Visit the Asia/Pacific Newsletter page to discover more updates on the progress that took place in the first half of 2020 that are not shared below.
Aviation Security, Facilitation and Cooperative Aviation Security Programme (CASP)
The global COVID-19 pandemic has brought the world to a standstill. Due to lockdown measures in most countries that include the closure of borders and airports, normal ICAO APAC AVSEC/FAL and Cooperative Aviation Security Programme – Asia Pacific (CASP-AP) activities have been negatively affected. To reaffirm the commitment to support the aviation security and facilitation entities of our member States, ICAO APAC AVSEC/FAL and CASP-AP have initiated Video Teleconferences (VTCs) with APAC States to provide relevant information and updates from ICAO including but not limited to, the latest information relating to the COVID pandemic and the sharing of information to help States develop contingency plans for the restart and recovery of aviation operations.
The first Video Teleconference (VTC) event took place on 8 May 2020 with Mr. Arun Mishra, the Regional Director for ICAO Asia and Pacific Regions, providing opening remarks and a welcome to approximately 50 participants from States and Industry representatives from throughout Asia and Pacific.
Based on positive feedback from the participants of the first VTC, a second teleconference was conducted on 4 June 2020 with close to 60 participants.
The engagement session took the opportunity to highlight the numerous AVSEC/FAL guidance materials and information websites that have become available and relating to the current pandemic situation, including the contents of the newly published ICAO Council Aviation Recovery Taskforce (CART) Report and associated Take-off Document: Guidance for Air Travel through the COVID-19 Public Health Crisis. Additional presentations relating to the forthcoming Amendment 17 to Annex 17 and emphasizing to participants the importance of establishing a National Air Transport Facilitation Programme and Committee (or its equivalent) as an instrumental element for States to effectively communicate and coordinate a response to the current pandemic environment and the expected forthcoming restart and recovery phases for aviation operations within Asia and pacific and globally.
Additional APAC RO AVSEC and Facilitation VTCs will be scheduled over the coming weeks to continue this important engagement with Member States and provide a platform for sharing of information, best practices and experiences.
Fundamentals of Air Navigation Services (ANS)
Recently COVID-19 has a severe influence on the aviation industry, including aviation administration of member States. Organizing workshops/seminars regarding Air Navigation Services implementation is ICAO’s role; however, it has been become difficult to conduct such events these days due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a matter of fact, many workshops/seminars planned for this year have been cancelled or postponed. Additionally, much of the workforce is working remotely from home.
ICAO conducts ICAO APAC Webinars – Fundamentals of Air Navigation Services (ANS) by ICAO and other Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) in six, two-hour sessions on the following dates and ANS fields:
- 16 June 2020 – Communications, Navigation and Surveillance (CNS)
- 17 June 2020 – Meteorology (MET)
- 24 June 2020 – Air Traffic Flow Management (ATFM)
- 25 June 2020 – Performance-Based Navigation (PBN)
- 21 July 2020 – Aeronautical Information Management (AIM)
- 22 July 2020 – Airport Collaborative Decision Making (A-CDM) by ICAO and CANSO
The main objective of the Webinars is to improve the understanding by all stakeholders of the fundamental ICAO requirements needed to support regional planning and implementation activities in each ANS field. We hope this also provides ICAO and participants the opportunity to share information with relevant stakeholders who would not normally be able to attend ICAO’s regular ANS-related meetings and events. In each Webinar, ICAO and/or our partner SMEs provide fundamental and high-level information targeted for participants both inside and outside the particular ANS area of expertise. The total number of participants is more than 1,100, and hundreds of other participants jointly participate using the same device.
Information from the related webinars is available here.
The Third Meeting of Downlink Aircraft Parameters Working Group (Mode S DAPs WG/3) was conducted from 12-14 May 2020 through video teleconferencing(VTC). There were 64 participants from 15 member States/Administration and international organizations, including Australia, Indonesia, Nepal and Sri Lanka who participated in this meeting for the first time.
The DAPS Working group was established to harmonize the implementation of Mode S DAPs technology as well as explore the potential benefits for Air Traffic Management in building an improved common situational awareness to meet the needs of air space users and enhancing flight safety in APAC region.
The Third Meeting of Mode S DAPs Working Group revised the regional guidance material with the experience gained from further regional practice in implementing Mode S DAPs technology and adopted the regional Roadmap for Mode S DAPs covering Mode S mandate, Use of SI Codes, Radar Clustering, Use of Conspicuity Code, Weather Reporting capability and Datalink Map, which outlined a clear path with certainty for States and stakeholders for the region in future planning.
The meeting documentation is available here.