneva. Over the years Mr. Vélez Malqui has participated asa delegate and representative of Peru at numerous internation-al meetings and conferences. ■■

M. Vélez Malqui(Peru)

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NUMBER 3, 2007 31

would be allocated to each body on the basis of mutual agreement.The way forward. As the body coordinating the cost recovery for

air navigation services in Tanzania, the CAA is in the process ofassessing the cost for the provision of such services with the goal ofrevising charges. The Tanzania Meteorological Agency will partici-pate in this process, anticipating that new cost recovery charges willbe based on both the current and forecast levels of traffic.

In the meantime, the TMA strives at improving the quality ofaeronautical meteorological services through the modernization ofits equipment and through improved internal, regional and interna-tional communications using high-speed data links. The agency isalso focused on the further development of human resources. ■■

Tanzanian meteorological servicescontinued from page 11

The outcome of this work was the publication of a document onthe principles of determining the cost of aeronautical meteorologi-cal services for en-route and terminal air navigation. The documenthighlights relevant aspects to be used internally to determine thecost of providing aeronautical meteorological services. Amongaspects that it found must be taken into account are the investmentexpenditure including maintenance, operating and administrativecosts, and the expenses related to training. The allocation of suchcosts between aeronautical and non-aeronautical users must also beconsidered, as well as the allocation of aeronautical meteorologicalservices costs to the en-route and airport components.

In developing its own document, the TMA used relevant ICAOmanuals as reference, in particular ICAO’s Policies on Charges forAirports and Air Navigation Services (Document 9082), the AirportEconomics Manual (Document 9562) and the Manual on AirNavigation Services Economics (Document 9161). Also referencedwas WMO Guide No. 904, Aeronautical Met Services Cost Recovery.

The charges currently levied for both air navigation and airportlanding and parking have been in effect for many years withoutreview. Although there have been new infrastructure and technolog-ical developments, no significant change has been made to match theoperating costs. However, following a costing exercise which cameup with higher amounts than what could be recovered from airlinesat the time, the Tanzania Airports Authority, CAA and TMO madeinterim arrangements whereby a portion of the recovered costs

Bustling aerotropoliscontinued from page 23

of airports, the effect can be seen in the typical price reductionof consumer goods in some airport shops immediately afterthey have been privatized.

Privatization also usually provides access to non-traditionalsources of capital for financing airport infrastructure and devel-opment of services.

Globalization is the removal of trade boundaries, somethingthat will facilitate the creation of an aerotropolis. Once suchboundaries are broken, enhanced competition resulting from aliberalized market ensures sufficient economic advancement tofacilitate the emergence of the aerotropolis.

An aerotropolis need not necessarily be built near a major hub air-port. The potential for an aerotropolis would lie primarily in the air-port’s location, and secondly on whether a nearby aerotropolis existsin a neighbouring country. Taking account of these factors, airportplanners can begin building an aerotropolis gradually. Aside from thelocal attractions, in particular the uniqueness of the environment, theabsence of similar facilities in neighbouring countries would be sig-nificant as demand for such facilities rises around the world.

The aerotropolis venture has yielded exponential increases injob opportunities for the local population, and an influx of foreignexchange. Therefore this concept, which has been tried and tested,should be on the minds of any airport and urban development plan-ner, particularly in tourist destinations. A fitting example is Miami,which experienced a boom in airline passenger traffic following theopening of the nearby Walt Disney World theme park. ■■

Multi-crew pilot licencecontinued from page 16

same imagery, thus enhancing crew coordination, situationalawareness and call-out procedures. At this early stage of the pro-gramme, motion capability is not a requirement.

The flight simulator training device used in Phase 3 (Intermediate)must represent a specific turbine-powered multi-engine aeroplanetype that requires two-pilot operation. The device must be certified toa standard equivalent to JAR/FAA Level B, which means that it hasto be capable of simulating full daylight operations while providingeach pilot with a continuous cockpit-wide minimum collimated viewthrough 180 degrees horizontally and 40 degrees vertically. ThePhase 3 device, which must incorporate air traffic control (ATC) sim-ulation, is also required to provide a motion cue.

The simulator used in Phase 4 (Advanced), the final phase ofthe training programme, must be fully equivalent to a Level Dor Level C flight simulator training device. This calls for anenhanced daylight visual system and ATC simulation.

One outstanding issue to be addressed concerns instructor qual-ification. Although not explicitly mentioned in the revised Annex 1or PANS-TRG, instructors assigned to provide training in an MPLcourse need to be specially qualified for this role. In Europe, forinstance, this question has been addressed by requiring that allMPL instructors complete an MPL instructor’s training course. Theobjective is to ensure that instructors are able to comply with a com-petency-based approach to pilot training and assessment. Amongother things, the two-day course deals with the integration of thethreat and error management framework throughout the trainingprocess. It finishes with an assessment of the candidate instructorand a certificate for successful applicants. For instructors involvedin the basic, intermediate or advanced phases of the MPL course,some experience in multi-crew operations is also a requirement.

Training for the MPL qualification is likely to be offered in allparts of the world. In Europe, for example, the MPL programmehas already been introduced. However, compared to ICAO Annex 1and PANS-TRG, the new Joint Aviation Requirements (JAR-FCL-1)are more prescriptive in certain areas, specifically with regard to thequalification of MPL instructors, the definition of the flight simula-tion training devices to be used in the different training phases, andthe simulation of the ATC environment in the third and fourth phas-es of the training programme. Also spelled out are the particulars ofthe contractual agreement between the flight training organizationconducting the MPL course and the airline intending to hire thegraduates, as well as a requirement for monitoring implementation

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32 ICAO JOURNAL

of the programme through an advisory board composed of repre-sentatives from aviation authorities, airlines, approved trainingorganizations and pilot associations.

This at first glance is a very positive development. The only possibledrawback is that the prescription of stricter standards by one authoritymay lead to different qualities of MPL training found around the world.

Among other examples of MPL implementation, the AustralianCivil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) has drafted amendments toits regulations and relevant civil aviation advisory publications tocater to the new programme. The consultation phase is under wayand final amendments are expected to be adopted in November2007. In China, the General Administration of Civil Aviation(CAAC) is in the process of amending its regulations in order toimplement the new training programme. A number of other coun-tries are involved in a similar process.

Several ongoing and future activities are expected to support theimplementation of the new training regime. For example, a proof-of-concept initiative was launched by ICAO in January 2007 (see box onpage 15) with the objective of facilitating the collection of relevant datathat can assist national aviation authorities in implementing MPL andalso for preparing necessary updates to PANS-TRG. A conference onthe proof-of-concept results is expected to be held in 2009 or 2010.

An international working group was formed in June 2006 byICAO for the purpose of updating ICAO Document 9625, theManual of Criteria for the Qualification of Flight Simulators. Thisfocus on flight simulation technology was undertaken at the urgingof the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), in light of theneed for a more precise definition of the different types of flight sim-ulation training devices required for each phase of the MPL course.

With assistance from the Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS),the objective of the ICAO working group is to establish qualifica-tion standards for the approval of all flight simulator trainingdevices on a worldwide basis. This is a major endeavour aimed atreversing an existing situation whereby the technical capabilitiesof simulators determine how these devices are used in training.Once global standards for such devices are in place, the requiredsimulator fidelity and technical complexity will be defined by train-ing needs. The newly formed group intends to publish an updatedand expanded Document 9625 by the end of 2008.

Yet another supporting activity has been initiated by IATA,which is convinced that the MPL represents the state-of-the-art abinitio airline pilot training programme. Through its own global ini-tiative, and for the benefit of its member airlines, IATA intends tospearhead the worldwide standardization and harmonization ofMPL implementation. This initiative, which it is undertaking inclose coordination with ICAO, will include the establishment of aworking panel. Panel members will represent airlines, trainingproviders, aircraft manufacturers, regulators and pilot associations— in short, all MPL stakeholders from all corners of the globe. ■■

Multilateration technologycontinued from page 14

system’s flexibility, breadth of application and economic advan-tages are being demonstrated daily. As in communications,where data links in certain applications are gradually supersed-ing routine voice messages, and likewise in navigation — a fieldin which terrestrial aids are being supplanted by satellite posi-

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NUMBER 3, 2007 33

Proof-of-concept initiativecontinued from page 15

implementation, will prove crucial to the further develop-ment of guidance material. A letter issued by the organiza-tion in June 2007 provides States with specific guidelines for gathering these data in a harmonized manner. Thedataset definition was achieved through a cooperative effort involving ICAO, State regulators, the airline industry andpilot representatives.

Standardized forms have been developed for collecting pre-cise information in four specific areas. In addition to details aboutState regulations and the oversight of MPL licences, the formsrequest information on each MPL training programme offeredby an approved training organization, the performance of eachtrainee, and the initial operational evaluation of each MPL holder.The identity of individual trainees will be protected by designat-ing an identification number for tracking individual records forthe purpose of analysis.

tioning — technological evolution also characterizes surveil-lance, with multilateration and ADS-B expected to eventuallyreplace radar in most, if not all, aviation applications.

But such transformations are in fact the normal state in air traf-fic management, and we can anticipate still more fundamentalchanges in the way aviation is conducted as the 21st centuryunfolds. Elements that were formerly regarded as being exclu-sively government-owned and operated, such as the traditionalflag carrier, have already been widely privatized, and corporatiza-tion and privatization are spreading to other areas. Air traffic con-trol, for example, is being transformed in a similar manner, asdemonstrated by the growing number of privatized or partiallyprivatized ANSPs. Along with this development, the provision ofATC-related supporting services is beginning to change. In a sig-nificant step in this direction, the U.S. FAA recently announcedthat its nationwide ADS-B surveillance service — which itdescribes as the critical “backbone” of its Next Generation AirTransportation System (NGATS) — will be provided by a privateindustry contractor. Under the FAA contract, the selected organ-ization will be responsible for the design, production, installation,support and ongoing maintenance of over 500 ADS-B ground-based transceivers across the United States. In a break with thepast, the FAA will not own and operate the surveillance system;its sole commitment, along with the operators that will benefitfrom the system, will be to pay for the service. Yet another exam-ple of this trend was the FAA’s transfer of the staffing and opera-tion of many of its airport control towers and its general aviationflight service briefing activity to the industry.

Taking this process a step further, one might expect that inthe future many of the world’s air traffic support services will beprovided by private organizations under exclusive agreementswith national or regional ATM authorities. The aforementionedsystem provides a scalable network backbone to enable thesetypes of surveillance service models, with clear benefits to allstakeholders of air navigation services. ■■

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ICAO phraseology have misunderstood “taxi to holding posi-tion” as meaning “taxi to position and hold,” and proceeded toline up on the runway. These similarities in phraseology havethe potential for catastrophic consequences.

Report analysis. The decision by the pilot of the Cessna 172to take off after being instructed to taxi to position on the run-way, and the manner in which ATC and administrative proce-dures are applied at the Quebec tower, played a significant rolein the risk of collision.

Given that the controller was transmitting on the ground and airfrequencies before the Airbus A320 took off, the pilots of both air-craft were able to hear what was being said to the other aircraft. Inreality, the Airbus A320 crew was not aware that the Cessna 172was on Runway 30, and the pilot of the Cessna was not aware thatthe A320 had been cleared for take-off on Runway 24. Since thecaptain of the Airbus and the Cessna pilot were bilingual, the useof both English and French by ATC did not contribute to their fail-ure to be aware of the situation. They were either inattentive toexternal communications or preoccupied with piloting tasks. Inany event, even if they had known that the Cessna 172 was onRunway 30, the A320 crew could not anticipate the unexpectedtake-off of the Cessna. For his part, the Cessna pilot would nothave taken off if he had been aware that another aircraft had beencleared for take-off on the crossing runway.

When the controller realized that the Cessna 172 had takenoff without clearance, he immediately attempted to contact firstACA513, then the Cessna 172. Since the transmit function hadbeen disabled by the controller, the aircraft could not receivehis instructions. The stress generated by the suddenness of the

34 ICAO JOURNAL

Incident reportcontinued from page 19

pilot or a pilot with little experience; • the low probability that an air safety investigation would be initiated;• air safety had not been compromised; and • listening to ATS tapes might reveal errors of phraseology.

Confusion over similar phraseologies. The investigation identifiedsimilarities between the phraseology used by controllers in Canadaand the United States to clear an aircraft onto a runway to hold orwait, and the ICAO phraseology used to clear an aircraft to holdshort of a runway. Although this issue was not shown to have playeda role in this occurrence, these similarities in phraseology have thepotential to degrade the safety of the air transport system. The useof the word “position” in Canada and the United States is associatedwith a position on a runway, whereas the same word in ICAOphraseology indicates a holding position short of the runway.

North American crews operating in parts of the world whereICAO phraseology is used may confuse the term “taxi to hold-ing position” with “taxi to position.” This confusion could resultin a crew taxiing onto an active runway when they had beencleared to a point short of the runway. In a letter dated 25 April2003, ICAO stated that flight crews from States unfamiliar with

The International Civil Aviation Organization and McGill UniversityPRESENT A WORLDWIDE CONFERENCE ON

AVIATION SAFETY, SECURITY & THE ENVIRONMENT:THE WAY FORWARD

INTERNATIONAL CIVIL AVIATIONORGANIZATION

MCGILL UNIVERSITY INSTITUTE OF AIR & SPACE LAW

September 14 - 16, 2007 | Preceding the 36th Session of the ICAO Assembly The Hilton Montreal Bonaventure Hotel (across the street from ICAO Headquarters, Montreal, Canada)

About This Conference:The International Civil Aviation Organizationand McGill University’s Institute of Air & SpaceLaw are convening a Worldwide Conference on“Aviation Safety, Security and the Environment– The Way Forward” immediately preceding the36th Session of ICAO’s General Assembly inMontreal. This Conference brings together governmental, industry, scientific/engineering,legal, financial, and academic experts fromaround the world to address the critical chal-lenges facing civil aviation today.

Who Should Attend?The Conference is a “must attend” for professionals from civil aviation authori-ties and transport ministries [including members of state delegations to theICAO Assembly], airlines, airports, air navigation service providers, aviationsecurity providers as well as personnel of organizations directly involved in supporting the aviation business such as air cargo operators, insurers, risk managers, manufacturers, law and consulting firms, and international andregional organizations.

For more information on the Programme and Registration, see the Conference Website at

http://www.icao.int/icao/en/atb/atbMcGill_meetings/2007/Index.html or www.mcgill.ca/iasl. Also, you

may contact at ICAO: Susan Joseph at 514-954-8219 ext. 6278 or e-mail [email protected]; At McGill

University: Maria D’Amico at 514-398-5095 or e-mail [email protected]

ICAO anticipates receiving information on State regulationsand oversight of MPL licences by October 2007. The evaluationof other MPL data is expected to commence in late 2008. ■■

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NUMBER 3, 2007 35

Airport safety systemscontinued from page 21

as well as the manner in which this is accomplished. Joint safe-ty management concerns how well the airport and all otherstakeholders manage and improve safety together.

The general picture to emerge from the study is that explic-it, joint safety objectives have not been formulated at the air-ports studied, although there is consultation across the indus-try and more or less coordinated safety actions are undertakenat all airports.

At one airport studied, a start has been made to strengthenjoint safety management by adopting common safety objec-tives. The airport operator is the driving force behind this initia-tive because it recognizes that it can achieve its own strategicgoal of zero serious injuries only by working with other stake-holders. By means of consultation, and through the stipulationof safety measures in contracts, the airport operator has beenencouraging other parties to adopt its own safety goals.

As mentioned above, all of the airports provide for consulta-tion and shared decision-making regarding any safety issuesfacing the airport community. At some airports, specific com-mittees have been designated to focus solely on safety, and atothers safety matters are discussed in more general forums.

The most common form of consultation takes the form of run-way committees and ramp or apron committees. These bodiestypically meet monthly or sometimes quarterly to discuss opera-tional matters that have come up, including safety concerns. Inmost cases, the committees are attended by the local operationalmanagers of the parties concerned, or their delegates.

At most airports union representatives participate in thecommittee meetings so that they can be involved in any deci-sion-making from the outset. This participation is valuable, asearly involvement of the union helps prevent labour disputesfrom arising. In addition to local consultative bodies on aviationindustry safety, in some cases there also exist national forums;however, specific consultation on safety from a strategic per-spective appears to be rare at any level.

Most of the joint safety actions formulated and carried out atthe airports studied are of an operational nature. The officialsinterviewed agreed that the greater the strategic consequencesof actions for those affected, the harder it is to implement suchmeasures. The cost of taking action is often the biggest obsta-cle. For quite a long time the majority of the airports studiedhave been contemplating modifying their taxiway and runwaysystems to promote safety and maintain capacity, but a finalsolution is still not in sight.

In most cases there is some form of joint safety monitoringthrough the exchanges of periodic safety reports. ATS entitiesand airlines, in particular, exchange information systematical-ly at the corporate level. This information is always in aggre-gate form, however. None of the organizations shares its rawsafety data or details of specific incidents, and none of thoseinterviewed thought that exchanging raw data would haveadded value.

While individual organizations perform their own analysesand the outcomes are shared and discussed, there is still nomultidisciplinary, joint analysis of the information at the airportlevel. Usually the airport operator is regarded as the logical col-lector and manager of safety information for the entire airportcommunity, a situation that requires airports to set up a systemfor the early detection of potential safety risks and to be pre-pared to take well considered action to manage these risks.

Risk analyses are performed by individual organizations atvirtually all of the airports. These analyses are generally limited

occurrence likely diminished the controller’s effectiveness inresponding properly to the emergency. It is possible that thelack of simulation of emergency situations and equipment fail-ures in ongoing training contributed to his inability to solve theproblem he was confronted with. It was the vigilance of theAirbus A320 captain and his effective management of an emer-gency situation that prevented the situation from getting worse.

Although the controller, who was also the duty supervisor at thetime of the incident, had the authority to combine control positionsand authorize controller breaks, his management of the workschedule contributed to the incident. Sufficient tower staff (count-ing the supervisor) was available to operate both control positionsseparately. Had the ground position not been combined with theair position, the air controller would not have deactivated the trans-mit button of the air frequency in an effort to solve a problemthought to originate with interference between the airport andground control frequencies. The aerodrome/ground controller’sintervention to stop the Cessna from continuing its take-off rollwould most likely have been successful.

Investigation findings. The report presented three findingsas to causes and contributing factors:1.The Cessna 172 took off without clearance from Runway 30,causing a risk of collision with the Airbus A320.2.The controller instructed the Cessna 172 to taxi to position onRunway 30, but did not instruct it to wait and did not advise thatthe Airbus A320 was taking off on Runway 24. The controller didnot anticipate that the Cessna 172 might take off without clear-ance, causing a risk of collision with the Airbus A320.3.Given that the controller deactivated the transmit button forthe air frequency, neither the Airbus A320 nor the Cessna 172could hear the controller’s instructions to abort take-off.

The investigation resulted in the following findings as to risk:1.The ATC Manual of Operations does not clearly define crite-ria for numbering aircraft in the departure sequence.2.Some controllers in the Quebec tower misunderstood theoperation of some functions of the radio console.3. Canadian and U.S. phraseologies used to clear an aircraft onto arunway are similar in wording to ICAO phraseology to hold an air-craft short of a runway. Those similarities open the door to misinter-pretation by crews with potential for catastrophic consequences.

Other findings:1.The absence of simulation of emergency situations and equip-ment failures in ongoing training contributed to the controller’sinability to solve the problem that he was confronted with.2.A review by the TSB of Nav Canada’s evaluations revealedthat the division responsible for Nav Canada’s evaluations didnot realize that some controllers were not complying with stan-dard practices and procedures.

Safety action taken. The report describes several safetyactions taken by Nav Canada as a result of the incident. Thecomplete final report, including safety action taken, is availableat the TSBC website (see box on page 18). ■■

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36 ICAO JOURNAL

to those parts of the aviation process for which the specificorganization is responsible, and other parties, if necessary, arekept informed. An exception is risk analyses for runway incur-sions: these are performed in a multidisciplinary, collaborativemanner, but no standardized methods of risk analysis are used.

The problem with this approach is that some part or another ofthe system is not subjected to risk analysis because no one feelsspecifically responsible for it, or the party that is responsible doesnot yet use risk analysis. This situation mainly presents itself at air-ports where the operator does not assume an overall responsibili-ty for airport safety or treats safety as an operational issue.

The general picture that has emerged from the above find-ings is that joint safety management is only partially realizedat most of the airports studied. Joint decision-making takesplace at the operational level, and collaborative action as wellas safety monitoring is formulated primarily through theexchange of information, but joint safety management at mostairports remains primarily reactive (see accompanying figure,page 20).

Although a collaborative proactive system has not yet beenimplemented at the airports studied, there is a trend at one air-port towards the establishment of a joint safety system with com-mon safety targets because of the development of strategic tar-gets by the nationwide aviation industry. These strategic targetshave compelled individual organizations to coordinate their safe-ty decisions at the strategic level with the rest of the industry.Ambitious goals require these organizations to play a more cen-tral role in the improvement of joint safety management.

In summary, the study revealed that the more stakeholdersbecome involved in the aviation process as a whole, the morelikely they are to participate in a collaborative safety manage-ment system. A first step is to have a consultative structure inplace at the airport, which makes it possible to formulate riskmanagement measures at the tactical and strategic levels andthus address safety systematically.

At airports where the operator takes overall responsibility forsystem safety, the elements of a joint safety management sys-tem are the most elaborated. At these facilities, the operator hasset up a safety-monitoring system for the entire airport commu-nity, covering all aviation activities.

The airport operator also plays a primary role in promoting acollective approach to safety issues. Driven by its strategicinterest, the operator develops tools to further improve safety,thus pressuring its aviation partners to work safely. It may beprompted to adopt a safety oversight system that covers avia-tion activities as well as occupational health and safety. Wherecontractual relationships permit, the airport operator canrequire suppliers to adopt a systemic approach to safety.

The civil aviation authority can help establish joint safety man-agement by encouraging the airport operator to take overallresponsibility for airport safety as part of the airport certificationprocess. Most operators view the certification process as a goodincentive to raise the level of their own safety organization.

For some, airport certification has been the primary reasonto develop a safety management system, but for the leading air-port operators, it is nothing more than the next step in aprocess that is already initiated. For these airports, certificationcan be an extra push in the direction of a risk-oriented andproactive joint safety management system. ■■

ATB Director appointedFolasade Odutola (Nigeria) has beenappointed Director of the ICAO AirTransport Bureau (ATB) for a four-yearterm. Ms. Odutola commenced herduties on 7 May 2007.

Ms. Odutola holds a master’s degreein air transport engineering fromCranfield University in the UnitedKingdom, and a bachelor of science(honours) degree in aeronautical engi-neering from the University of Glasgow.

A chartered engineer from the British Council of Engineers, shehas accumulated 30 years’experience in the field of civil avia-tion, including responsibilities at the executive level.

Prior to her appointment to ICAO, Ms. Odutola served fromJanuary 2004 as the Rector/Chief Executive Officer of theNigerian College of Aviation Technology, an ab initio traininginstitute located in Lagos. She became head of the collegeafter serving in progressively responsible positions in Nigeria’scivil aviation regulatory system for over 20 years, culminatingin her appointment as Director, Airworthiness and OperationsStandards. During 2005-06 she chaired a task force on theverification of the status of aircraft and the operational compe-tencies of commercial aircraft operators in Nigeria.

Ms. Odutola has been involved in various air transportactivities, including the handling of air transport licensing andcommercial matters, and has participated in meetings con-cerning bilateral air service agreements. She is a Fellow ofthe Royal Aeronautical Society.

Since commencing her career in 1977, Ms. Odutola hasattended several technical and management courses coveringvarious topics such as air transport economics, performanceenhancement, management for directors and chief executiveofficers, and the management of training courses. ■■

Folasade Odutola

ICAO MEETINGSASIA/PAC Air Navigation Planning andImplementation Regional Group (APANPIRG/18)3 – 7 September 2007, Bangkok

Airport Economics Panel (AEP/6) 10 – 14 September 2007, Montreal

High-Level Meeting on a Comprehensive RegionalImplementation Plan for Africa (AFI Plan)17 September 2007, Montreal

ICAO Assembly 36th Session (A36)18 – 28 September 2007, Montreal

Machine Readable Travel Documents (MRTD/3) Symposium1 – 3 October 2007, Montreal

AFI Planning and Implementation Regional Group (APIRG/16)5 – 9 November 2007, Rwanda

Dangerous Goods Panel (DGP/21) 5 – 16 November 2007, Montreal

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IN THESPOTLIGHT ...

VOLCANO WATCHThe third meeting of the International Airways Volcano Watch OperationsGroup (IAVWOPSG) was held at the ICAO Asia/Pacific Office in Bangkokfrom 19 to 23 March 2007. The meeting, which was attended by 18experts from seven States that host volcanic ash advisory centres as wellas by relevant organizations, reviewed IAVW-related provisions in ICAOAnnex 3 and in air navigation plans. In addition to addressing a numberof issues related to the operation, implementation and future of theIAVW, the IAVWOPSG agreed on the need to evaluate the feasibility ofrationalizing the issuance of volcanic ash advisories and warnings inorder to increase system efficiency and promote safety.

FRANCE BESTOWS TITLE ON FORMER COUNCIL PRESIDENTDr. Assad Kotaite, President Emeritus of the ICAO Council, has been named by France “Grand Officier de l’Ordre National du Mérite,” one of the highestFrench orders, in recognition of his eminent services to ICAO and to international civil aviation. The presentation was made by Jean-ChristopheChouvet, the Representative of France on the Council of ICAO (at right), in a ceremony at ICAO headquarters recently. At left is Monique Kotaite, the former Council President’s wife.

DEPOSIT BY BELGIUMBelgium deposited its instrument of ratification of the Convention on the Marking of Plastic Explosives for the Purpose of Detection during a brief ceremony at ICAO headquarters on 16 April 2007, bringing the total number of parties to the Convention, in force since 1998, to 132. Shown on the occasion are Godelieve Van den Bergh, ConsulGeneral of Belgium in Montreal, and Denys Wibaux, Director of the ICAO Legal Bureau.

SECURITY WORKSHOPSAn airport security workshop was held at ICAO headquarters from 16 to 20 April 2007. The workshop, whose participants are picturedabove, was designed to provide States with the necessary training andtools in order to develop and implement airport security programmes atthe international and domestic levels. Another security-related workshop,focused on national quality control, was held at ICAO headquarters from 28 May to 1 June. It attracted participants from Botswana, Ghana,Haiti, Jamaica, Mexico, Romania and Zimbabwe.

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