icao magazine

A great success for

CEANSDelegates to the Conference on the Economicsof Airports and Air Navigation Services craftan extraordinary compromise unifying airport,airline and ANSP stakeholders within a newand more inclusive global framework.

Also in this issue:CEANS Symposium review and opening addressesEUROCONTROL ATM safety survey updateICAO Carbon Market and Alternative Fuels WorkshopsICCAIA environment perspective

ICAOINTERNATIONAL CIVIL AVIATION ORGANIZATION

Vol. 63, No 6

ContentsCOVER STORY

CEANS Conference reviewMembers of ICAO’s Economic Policy and Infrastructure Management Section,State and industry participants discuss the challenges and successes thatformed the highlights of the recent Conference on the Economics of Airportsand Air Navigation Services (CEANS), held in Montreal in September 2008 . . . . . . . 2

CEANS Opening Addresses:Saud A. R. Hashem, Chairman, ICAO Air Transport Committee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10Roberto Kobeh González, President of the ICAO Council . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

CEANS pre-conference Symposium: Opening AddressTaïeb Chérif, ICAO Secretary General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

CEANS pre-conference SymposiumThe CEANS pre-conference Symposium helped participants set the sceneand focus their attention on key issues that were to be addressed at the laterConference. Eminent speakers, panellists and moderators from the aviationindustry lead stimulating discussions and participants obtained informationand clarification regarding these issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

STATE PROFILE: Resourceful RomaniaRomania has seen an explosive increase of flights over the past five yearsas a result of closer ties with the rest of Europe, and has justly enjoyed anincrease in popularity as a key tourist destination. As part of its new StateProfile initiative, the Journal reviews the history and progress of Romania'svibrant aviation sector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Verifying the maturity of our ATM safety frameworksEUROCONTROL’s Peter Stastny, Alexander Skoniezki and Tony Licu discuss thesuccess of their organization's independent surveys of European Civil AviationConference States’ ATM Safety Regulators and Air Navigation Service Providers,including how these surveys have evolved into an ongoing programme that hasbecome a tremendous benefit to European ATM regulators and providers . . . . . . . . 29

NEWS IN BRIEF

• ICAO Environment Unit Workshops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33• ICAO Unmanned Aircraft Systems Study Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33• ICAO Council appointment: Jalal Haidar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34• ICAO/UAE agreement on Gulf facilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34• APEC GNSS summit. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35• SMS Implementation Seminar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Pioneers of the environmental ageEnvironmental issues remain a key factor with respect to aviation growth.Howard Aylesworth, ICCAIA Director Civil Aviation Environment, describeshow a global policy atmosphere that opens the door on a new age ofexperimentation is required to meet the challenge of carbon-neutralindustry expansion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

THE ICAO JOURNALVOLUME 63, NUMBER 6, 2008

Editorial

ICAO External Relations

and Public Information Office

Tel: +01 (514) 954-8220

Web site: www.icao.int

Anthony Philbin Communications

Editor: Anthony Philbin

Tel: +01 (514) 886-7746

E-mail: [email protected]

Web site: www.philbin.ca

Production and Design

Bang Marketing

Stéphanie Kennan

Tel: +01 (514) 849-2264


Web site: www.bang-marketing.com

ICAO Photographs: Gerry Ercolani

Advertising

FCM Communications Inc.

Yves Allard

Tel: +01 (450) 677-3535

Fax: +01 (450) 677-4445


Submissions

The Journal encourages submissions from interested

individuals, organizations and States wishing to share

updates, perspectives or analysis related to global

civil aviation. For further information on submission

deadlines and planned issue topics for future editions

of the ICAO Journal, please forward your request to

[email protected].

Subscriptions and single copies

Yearly subscription (Six Issues per year) US $40.

Single copies available for US $10. For subscription

and sales information please contact the ICAO

Document Sales Unit,

Tel: +01 (514) 954-8022


Published in Montreal, Canada. ISSN 0018 8778.

The information published in the ICAO Journal was

correct at time of printing. The opinions expressed

are those of the authors alone and do not necessarily

reflect the opinions of ICAO or its Member States.

Reproduction of articles in the ICAO Journal is

encouraged. For permission, please forward your

request to [email protected]. The ICAO Journal must

be credited in any reproduction.

PRINTED BY ICAO

CEANS:A uniquely collaborativesuccess highlightsICAO’s importantglobal roleApproximately once every decade, Statedelegates and specialists representingairports, Air Navigation Services Providers(ANSPs) and users of airport and airnavigation services get together to discussapproaches to the infrastructure, economicand management issues that underpinglobal aviation operations.

In this Journal review, members of ICAO’sEconomic Policy and InfrastructureManagement Section, as well as Stateand industry participants, discuss thechallenges and successes that formed thehighlights of the recent Conference on theEconomics of Airports and Air NavigationServices (CEANS), held in Montreal inSeptember 2008. The Conference adopted15 recommendations calling for actionsby Member States or ICAO.

The Conference on the Economics of Airports and AirNavigation Services (CEANS) was convened at the head-quarters of ICAO in Montreal on September 15, 2008.Roberto Kobeh González, President of the Council, openedthe Conference, which was also addressed by Saud A. R.Hashem, Chairman of the Air Transport Committee. ICAO’sSecretary General, Taïeb Chérif, welcomed the participantsand introduced the Conference Secretariat. Folasade Odutola,Director of the Air Transport Bureau, served as Secretaryof the Conference, and John Begin, Deputy Director of theAir Transport Bureau, acted as Advisor to the Conference.

Since its first incarnation as the Airport ChargesConference in 1956, deliberations at these Conferenceshave been instrumental in defining the broader scope andpurpose of ICAO’s policies on charges for airports and airnavigation services. This year’s Agenda was no less

ambitious in as much as the agreements that they soughtdemanded an entirely new degree of collaboration andcooperation from States, regulators, airports, ANSPs and usersthan has previously been in evidence.

The goals of the Conference focused on three key and inter-related topics: economic oversight; performance management;and consultation with users. Taken together, the Conferencerecommendations on these issues are expected to engenderthe increases in efficiency and cost-effectiveness that arecurrently being sought by all State and industry stakeholders.

“These were very high-level, even noble targets that we had setfor the industry and ourselves going into this event,” commentedÖsten Magnusson, Chief of the ICAO Economic Policy andInfrastructure Management Section (EPM) and Deputy Secretaryof the Conference. “The fact that the CEANS participating States

ICAOJournal–

Issue06–2008

CONFERENCE REVIEW

2

3

achieved the consensus that was forgedvery much reflects an extraordinaryoutcome and truly a new benchmark forindustry cooperation.”

Given the very severe challenges nowfacing the industry, the need for this newlevel of collaboration and for this greaterefficiency in the provision of airport andair navigation services has become moreimportant than ever, Magnusson added.He commented that the eventual

success achieved at CEANS should beseen as an indication that State andindustry stakeholders alike haverecognised the challenges ahead andthe fact that ICAO’s unique collaborativeframework continues to be of invaluableassistance toward establishingconsensus and forging new cooperativesolutions to the benefit of all.

Daniel Cogliati, Senior Strategic PolicyAdvisor, Air Policy, Transport Canada,

and Chairman of CEANS, sharedMagnusson’s opinion. Cogliati confirmedthat CEANS was a success in that itstrengthened the onus on States tofollow the principles as set out in ICAO’sPolicies on Charges for Airports and AirNavigation Services (Doc 9082), whileat the same time providing additionalflexibilities to airports and ANSPs tocarry out their responsibilities.

“The discussions on virtually all of theAgenda items were thoughtful, succinctand engaging, with well-reasonedarguments presented to frame the viewsof the participants,” Cogliati continued.“I was also singularly impressed withthe high rate of participation amongthe States that made it much easier toreach consensus on most issues.”

Setting the stage:Airport, ANSP and user positions

Many of the world’s airports, whetherpublicly or privately owned, are compe-titively positioned with other airportservice providers in their particularregions, especially throughout Europeand North America where airport densityis relatively high, and in Asia Pacificwhere airports vie for internationaltransit traffic. For this reason the airportrepresentatives at CEANS sought to

ICAOJournal–

Issue06–2008

The three key topics of the Conference—economic oversight, performance managementand consultations—together represent a holisticapproach to increased cooperation in the industry,in particular between regulators, providers andusers. If we can reach a common understandingon these three issues, and I believe we can, it willserve as a basis for adopting constructiveconclusions and recommendations that will help usmeet the goals of this Conference concerningcooperation and efficiency.

– Roberto Kobeh González,President of the ICAO Council

“

”

CEANS Conference Chairman Dan Cogliati (third from right) is joined by Conference Secretary Folasade Odutola (second from left),Deputy Secretary Östen Magnusson (far right), ICAO Secretary General Taïeb Chérif (second from right), Roberto Kobeh González,President of the Council (third from left), and Saud A. R. Hashem (far left), Chairman of the ICAO Air Transport Committee.

4

ensure that any regulatory proposals would not focus onexceptions but would look at the global airport situation inorder to take the need for continued flexibility and competitiveperformance by airports into account.

Although airports may enjoy natural monopolies in the areasthey serve, in today’s tough economic environment they viefiercely for attracting airlines, new routes and new services. Asis the case with any monopolistic paradigm, this can lead tolocal pricing and policy regimes that make it difficult for usersto operate with required levels of economic viability. Thus userscame into CEANS hoping to convince States of the need for

greater regulation in airport service provision and pricing, whileairport operators sought to avoid regulation because it wouldmake it difficult for them to effectively compete.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) was verypleased with the outcome of CEANS, noting that it provideda forum for a frank debate, and an opportunity for the industryto raise awareness on the crisis of the sector.

“Healthy airlines are essential to the future of the air transportvalue chain, including airports and ANS providers,” commentedMike Comber, IATA Director of ICAO Relations. “This can beobserved in the effect US traffic decline has had on airports,some of which have lost up to 25 percent of their flights.”

Comber went on to note that ICAO’s policies contained inDoc 9082 were created to establish a balanced air transportenvironment preventing abuse from eventual dominantpositions that result from natural monopolies. A recent surveyby the industry, however, has shown the level of adherence tothese policies is far from satisfactory.

ICAOJournal–

Issue06–2008

535 participants103 Contracting States17 international organizations87 working papers15 recommendations calling for actions by States or ICAO(of which 10 include proposed amendments to Doc 9082)

CEANS BY THE NUMBERS:

6

“It is the airlines’ understanding that thegreatest benefits to air transport wouldcome more from a proper implemen-tation of the ICAO policies than detailedchanges to the existing Doc 9082 text,”Comber elaborated. “We thereforefocused IATA’s efforts on measures thatcould increase awareness of, andcompliance with ICAO policies by moreStates and also improvements inpolicies on some key elements. Therecommendations from CEANS, togetherwith some enhancements to the Doc9082 text, will be essential in restoringthe balance between stakeholders in theair transport value chain, providingbenefits to all concerned, especially thefinal user, the passenger.”

Airports Council International (ACI),meanwhile, welcomed the results ofthe Conference in regard to economicoversight and airport charges policies.

“It was important to recognise thateconomic regulation of airports will notbe the rule, but is only to be appliedunder specific circumstances toremedy the risk of abuse of a dominantposition,” noted Anne McGinley, Directorof ACI’s ICAO Bureau. “Revenues derivedfrom airlines are often not sufficientto cover the cost of aeronauticaloperations. This means that in manyinstances airline operations may besubsidised by passenger charges,passenger spending and commercialairport activities.”

McGinley added that recommendingmore and more stringent regulation in apolicy that is globally applicable wouldpenalise those airports that abide bycurrent rules and intervene unduly in asystem that widely works for the benefitof the airport industry.

“Giving airports more flexibility inmodulating charges by raising the levelof cost relatedness will enable them toapply charging schemes that cater totheir specific needs and those ofcarriers,” she continued. “ACI supportsthe initiative of the Conference to

ICAOJournal–

Issue06–2008

I have no doubt regarding the outcome of this Conference. The scene has beenset for a constructive discussion and consideration of all the important topics onthe Agenda will benefit immensely from the outstanding pool of knowledge andexperience that you bring to this Assembly Hall. I want to thank you in advancefor this essential contribution and assure you that your comments andrecommendations will receive the greatest attention during the work of ICAO’sAir Transport Committee, over which I have the honour of presiding, and whichhas been tasked with proposing follow-up measures to this Conference.

– Saud A. R. Hashem, Chairman of the Air Transport Committee

“

”

7

promote enhanced implementation of ICAO airport chargespolicies around the world.”

ANSPs came to CEANS stressing the need for the commonobjective of increasing levels of performance management andconsultation across the board.

“The crucial ANSP-related development agreed at CEANS wasthat States on the whole need to more actively apply businessprinciples in the provision of their air navigation services,”commented Magnusson. “Public sector bodies can sometimessuffer from inadequate implementation of basic efficiencies intheir operations and provisions, as we’re all aware, but at thesame time it was noted and agreed that the underlying safetyand security of the travelling public has to be maintained as theguiding priority in this area, and therefore adequately balancedwith any newer and more commercially-oriented operationaldevelopments that may occur in this sector in the future.”

CANSO, the Civil Air Navigation Services Organization, wasvery pleased with its level of involvement at CEANS, both asPlatinum Sponsor and for its participation in the Conferencediscussions. CANSO’s Secretary General, Alexander ter Kuile,presented a view on how States can support Improvementsin air navigation services performance, which was the keytheme of his speech. Ter Kuile explained that regulatoryfragmentation was causing disjointed ATM service delivery,and argued that a seamless airspace required greater harmo-nisation of State regulatory practices, as “good air navigationservices performance comes from good policy making.”

CANSO’s Chairman Ashley Smout, who also addressed theConference prior to a CANSO evening reception, said he was“delighted with the high level of interest…expressed in theCANSO working papers and recommendations. We haveonce more underlined our credentials as the global voiceof ATM, and look forward to working closely again with ICAOin the future, de-emphasising the need for intrusiveeconomic regulation.”

Balanced results

In the end, the States who participated at CEANS achieved theharmonisation of these opposing viewpoints through inclusiverecommendations that stressed the need for increased butminimal regulation tailored to specific local or regionalrequirements and circumstances.

“I believe the Conference was very successful and has createda solid foundation for a well-balanced revision of the ICAOpolicies on charges,” noted Keld Ludvigsen, Director of Financeat the Civil Aviation Administration of Denmark, Chairman of theICAO Air Navigation Services Economics Panel and Member ofthe ICAO Airport Economics Panel. “It created more flexibilityfor the service providers while at the same time placing focus

on those areas where more commitment is required by Statesto assure the effective implementation of ICAO’s policies.”

“Of the three conferences of this kind I have attended,”Ludvigsen added, “the CARFM in 1991, ANSConf in 2000and now CEANS, the outcome of this conference was by andlarge the most well-balanced and considerate of all viewpointsand positions.”

Toru Hasegawa, an economist in ICAO’s EPM, noted thatICAO’s proposal to the participating States, as reflected in theconference Agenda that was approved by the Council andpresented in CEANS-WP/1, sought to balance these viewpointswhile reaffirming the responsibility of States to perform theireconomic oversight function.

ICAOJournal–

Issue06–2008

The following 103 Contracting States of ICAO were representedat the Conference.

AlbaniaArgentinaArmeniaAustraliaAustriaBarbadosBelgiumBeninBoliviaBotswanaBrazilBurkina FasoBurundiCameroonCanadaCape VerdeChadChileChinaColombiaCosta RicaCôte d’IvoireCubaCzech RepublicDenmarkDominican RepublicEcuadorEgyptEl SalvadorEquatorial GuineaEthiopiaFinlandFranceGabonGermanyGhana

GreeceGuatemalaGuineaHaitiIcelandIndiaIndonesiaIrelandItalyJamaicaJapanKazakhstanKenyaLebanonLesothoLiberiaLibyan Arab

JamahiriyaLithuaniaMadagascarMalaysiaMaliMaltaMauritaniaMauritiusMexicoMozambiqueNamibiaNetherlandsNew ZealandNigerNigeriaNorwayPakistanPanamaParaguay

PeruPhilippinesPolandPortugalRepublic of KoreaRomaniaRussian FederationSaudi ArabiaSenegalSerbiaSingaporeSpainSudanSwedenSwitzerlandThailandThe Former Yugoslav

Republic ofMacedonia

TogoTrinidad and TobagoTunisiaTurkeyUgandaUkraineUnited Arab

EmiratesUnited KingdomUnited Republic

of TanzaniaUnited StatesUruguayVenezuelaViet NamYemenZambia

FIG 1: CEANS ATTENDANCE—MEMBER STATES

8

“It was the great success of CEANSthat the level of cooperation needed toreach this balance was realised and thatall the industry organizations in atten-dance each felt that their positions havebeen understood by the State decisionmakers and reflected in the final recom-mendations,” Hasegawa commented.

“Overall, the results achieved at CEANSwere quite balanced and all parties gotsomething out of the process despite

their seemingly opposing positions,”added Julián de la Cámara, an econo-mist in ICAO’s EPM.

Bernard Peguillan, an economist inICAO’s EPM, went on to remark thatthe Conference agreed that four of themain ICAO policies on charges, namelynon discrimination, transparency,cost-relatedness and user consultation,should be reflected in national legis-lation and in air services agreements.

“This does not include all the ICAOpolicies contained in Doc 9082,”Peguillan clarified, “but, by reflectingthese basic principles in the wordingof their air services agreements,States could intervene when an airportor ANSP appears to have failed to applythem openly and fairly. This is a veryimportant development.”

“CEANS Working Paper 87,” added de laCámara, “as submitted by France (onbehalf of the European Community andits Member States, the other Statemembers of the European Civil AviationConference, and by the United States),notes that these four ICAO principles arealready enshrined in the US/EU AirTransport Agreement, and encouragesother States to include them in their airservices agreements. This submissionwas a tremendous sign of support for

the importance of ICAO’s role in thisprocess and accentuates the need forStates to focus on the implementationof ICAO’s policies on charges.”

The Conference was also a good forumto establish the basis for the supportneeded concerning economic andorganizational issues in the context ofthe implementation of ICAO’s global airtraffic management operational concept.

“One of the recommendations of theConference calls on States to strive forthe efficient and cost-effectiveimplementation of the ATM operationalconcept—using the Global Air NavigationPlan as the planning document—throughinternational cooperation and collabo-ration within the ATM community,”added Hasegawa.

Stressing preparation and consultation

By the time the Conference wound-upon September 20, significant progressand success had been achieved. Thiswas in part due to the understanding ofall stakeholders that the industry mustcome together to meet the challengesthey face effectively, but it was alsodue in large part to the consultationand planning that had gone into thedevelopment of the Agenda itself, aswell as the important groundworkestablished during the pre-conferenceSymposium (please see page 15 formore details on the Symposium andits outcome).

“The programme we designed for the pre-conference Symposium was based on theCEANS Agenda—it included a series ofprimarily panels and speakers and was atremendous exchange of ideas and view-points related to the topics that were goingto be discussed the following week,”commented Magda Boulos, an economistin ICAO’s EPM, who was responsible forthe organization of the Symposium.“Kotaite, who moderated the final paneldiscussion on the implementation ofICAO’s policies, urged everyone in atten-dance to place a higher level of priority onthe role of ICAO’s policies on charges.”

Kotaite’s closing words at theSymposium, and their later impact onthe Conference discussions, were alsoappreciated by Magnusson. “WhatKotaite said during the Symposium wasthat the States need to give more‘teeth’ to ICAO’s policies,” he added.“It definitely created a strong impressionon the assembled delegates and, in theend, it is exactly what we have done. Asmy colleague has pointed out, we neverwould have reached the great outcomewe enjoyed without the preparation thatcame before—including the Symposiumdiscussions and also the two meetingsof the ICAO two Economics Panels(airports and air navigation services)held in September 2007 and February2008, where we began to prepare thetopics to be raised in the Secretariat’sWorking Papers for the Conference.”

ICAOJournal–

Issue06–2008

We sincerely look forward to the sharing of viewsand experiences to better prepare us to reach thegoals of CEANS, which include:– ways and means of enhancing cooperationbetween various industry stakeholders,

– increase efficiency through better performanceof service providers, and

– establish the basis for a continuous dialoguebetween users and providers.

– Taïeb Chérif,Secretary General of ICAO

“

”

The end result was a Conference that began with due respectand cordiality on the first day of proceedings, but which by thesecond day of discussions witnessed a dramatic rise in thelevel of willingness and desire on behalf of the delegates tomove aviation forward and contribute to it at this time.

“The key to events of this type is to try and ensure that everyonefeels as if they have attained and achieved their objectives—orat least a large portion of their objectives,” concluded FolasadeOdutola, Director of ICAO’s Air Transport Bureau. “As you can tellfrom the various responses from State delegates and industryorganizations this is precisely what was achieved. From that stand-point CEANS has been an unqualified success.”

The recommendations that have emerged from CEANS forStates and for ICAO, including proposed amendments to Doc9082, will be considered by the ICAO Council during theAutumn Session.

To review the full text of the Conference Report please consultit on the ICAO Web Site at: www.icao.int/ceans.

The following 17 Observer Delegations were in attendance at theConference.

Arab Civil Aviation Commission (ACAC)Airports Council International (ACI)African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC)Agency for the Safety of Air Navigation in Africa and Madagascar(ASECNA)Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation (CANSO)Central American Corporation for Air Navigation Services(COCESNA)European Commission (EC)European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC)European Organization for the Safety of Air Navigation(EUROCONTROL)Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC)International Council of Aircraft Owner and Pilot Associations (IAOPA)International Air Transport Association (IATA)International Business Aviation Council (IBAC)International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF)Latin American Civil Aviation Commission (LACAC)Société Internationale de Télécommunications Aéronautiques (SITA)World Bank (WB)

In addition, the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) participatedin the Conference through the submission of a working paper.

FIG 2: CEANS OBSERVER DELEGATIONS

Saud A. R. HashemChairman, Air TransportCommittee

Ladies and gentlemen, on behalf of the Air TransportCommittee of the ICAO Council, let me also welcome youto this Conference on the Economics of Airports and AirNavigation Services.

One of the fundamental characteristics of today’s global airtransport system is that it continues to be made availableto an increasing number of people in all regions of theworld. When the Convention on International Civil Aviationcame into force in 1947, there were some 21 millionpassengers on the world’s airlines. Some 60 years later,there are more than 2 billion on scheduled flights alone, ina liberalised marketplace that seems light years away fromthe regulated environment of the 1940s.

Democratisation and expansion of air travel flows naturallyfrom Article 44 of the Chicago Convention which calls onICAO to develop the principles and techniques of interna-tional air navigation and to foster the planning anddevelopment of international air transport so as to “Meet theneeds of the peoples of the world for safe, regular, efficient

and economical air transport.” It is, after all, a question of equityamong human beings and in the use of the planet’s resourcesthat air transport be accessible and affordable to as many peopleas possible. We would not have it any other way and despite thechallenges that we face today, with the rising cost of fuel,environmental issues, airport and airspace capacity constraintsand others, we will pursue our drive for optimum safety, security,sustainability and efficiency. To a large extent, the future progressof our global society depends on the operational and financialhealth of the air transport industry.

In his opening address, the President of the Council focused ourattention on what he feels are three key topics that are theessential to the success of our meeting. I totally agree with himthat it is through the nature and scope of our conclusions andrecommendations on economic oversight, performance, andconsultations that we will be able to help shape the futuredirection of the industry. Beyond that, there are a number ofother critical items on the Agenda of the Conference and I wouldlike to take a few minutes to review them as a prelude to ourdiscussions starting this morning.

ICAOJournal–

Issue06–2008

CEANS: OPENING ADDRESSES

10

11

ICAOJournal–

Issue06–2008

A number of new trends in chargingpractices will be brought up for review,such as the allocation of costs on a perpassenger basis and the application ofdifferential charges with respect tointroductory discounts for new servicesand low-cost carriers. There is also theavailability of access to airportfacilities, which has the potential ofunfair treatment or discrimination. Herewe have to remember that users otherthan air carriers have a legitimate rightof access to airports. ICAO’s policiesclearly stipulate that charges levied oninternational general aviation should beassessed in a reasonable manner, withthe goal of promoting the sounddevelopment of international civilaviation as a whole. When it comes tocost recovery of security measures, wewill review current policies and see howwe can achieve a more harmonisedapplication of the policies on airportsecurity charges worldwide.

The management and governanceissues are equally important in theprovision of air navigation services,particularly with respect to theseparation between regulatory andoperational functions. Becausefinancing of air navigation infrastructureis still a problem in many parts of theworld, emphasis must be placed onfurther promoting ICAO’s policies onthe establishment of autonomousentities to operate the services. UnderAgenda Item 3 we will get into details,such as the evolution of serviceprovision in the areas of approachcontrol and area control regarding,including requirements from users onpreferred flight trajectories and howthis may affect charges. The aircraftweight element in the route chargingformulae is also on the Agenda, as isICAO’s work in the economic field andhow it can support the implementationof the global Air Traffic Management(ATM) concept.

Finally, under Agenda Item 4, we willassess the risk inherent in lowawareness within commercialised andprivatised airports and ANSPs concern-

ing ICAO’s policies and guidancematerial in the economic field. We willtry to identify possible options forincreasing awareness of the policiesand their implementation by States andtheir service providers.

Over the years, with your assistance,ICAO has established a solid base ofpolicy and guidance material for use byall parties of the aviation community.This has helped them deal effectivelywith the economic and organizationalissues associated with the provisionand operation of airports and airnavigations services. We have ICAO’sPolicies on Charges for Airports and AirNavigation Services, the supplementaryguidance in the Airport EconomicsManual and the Manual on Air NavigationServices Economics, to name but themost obvious ones. These are allpublished on the ICAO website and areavailable free of charge to serviceproviders and all other interestedparties. Our common objective over thenext week will be to review and validatethe policy guidance in light of thechanging operating environment andthe challenges we face.

I have no doubt regarding the outcomeof this Conference. The scene hasbeen set for a constructive discussionand consideration of all the importanttopics on the Agenda will benefitimmensely from the outstanding poolof knowledge and experience that youbring to this Assembly Hall. Yourpresence in such great numbers is aclear indication of the importance youattach to the topics we will be dealingwith and it shows your dedication tothe aviation community. I want to thankyou in advance for this essentialcontribution and assure you that yourcomments and recommendations willreceive the greatest attention duringthe work of ICAO’s Air TransportCommittee, over which I have thehonour of presiding, and which hasbeen tasked with proposing follow-upmeasures to this Conference.

As I do so, I will reiterate some of thevital comments made by Mr. Kobeh,especially with regards to AgendaItem 1.

The first one deals with economicoversight and underscores theresponsibility of States to protect theircitizens from the risk of abuse from thedominant position that airports and airnavigation services have. Thisresponsibility must be clearly reflectedin national aviation legislation. On thequestion of performance management,for example, the intention behind theproposals before this Conference is notto establish overly prescriptive rulesbut rather to put forth the notion thatservice providers implement perfor-mance management systems where thechoice of performance indicators ismade at the regional and/or nationallevel, so as to take into account localconditions and circumstances. Withoutproper performance measuring criteria,it would be difficult for service providersto claim any improvements in efficiency.

Another important issue is thatconsultations with users are non-existent in many countries. All coope-ration is based on a mutual under-standing of each others’ concerns andthe only way to develop such anunderstanding is through ongoingdialogue. I think the time is ripe forthis Conference to propose includingpassengers in the overall consultationprocess. This is in addition to what isproposed in the Secretariat workingpaper on this topic.

As we move on to Agenda Item 2, theConference will deal with subjectsrelated to airport economics andmanagement. Concerning managementof airports, we will need to look at theseparation of regulatory and operatio-nal functions and the need to ensuregood governance using best practices.We will also debate what should be areasonable return on assets forairports, within the context of theirdominant position.

RobertoKobehGonzález,Presidentof the ICAOCouncilIt is a great pleasure for me to welcome you, on behalf ofthe Council and the Secretary General of the InternationalCivil Aviation Organization (ICAO), to this Conference on theEconomics of Airports and Air Navigation Services.

The first ICAO Conference on charges was held in 1956and since then, five more have been held. Today, weundertake the seventh and our common objective is toreview and validate the current policy guidance on charges.This Conference is obviously timely given the rapidlychanging operating environment in which international civilaviation now finds itself. We face challenges of unknowndepth and scope, such as the supply and price of oil,environmental issues and capacity constraints. In timessuch as these, it is essential that all parties come togetherand cooperate in adapting the air transport system toharsh new realities. Efficiency and cost-effectiveness mustbecome our guiding principles as we move towards afinancially healthy and sustainable industry.

This Conference is also timely because of the significantdevelopments of the past decade in the organization andfinancing of service providers. The previous Conference in2000 updated ICAO’s policy guidance with respect tocommercialisation and privatisation of airports and airnavigation service providers. This Conference can build onrecent experiences in this area and further develop policyguidance, so that States can deal effectively with essentialregulatory matters related to charges and economicaspects of airports and air navigation services.

Commercialisation and privatisation of airports and airnavigation services are part of the ongoing globalisationprocess and the liberalisation of the world’s economies.

Whether privatised or not, however, a significant number ofservice providers worldwide still do not fully recover their costs,according to studies undertaken by ICAO. This has seriousimplications, compounded by the consistent growth of airtransport, which has and will continue to place increasingpressure on States to finance the expansion or renewal ofairports and air navigation facilities and services in order toovercome or prevent airport and airspace congestion. Thepicture becomes more complicated when we consider thechallenges I mentioned earlier and how they may adverselyaffect the global demand for air transport.

According to the Convention on International Civil Aviation,States are ultimately responsible for aviation safety andsecurity in their airspace. They are also responsible forensuring that services are provided in accordance with ICAO

ICAOJournal–

Issue06–2008

CEANS: OPENING ADDRESSES

12

13

ICAOJournal–

Issue06–2008

increased cooperation in the industry, in particular betweenregulators, providers and users. If we can reach a commonunderstanding on these three issues, and I believe we can, itwill serve as a basis for adopting constructive conclusionsand recommendations that will help us meet the goals of thisConference concerning cooperation and efficiency.

Having said that, I realise that ICAO’s policies on chargesdiffer in status from the provisions of the ChicagoConvention, in that a Contracting State is not legally boundto adhere to the policies. With the commercialisation andprivatisation of airports and air navigation services, there isa risk of less awareness of ICAO’s policies in the economicfield, which could lead to diverging approaches to usercharges and taxation. For example, the economiccharacteristics and capacity limitations of airports and airnavigation service providers, combined with the liberalisationof air transport services have, in certain circumstances,given rise to questions regarding the application of the non-discrimination principle in Article 15 of the ChicagoConvention and the application of equitable cost-recoverypractices. It is therefore important to emphasise that sincethe policies are based on recommendations of majorinternational conferences, like this one, States are morallycommitted to follow them. States should recognise that non-adherence to ICAO’s policies on charges undermines theefficient and cost-effective provision and operation of airportsand air navigation services, as well as the relationship withusers, in particular with respect to transparency and the fairtreatment of different categories of users. States should,therefore, ensure that their service providers adhere toICAO’s policies and report to ICAO any deviations from theadherence to these policies.

It is an honour for me to declare open this Conference onthe Economics of Airports and Air Navigation Services.In his address, Saud A. R. Hashem, Chairman of the AirTransport Committee and Representative of Saudi Arabia onthe Council, will provide us with additional details on theAgenda of the Conference.

The Council of ICAO is looking forward to your recommen-dations with great anticipation and will take very seriouslyyour suggestions on how best to enhance its policy guidanceon airport and air navigation service charges, as well as onother aspects of airport and air navigation services,economics and management.

If the views expressed at yesterday’s pre-ConferenceSymposium are any indication, I am very confident that thisconference will be a very productive one indeed.

Standards, recognised as crucial to the safety and securityof international air navigation.

In addition, when considering commercialisation orprivatisation of airports or air navigation service providers,States should bear in mind that economic oversight is theresponsibility of the States as well. The objective is toprevent abuse from what has been referred to as the “naturalmonopoly” of a service provider. A State’s economic oversightresponsibility can be exercised in several different ways,from a “light-handed” approach to more direct regulatoryinterventions in the economic decisions of service providers,for example through the establishment of a regulatory mecha-nism. States will have to select the most appropriate form ofeconomic oversight according to their specific circumstances.When deciding how to exercise their economic oversightfunction, States should take into consideration the degreeof competition between service providers, the costs andbenefits related to alternative oversight forms, as well asthe legal, institutional and governance frameworks.

The need for more direct regulatory interventions may bereduced where appropriate mechanisms for consultationwith users have been implemented and where cooperativearrangements between providers and users are in place.With the enormous challenges before us, I am convinced thattaking cooperation in the industry to another level isabsolutely necessary.

The current ICAO policies on charges prescribe consultationsonly on an ad-hoc basis in the context of increases in chargesand major infrastructure development plans. However,consultation should be an ongoing process and it may eventake up to a couple of years to get it established, since anumber of meetings are needed to achieve mutual trust anddevelop a constructive dialogue. We will therefore need tostrengthen ICAO’s policies on consultation with users andrequire the establishment of permanent mechanisms forconsultations where no voluntary arrangements betweenproviders and users exist. Such consultations should includerepresentatives of all user categories operating at theairports or in the airspace concerned.

Closely related to economic oversight and consultationswith users is the issue of the performance of serviceproviders. Since performance management is an importanttool for service providers, regulators and users, Statesshould ensure that, within their economic oversight functionand through the consultation process, appropriateperformance management systems are developed andimplemented by their service providers.

These three key topics of the Conference—economic over-sight, performance management and consultations—areinterrelated and together represent a holistic approach to

Taïeb ChérifICAOSecretaryGeneralI am delighted to welcome you all to Montreal and to ICAOfor this pre-Conference Symposium that will set the stagefor what I believe will be a milestone Conference on theEconomics of Airports and Air Navigation Services.

Our last Conference on charges was held in 2000 andresulted in recommendations to address the new realitiesof the 21st century. The focus then was on a commercialapproach to the management and operation of airports andair navigation services, coupled with specific financial andmanagerial guidelines as well as economic oversight. Theintention was to develop a strategy to cope effectively withthe consistent growth of air traffic worldwide.

This recognised the fact that the commercialisation ofairports and air navigation services had led to a markedimprovement in overall management practices, with moreincentives to be profitable and increased revenues to keeppace with the demand for investments in infrastructure,all the while enhancing aviation safety and security.

The strategy also was inline with the ongoing globalisationprocess, the liberalisation of the world’s economies andthe trend toward privatisation of commercially-orientedindustries and services previously managed by States.

Eight years later, the fundamental wisdom of that approachis still valid. The air transport industry, however, has gonethrough enormous changes and stands on the thresholdof one of the most profound transformations in decades.Rapidly escalating fuel prices are creating a situation reminis-cent of the first oil shocks of the 1970s when fuel was thelargest operating expense by far for airlines. Softeningdemand for services, filings for bankruptcy protection, outrightfailures or national and transnational mergers hold thepotential for significantly restructuring the industry. Theslowing global economy, food shortages and rising inflationare adding fuel to the fire. Security concerns were not whatthey used to be prior to the events of September 11. Finally,environmental challenges are contributing to an operatingenvironment that has rarely been seen before.

This is the context in which we find ourselves today as weprepare to review and update our polices on such vital issuesas the economic oversight of airports and air navigationservices, economic performance management, cooperationand consultation, and of course, charges.

Given the scope and substantive nature of these items, it is ourhope that this pre-Conference Symposium will make it easier toconsider them in a more holistic perspective. It is also our hopethe informal setting of the Symposium will generate the kind offree-flowing exchanges that can allow everyone here to gain abroader understanding of the issues at play.

Again, we are delighted that you are here with us. We sincerelylook forward to this sharing of views and experiences to betterprepare us to reach the goals of the Conference, which includethe ways and means of enhancing cooperation between variousindustry stakeholders, increased efficiency through betterperformance of services providers, and establishing the basisfor a continuous dialogue between users and providers.

ICAOJournal–

Issue06–2008

CEANS SYMPOSIUM: OPENING ADDRESS

14

15

ICAOJournal–

Issue06–2008

Invaluable preparationsform basis for CEANSConference success

CEANS SYMPOSIUM

Symposium Session 1:Setting the scene

Two presentations were made on thistopic: One on liberalisation of airtransport, its effect on markets and thechallenge for regulators to strike abalance between the needs of providersand users; the other concernedchallenges regarding capacity of airportand air navigation facilities. TheSymposium concluded that allstakeholders of the air the transportsystem have to develop more effectivemeans of cooperation to find relevantsolutions and create the foundation forincreased efficiency and improved cost-effectiveness by service providers.

Symposium Session 2:Economic oversight of airportsand air navigation services

Five panellists (two regulators, oneprovider and two user organizations)presented their views regarding eco-nomic oversight of service providers.The two regulators described their rolein exercising the economic oversightof airports and air navigation services

in their respective States (one applieseconomic regulation, the othercompetition rules). The airport providerdefended the view that many airportscompete with each other to attracttraffic, while the users’ represen-tatives took the view that airports

and air navigation services providers(ANSPs) are in essence naturalmonopolies that should be subjectto economic regulation as a proxy forthe lack of competition.

Following the panel discussion, therewas general agreement that theobjectives of economic oversight (aState responsibility) are to prevent thepotential risk that a service providercould abuse its dominant position,to ensure non discrimination andtransparency in the application of

charges, and to ascertain that capacitymeets future demand.

Symposium participants agreed thatthere should be a balance betweenpublic policy objectives and the effortsof the autonomous/private entities to

obtain the optimal effects of commer-cialisation or privatisation. However, inview of the different approaches toeconomic oversight presented by eachpanellist, the Symposium felt that themost appropriate form of economicoversight should be selected accordingto specific circumstances, takinginto account the degree of competitionof the service providers, the costsand benefits related to alternativeoversight forms, as well as local legal,institutional and governanceframeworks.

A pre-conference Symposium focusing on thetopic of “Challenges for Airports and AirNavigation Services” helped participants to theConference on the Economics of Airports andAir Navigation Services (CEANS) set the sceneand focus their attention on key issues thatwere to be addressed at the later Conference.Eminent speakers, panellists and moderatorsfrom the aviation industry lead stimulatingdiscussions and participants obtainedinformation and clarification regarding these

issues. The format consisted of five sessionson different, albeit inter related topics, on themajor challenges facing airports and airnavigation services providers.

The Symposium was an integral buildingblock for the discussions of CEANS but wasprocedurally conducted as an independentevent. Vijay Poonoosamy, Vice President,International Affairs of Etihad Airways,served as Moderator of the Symposium.

1. To prevent the potential risk that a service provider could engage in anti-competitivepractices or abuse its dominant position.

2. To ensure non discrimination and transparency in the application of charges.

3. To ascertain that capacity meets future demand.

OBJECTIVES OF ECONOMIC OVERSIGHT BY STATES

16

ICAOJournal–

Issue06–2008

Symposium Session 3:Economic performance management

Following an overview of the work doneby ICAO in the area of economicperformance of service providers, twopresentations were made by an airportorganization and an air navigationservices organization on how to assesseconomic performance for airports andANSPs, respectively.

Both presentations emphasised thatperformance management can serve toimprove the safety, quality of services,productivity and cost-efficiency ofairports and ANSPs—in addition tosupporting investment decisions. Whilethe air navigation services organizationemphasised the value of benchmarking,the airport organization stated thatcaution should be exercised whenbenchmarking airports, because of themany differences in traffic volume andsize, accounting systems, financialsituations, and the outsourcing of manyairport services.

It was concluded that States shouldensure, within their economic oversightresponsibilities, that appropriateperformance management systems aredeveloped and implemented by theirservice providers. The discussion alsocentered on the kind of data that wouldbe fundamental for performancereporting. In this respect, the determi-nation of what indicators to use wouldhave to be made at the regional and/ornational level in order to take thespecific conditions and circumstancesof different Regions into account.

Symposium Session 4:Cooperation begins with consultation

Five panellists (two regulators, oneprovider and two user organizations)presented their views regarding therelationship between providers andusers. There was general agreementthat good relations between regulators,providers and users are important forthe effective development of air trans-port, and that it is fundamental tomaintain a consultative process andestablish the foundation for sound co-operation between providers and users.

The Symposium also noted that theneed for more direct regulatoryintervention may be reduced whereappropriate mechanisms for consul-tation with users have been imple-mented, or where voluntary coope-rative arrangements between providersand users are in place. Given thedifferent options available to improvethe situation, greater cooperation inthe industry is absolutely necessarywith the challenges that aviation isfacing today.

Symposium Session 5:The status of ICAO’s policieson charges and taxes

This topic was approached from variousperspectives by five panellists repres-enting one international organization,a multinational air navigation servicesprovider, two associations of serviceproviders, and a user organization. Thefundamental and important differencebetween a charge and a tax in terms of

ICAO’s policy approach was explainedand all panellists stated their supportfor ICAO’s policies on airport and airnavigation charges.

It was noted, however, that States donot always fully observe ICAO’s policieson charges, often because of a lack ofawareness of and firm commitment byStates to adhere to them. It was discus-sed that with the trend of commercia-lisation and privatisation (which lead tochanges in the governance, ownershipand control of airports and ANSPs) thesituation may not improve.

The CEANS Symposium concluded thatICAO should take all relevant measuresto ensure a widespread awareness andknowledge of its policies across Statesand the industry. It was also suggestedthat the main charging principles couldbe included in national legislation.

Symposium conclusions

There was general agreement at theSymposium that the three key topicsdiscussed—economic oversight,performance management andconsultation with users—are inter-related and should be considered as asingle package. It was reinforced thatproper application of the principlesrelated to these three topics wouldcontribute to improved cooperation inthe industry in general and to increasedefficiency for service providers.

International civil aviation faces manychallenges and it is essential that allparties involved cooperate and move inthe same direction to optimise theefficiency and cost-effectiveness in allthe different components of the airtransport system.

1. Economic oversight is the responsibility of States and they should select the mostappropriate form of economic oversight according to their specific circumstances.

2. Appropriate performance management systems should be developed and implementedby service providers.

3. It is fundamental to maintain effective consultative processes in order to establish thefoundation for sound cooperation between providers and users.

4. States should ensure that their service providers adhere to ICAO’s policies so as toenhance the efficient and cost-effective operation of airports and air navigation services,as well as their relationship with users.

MAIN FINDINGS OF THE CEANS SYMPOSIUM

ResourcefulROMANIAStrategic gateway to Eastern Europe

STATE PROFILE

18

Romania is a country with an extremely rich history and traditionof innovation in the field of aviation. Few people know that it wasa Romanian scientist, Henri Coanda, who built the world’s firstjet engine in 1910 and consequently flew the first jet-poweredaircraft, only a short time after man started to explore the skiesin powered aircraft. This was long before the Germans furtherdeveloped the jet engine and started using it on airplanes by theend of Word War II.

Ever leading the way, in the period between the two World WarsRomania was one of few nations in the world with its ownaviation industry, producing more than 80 different aircraftmodels. Aircraft manufacturingcontinued in the years after World WarII. Production included civil andmilitary models of not only ofRomanian origin, but also helicoptersand large passenger aircraft builtunder licence in collaboration withWestern manufacturers.

Romania has seen an explosiveincrease of flights over the past fiveyears as a result of closer ties withthe rest of Europe. It has justlyenjoyed an increase in popularity asa key tourist destination. WhenRomania joined the European Unionon January 1, 2007, doors openedon a whole new range of opportu-nities in the aviation sector, with bothnational and international airlinesand other aviation companies havingthe opportunity to launch new flightsand services.

An outward sign of Romania’srenewed importance in aviation isthat between 2003 and 2008 thenumber of arrivals and departures ofcommercial air traffic more thandoubled. Also the number of aircraftoverflying the country increased,confirming Romania’s vital strategicposition as a link between Europe, the Middle East and Asia.The Romanian capital Bucharest and other major citiesthroughout the country are finally being recognised not onlyin the world of business, but also as hugely popular andimportant city break destinations, receiving visits from touristsfrom all over Europe and beyond. This, combined with theincrease of tourism from abroad to the various resorts alongthe country’s Black Sea coast, is leading to an ever-growingnumber of passengers using the extensive network of airportsin Romania.

With the spectacular increase in aircraft movements, Romanianairports have also seen a dramatic increase in the number ofpassengers: from 2.9 million in 2003 to 7.8 million in 2007,with most flights and passengers being handled during themonths of July and August. The Romanian authorities havelaunched a campaign to modernise the country’s airports withstate-of-the-art facilities so that they can compete with anymodern airport anywhere in the world.

An even more dramatic increase has been seen in the amountof cargo handled at various Romanian airports. Cargo volumeincreased from 13,000 tons in 2003 to almost 44,500 tons in

2007, earning the country a well-deserved prominent role in the worldof logistics.

With its population of around22,000,000 and a sur face of92,000 square miles (238,000 sqkm), Romania has a network of16 commercial airports, thelargest of which is Bucharest’sOtopeni International Airport (ICAOcode LROP). The airport is nowalso known as “Henri Coanda”,named after the famous scientist.Otopeni is followed in aircraftmovements and passengernumbers by Bucharest’s secondairport, Baneasa (LRBS), alsoknown as Aurel Vlaicu andTimisoara (LRTR), in the southwestof the country near the bordersof Hungary and Serbia. Both thecapital’s airports have seen ahuge increase of aircraft move-ments over the past five years:Otopeni by some 75 percent,and Baneasa by even more than110 percent.

The latter’s spectacular passengerincrease can mainly be traced to theintroduction of services operated by

so-called ‘low cost carriers,’ which have made air travel morepopular and more accessible to a larger part of the population.In addition, the amount of executive and VIP flights hasincreased considerably following the growth of business trafficinto and out of the country.

This excellent airport infrastructure not only gives access tomost parts of the country by air, but also offers vital air links toremote communities throughout the country linking them to thecapital, and the rest of Europe.IC

AOJournal–

Issue06–2008

STATE PROFILE: RESOURCEFUL ROMANIA

Few people know thatit was a Romanianscientist, Henri Coanda,who built the world’s firstjet engine in 1910 andconsequently flew thefirst jet-powered aircraft,only a short time afterman started to explorethe skies in poweredaircraft. This was longbefore the Germansfurther developed the jetengine and startedusing it on airplanes bythe end of World War II.

“

”

20

The commercial airports in Romaniaare, in order of traffic data in 2007:

Bucharest Otopeni(Henri Coanda)/LROPBucharest Baneasa(Aurel Vlaicu)/LRBSTimisoara/LRTRCluj/LRCLTirgu-Mures/LRTMIasi/LRIABacau/LRBCSibiu/LRSBConstanta/LRCKOradea/LRODArad/LRARSuceava/LRSVBaia-Mare/LRBMSatu-Mare/LRSMCraiova/LRCVTulcea/LRTC

Projects are underway on three moreairports to complement the existingnetwork and further improve accessibility.Brasov, Galati-Braila and Deva-Alba Iulia,three major conglomerations that curren-tly lack the air links enjoyed throughoutthe rest of the country, will in the nearfuture have their own modern facilities.The new airports will help to bringprosperity to these regions and heraldan even greater era of development.

The airports of Bucharest Otopeni andBaneasa, Timisoara and Constanta haverunways with lengths of 10,500 feet(3,200 metres) or more, and cantherefore receive the largest andheaviest aircraft in operation today.

Presence on the ICAO Council

In 1996, Romania was elected to theICAO Council as a Member State of theCentral European Rotation Group (CERG).Other CERG Member States includethe Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakiaand Slovenia.

In 2007, Romania was re-elected tothe Council by a high margin of votes.Romania considers this re-election asan acknowledgement of its ongoingcommitment to pursue an active and

ICAOJournal–

Issue06–2008


engaged role in the Council’s global aviation deliberations. TheState strongly shares the Council’s objectives of ensuring thesafety and security of global aviation, and of improving environ-mental performance at every opportunity.

The Romanian Ministry of Transport

Civil Aviation in Romania is regulated by the Ministry ofTransport, whose subsidiary bodies are responsible forlegislation, implementation and logistics.

The Ministry’s main objectives are:

To implement ICAO and European standards with regards tosafety, security, passenger rights and environmental issuesin air transport.To modernise and develop airport infrastructure and theair traffic management system.

To ensure safe, fluent and efficient air traffic management.To offer and facilitate free and non-discriminatory access tothe air transport market within the current regulations.

The aviation activities of the Romanian Ministry of Transportare divided between two main bodies, namely the DirectorateGeneral of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Directorate of AirTransport Investigation (DATI).

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), under whichthe Romanian Civil Aeronautical Authority (RCAA) falls, isresponsible for:

Implementing government policies regarding civil aviation.Elaborating the civil aviation development strategy andmonitoring its implementation.Coordinating the activity of civil aviation companies that areunder the authority of the Ministry of Transport.

With the spectacular increase in aircraft movements, Romanian airports havealso seen a dramatic increase in the number of passengers: from 2.9 million in2003 to 7.8 million in 2007, with most flights and passengers being handledduring the months of July and August.

“

”

22

ICAOJournal–

Issue06–2008


Negotiating international agreements in the civil aviation industry.Representing the Romanian government in internationalcivil aviation organizations.

The Romanian Civil Aeronautical Authority (RCAA) is a self-financed organization and forms the technical body responsiblefor the oversight of civil aviation safety. The RCAA is theNational Supervisory Authority (NSA) for safety according to theSingle European Sky regulations. Its main responsibilities are:

Implementation of European standards regarding safety(airworthiness, airports, air traffic management, flightoperations, licensing) and environment, and issuance of therelated licenses, certificates and authorisations.Supervision of the application of civil aviation regulations(national, ICAO, JAA/EU & EASA, and Eurocontrol).Active participation in European Aviation Safety Agency(EASA) activities.

The Romanian Civil Aeronautical Authority is represented inseveral groups, programmes and initiatives, including:

ICAO Universal Safety Oversight Audit ProgrammeICAO European Air Navigation Planning Group (EANPG)

ICAO Route Development Group Eastern EuropeICAO Frequency Management GroupICAO All-weather Operation Group (AWOG)ICAO Meteorological Group

The Romanian Civil Aeronautical Authority is also active invarious roles within JAA/EASA Eurocontrol and the Group ofAirport Safety Regulators.

The Directorate of Air Transport Investigation (DATI), the secondmain aviation body under the Ministry of Transport, consistsof an investigations department, data analysing departmentand logistics department and acts according to the legislationas stipulated under ICAO annex 13.

Its main functions and responsibilities include:

Regulatory activities for non-security related accident andincident investigations.Direct investigation of all accidents and serious incidents.Management of mandatory occurrence reporting systems,as provided by ICAO (ADREP), EC (ECCAIRS) and Eurocontrol(TOKAY).

24

ICAOJournal–

Issue06–2008


Future plans include setting up aninvestigative agency which is indepen-dent from the Ministry of Transport,in order to increase efficiency and toavoid conflict of interest.

Air Traffic Control Services in Romania

Air Traffic Control services in Romaniafall under the jurisdiction of theRomanian Air Traffic Services Adminis-tration (ROMATSA). This organization wasfounded in 1991 and provides Air TrafficServices (ATS) at commercial airportsthroughout the country as well asspanning all of Romanian air space.

ROMATSA operates a network of 16control towers, ensuring a safe andexpeditious operation of commercial airtraffic at the airports, as well as threeArea Control Centres (ACCs) located inBucharest, Arad and Constanta. All itscontrol centres are equipped with state-of-the-art technology and operated byqualified, skilled personnel.

Part of ROMATSA’s responsibilitiesalso include providing meteorologicalservices for air navigation purposes.For this reason, the organization has asophisticated network of meteorologicalstations throughout the country andcollaborates closely with meteorologicalorganizations in neighboring countriesto provide the best service.

ROMATSA became ISO 9001:2000certified in the year 2006, some of itsdepartments already having receivedthis prestigious qualification in thepreceding years.

ROMATSA’s commitment to achieve thehighest possible standards of safety andquality is evident in its training programmefor air traffic controllers and otherprofessionals employed by the organi-zation. ROMATSA not only offers in-house and on-the-job training, but alsoorganizes initial and refresher coursesfor its employees in collaboration withprestigious institutions such as theNational Air Traffic

Services (NATS) in the United Kingdomand the Pan Am Academy in Miami, USA.The importance of a high proficiencylevel of aeronautical English for itspersonnel is also recognised, providingthe appropriate courses at MLSInternational College in Bournemouth,UK in compliance with ICAO’s linguisticstandards.

ROMATSA is dedicated to offering airtraffic services at the highest level andcollaborating internationally to maintain

and improve Romania’s prominent rolein the aviation industry. Great care istaken to ensure that the Romanian airtraffic control services are completelycompatible with the services of theneighboring nations, guaranteeing asmooth operation with a maximum levelof safety and a seamless integrationinto the ATS network. The organizationstrives to strengthen its position on aPan-European level within the SingleEuropean Sky project and also on aregional level with initiatives such as

In 2007, Romania was re-elected to the Council bya high margin of votes. Romania considers thisre-election as an acknowledgement of its ongoingcommitment to pursue an active and engaged rolein the Council’s global aviation deliberations. TheState strongly shares the Council’s objectives ofensuring the safety and security of global aviation,and of improving environmental performance atevery opportunity.

“

”

26

ICAOJournal–

Issue06–2008


Air Traffic Management Cooperation in South eastern Europe(ACE MoU). In July 2003, Romania signed a Memorandum ofUnderstanding to this effect with its neighbouring countriesBulgaria, Moldova and Turkey to promote and further developmutual collaboration. The project is supported by ICAO andEurocontrol.

Aviation training in Romania

Backed by the Ministry of Transport, the Romanian CivilAviation Academy was founded in 1999 with the goal ofproviding top-quality training for pilots, cabin crew and otheraviation personnel including flight dispatchers.

The Academy started training the first batch of students in itsfirst year, incorporating Cessna C172S aircraft into its fleet. Thefollowing year, the fleet was expanded with Piper PA34 twin-engined aircraft to facilitate the next step in the students’ pilottraining, and the Academy also incorporated a FRASCA simulatorto safely train students in different ground procedures.

The first group of students graduated in 2002 with a frozenATP(A) license, all of them having moved on to a successfulcareer in the aviation industry. Many other students have sincefollowed in their footsteps.

In 2005, the Romanian Civil Aviation Academy also incorpo-rated the first state-of-the-art Eurocopter helicopters into its

fleet. Based at Ploiesti Aerodrome near Bucharest, theAcademy also operates air taxi services with its fleet of fixed-wing and rotorwing aircraft, and has its own maintenancedepartment to maintain its own aircraft as well as third parties’—all to the highest possible standards.

Becoming a member of ICAO’s TRAINAIR programme was theAcademy’s goal ever since it was established, a goal whichbecame reality when the organization was accepted as a fullmember in 2007. By being part of TRAINAIR, the RomanianCivil Aviation Academy has received recognition for itsexcellence and high standards in aviation training. Participationalso entails close collaboration with other well-respectedtraining institutions and aviation organizations worldwide.

Security in aviation

As a responsible contracting nation of ICAO and a memberof the European Union continually striving to improve itsalready impressive position within the international aviationindustry, Romania closely collaborates with ICAO in a widerange of fields in the aviation industry.

An example of such collaboration is the ICAO UniversalSecurity Audit conducted in June 2006, following the signingof a Memorandum of Understanding between Romania andICAO the year before. ICAO conducts these audits todetermine the member nation’s level of adherence to its

28

ICAOJournal–

Issue06–2008


Annex 17 standards and to act as aguide to even further improvements.This particular audit was conductedat the country’s largest airport,Otopeni Henri Coanda Internationalin Bucharest.

The Romanian aviation authoritiesare committed to ensure the bestpossible security measures at allairports throughout the country inorder to guarantee safety forpassengers, crew and their aircraft,while also making sure that allprocedures are adopted in the mostefficient and cost-effective manner.

Romanian aviation and the environment

Environmental issues are among themajor concerns today in every industry,and Romania is committed to contribute

its share in the battle against thedeterioration of the environmentwhenever and wherever it can. Whilethe nation is delighted with its majorprogress in the aviation sector, theincreased air traffic is also helping toincrease ties with Romania’s neigh-bouring nations. This burgeoninggrowth is contributing considerably toRomania’s prosperity and well-being.The Romanian aviation industry haspledged to never lose sight of itsresponsibility in environmental issues,actively participating in any project toprotect the environment while ensuringthe safe and efficient developmentof its aviation industry.

Environmental measures not onlyinclude steps taken to reduce theimpact of aviation on the naturalenvironment, but also the effect of

aviation on the inhabitants. Noise levelsat and around airports are actively beingmonitored and minimised, including theimplementation of night time flyingrestrictions. Romania’s aviation industryis tackling the issue of emissions toprotect the air quality in airport vicinitiesand reduce greenhouse gas emissions,in an attempt to fight against the globalclimate change.

To this effect, the Romanian aviationauthorities have implemented and willfurther develop regulations concerningnoise restrictions, including theoperation of aircraft which produceexcessively high noise levels. It activelysupports the introduction of newertechnologies in aviation, such as quieterand more fuel-efficient engines, thusimproving the environment and thequality of life for residential areas nearairports in Romania.

Another major area in which Romaniais an active and important contributingpartner is the efforts to improve theflow of air traffic, maximise efficiencyand minimise delays. Romania is alsodoing everything possible to improveair navigation services in such a waythat flight times are minimised, andwith that a substantial reduction in fuelburn and emission levels is achieved.It is achieving this high standard bymanaging air traffic capacity in thebest way possible.

Conclusion

Romania has been on the forefront ofthe aviation industry ever since HenriCoanda’s ground breaking discoveries.Romanians have always been in thevanguard of aviation development andwill continue to be so, embracing everyopportunity and working hard to achieveeven more outstanding results. With agreat network and many fantasticprojects in ongoing development, plusan impressive array of resources, thecountry is set to meet and exceed anychallenges to come its way during the21st century.

By being part of TRAINAIR, the Romanian CivilAviation Academy has received recognition for itsexcellence and high standards in aviation training.Participation also entails close collaboration withother well-respected training institutions andaviation organizations worldwide.

“

”

29

Verifying the maturity of our ATM safety frameworks

EUROCONTROL ATM SAFETY SURVEYS

After two separate ATM incidents in Europein 2002, EUROCONTROL commissionedindependent surveys of European Civil AviationConference States’ ATM Safety Regulatorsand Air Navigation Services Providers, toidentify how well safety requirements werebeing met. EUROCONTROL’s Peter Stastny,Alexander Skoniezki and Tony Licu, whotogether form the ImplementationCoordination Group (ICG) for the EuropeanSafety Programme for ATM, discuss thesuccess of these surveys and how they haveevolved into an ongoing programme that hasbecome a tremendous benefit to EuropeanATM regulators and providers.

Throughout the 1990s and early years of the 21st century,European Air Traffic Management had developed in a safe |and-efficient manner through programmes established by EURO-CONTROL on behalf of the European Civil Aviation Conference(ECAC). Indeed, Europe had an excellent record in ATM safety.

A serious accident at Milan’s Linate Airport in October 2001and a mid air collision at Überlingen in mid-2002, however,revealed that there was no room for complacency. It wasdecided as a result of these incidents that a comprehensivereview of ATM safety systems in ECAC States should beundertaken. EUROCONTROL commissioned an independentsurvey of ECAC States’ ATM Safety Regulators and AirNavigation Service Providers (ANSPs), to identify how wellsafety requirements were being met.

The objective was to provide a reference point for futuredevelopment and analysis and, in particular, to identify areaswhere States and service providers needed support toenable them to meet new requirements. The surveys werenot audits. Rather they were intended to provide an overviewof how regulators and service providers saw their ownsystem development.

The 2002 survey proved an extremely useful tool inunderstanding how well State regulators and ANSPs thoughtthey were implementing ATM safety requirements. It alsoclearly identified the areas where support was required. TheEUROCONTROL Provisional Council therefore decided to

ICAOJournal–

Issue06–2008

The European Organization for the Safety of Air Navigation (Eurocontrol) develops, coordinates and plans for implementation of pan-European ATMstrategies and their associated action plans in a collective effort with all stakeholders. The primary objective of the organization, which currentlynumbers 38 Member States, is the development of a seamless ATM system across Europe. For more information, visit www.eurocontrol.int

ABOUT EUROCONTROL:

AlexanderSkoniezki

PeterStastny

Tony Licu

continue this form of self-assessment measurement, not onlybecause it identified where support was required, but alsobecause it allowed regulators and ANSPs the opportunity to pre-assess themselves ahead of EUROCONTROL and ICAO Audits.

Currently, the safety framework maturity measurement focuseson the review of the status of the development and implemen-tation of safety management and safety oversight mechanismswithin the ECAC region and more recently over the whole ICAOEUR Region. This fact-based exercise gives an indication of thestatus of current and future ATM safety management,regulation and oversight in ECAC. The results are presented inthe form of a maturity score ranging from zero-to-100, for eachindividual ANSP and regulator, where 100 percent indicatesthat all ATM safety requirements are being met.

Impact of surveys

The 2002 survey of the maturity of ECAC States’ ATM SafetyFrameworks demonstrated that the development of thesemethodologies was not consistent across ECAC and that theimplementation of measures intended to achieve the varioussafety objectives of many States was still at an early stage.Only a few States had well-defined safety frameworks andunderstood their safety requirements. The survey wasrepeated in 2004, 2006, 2007 and 2008, using the original2002 survey as the benchmark.

Over the intervening years since 2002, considerableefforts had been expended by ICAO, EUROCONTROL andthe European Commission in providing assistance to thoseStates that had been identified as needing specificsupport. The results of the surveys now show a conside-rable improvement in ATM safety awareness and that themajority of regulators and ANSPs now understand what

30

ICAOJournal–

Issue06–2008

In addition to the quantitative areas in Table 1, the eight qualitative shown in Table 2 are also probed during the survey:

No TRS Study Areas Maturity is when:

A1 States' Safety Capability There is a civil aviation policy and management structure at State level that has the capabilityto accomodate new international standards and applicable legislation into national law.The State defines a safety management program and promotes the implementation of safetymanagement systems that are compliant with the relevant international standards.

A2 The collection and dissemination There is a well-established structure in place for collecting and recording incident data,of incident data analysing and acting on the results of the analysis

A3 Safety Performance Measurement The Safety Performance is known and based on an active system of monitoring using suitablesafety indicators such as safety occurrences as well as pro-active monitoring processes e.g.audits, surveys and inspections etc.

A4 Promotion of best practice There is an established system that gathers information on best practice, evaluates itsapplicability to different situations and disseminates the information.

A5 Organisational structures for safety There is a formal system for the management of safety that has a clear management structurewith unambiguously defined responsibilities and accountabilities.

A6 Current safety rules and procedures Within the safety management system there are well-defined and accessible standard operatingprocedures (SOPs) that are known to staff and regularly reviewed and maintained.

A7 Current Safety Culture There is a positive safety culture that is driven by the management in ensuring that all staff areaware of and believe in the organisation's shared beliefs, assumptions and values regardingoperational safety. There is support for staff and promotion of an active safety climate for thereporting of incidents and the improvement of safety.

A8 Current achieved safety This has been combined with Study Area A3.performance – deleted

A9 Current perceived safety levels Internal and external stakeholders perceive the level of aviation and ATM safety as adequate.

A10 Disclosure of safety information The general public and stakeholders have easy access to the performance of their ANSPthrough routine publication of achieved safety levels, incidents reports and overviews ofimprovement actions. All such information is neutralised (i.e. names are not included) topromote a just culture and the controls on the release if information is compliant with therequirements of ICAO annex 13 attachment E.

B1 The implementation of SMS There is an awareness of the need to operate a formal system to manage safety includingits future development.

B2 Timely compliance with international There is an awareness of the implications of the international obligations related to safety inATM in particular SES legislation, ICAO SARPS, ESARRs and the requirement to implementthem within each State by a known deadline date is achieved.

TABLE 1: ESP ATM SAFETY SURVEY

No TRS Study Areas Maturity is when:

B3 Identification of specific safety ATM Safety programmes are primarily driven by Regulations from ICAO and EUROCONTROL,programmes within States that in particular SES legislation, ICAO SARPS, & ESARRs. This Study Area sought to identify whichaddress national safety issues. programmes a State was pursuing above the regulatory minimum.

B4 Describe the current situation with Both positive and negative factors can affect the implementation and application of SESregards to issues affecting the legislation, ICAO SARPS, & ESARRs. This Study Area sought to identify these factors.implementation of legislation.

B5 Identify potential weaknesses in the Potential weaknesses could be anything that leads to repeated safety deviations, a lack ofsafety of air navigation that warrant compliance with mandatory safety procedures or flaws or omissions in safety programmesspecial or immediate attention.

B6 Identify the current safety This Study Area was addressed to user groups and sought to identify either the perceptual orconcerns of the airspace users the actual concerns of these groups.representative bodies.

B7 Identify current safety concerns This Study Area was addressed to the Air Traffic Controller’s representative bodies and soughtof the Air Traffic Controller’s to identify either the perceptual or the actual concerns of these bodies.representative bodies.

B8 Establish the position regarding The publication of ATM safety indicators with an aim of showing progress to the general publicwhether or not the State's ATM is supported by the ATM Industry and their stakeholders and any obstacles to openess ofsafety indicators should be information have been resolved. This study area takes stock of the opinion regarding openesspublished annually to demonstrate of ATM safety information and of any obstacles, solutions and progress that has been reported.that agreed targets are achieved?

TABLE 2: ESP ATM SAFETY SURVEY

31

is needed of them—though some lack the resources andexpertise needed to implement the requirements.

The studies do reveal, however, that in the six years since theoriginal study the average maturity level of ATM safety frame-works had improved from 55 percent to 81 percent for ANSPs,and from 53 percent to 75 percent for State ATM regulators.The current objective is to get all ANSPs and regulators abovethe 70 percent maturity level by the end of 2009.

Survey structure

The maturity level of individual regulators and service providersis derived from the average score across a set of key elementsof ATM safety, known as Study Areas. In order to meet thesurvey objectives the overall status of a number of keyelements of ATM safety are defined in these areas. For eachStudy Area a clear and underlying definition was developed thatacts as a sub-objective for the project. These are linked directlyto both the quantitative and/or qualitative results. The StudyAreas, and a description of what would constitute a maturesituation concerning the systematic safety framework in each,are shown below.

Survey methodology

The review of ATM safety management and safety regulationframeworks is undertaken through the collection and analysis ofdata and information elicited from ANSPs, ATM regulators andother stakeholders. The data is collected and validated througha combination of electronic questionnaires, follow-up telephoneinterviews and other available and related sources of information.

While the methodology uses similar questions, differentquestionnaires are used for regulators and service providers.The questionnaires have a graded scale of responses that

Mathematically, the maturity score is calculated from the questionnaire responses and the assumed weighted factors as follows:

An overall score for each State is then also estimated by taking the average of the scores over all Study Areas.Regulators and Service Providers are finally classified according to their score as being either:

Note: i = the State/ANSP being considered; j = the study area being considered; k = the question being considered.

Where:

Si, j is the maturity score for State i in Study Area j.rk, j, i is the numeric value of the response of State i to question k in Study Area j

(“Slow Starter” response has a value of 0, “Planned” a value of 1,“Developing” a value of 2, and “Mature” a value of 3)

wk, j is the weight factor of question k to Study Area jni, j is the number of questions in Study Area j for which non-nil responses

were provided by the State i.

correspond to four categories of safety maturity. Thesecategories were developed to match the maturity grades: Initial,Planned, Developing and Mature. Allowance is also made forthe possibility of a “No Response,” where respondents feelthey are not in a position to answer a question. The answer toeach question is weighted to reflect its specific contribution tothe particular objective being considered in the Study Area thatthe question relates to. The actual maturity score is derivedthrough mathematical formula.

As can be seen from the two graphs in Figure 2 (page 32), theresults after five measurements (2002, 2006, 2007 and 2008)are showing a positive trend with a very good chance of mostStates reaching the 70 percent target score by the end of 2009.

In addition to the State ATM regulators and service providers,the survey also seeks input from user groups such as IFATCA,IFALPA, IATA and controllers unions. These inputs contribute tothe overall report, but do not affect the individual Statematurity score.

Frequency & participation

Since 2006, surveys have been conducted annually and from2007 jointly with ICAO in order to cover the majority of theICAO European (EUR) Region States. The objectives for theenlarged survey remain the same: i.e. to track implemen-tation of ATM safety requirements and identify where specificsupport is required.

In addition to the extension of the surveys to the majority ofICAO EUR Region States (this includes three North AfricanStates (Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia)), ad hoc surveys havebeen undertaken in States belonging to the ICAO Middle East(MID) Region. In mid-2008, surveys were undertaken in Egypt,Jordan, Lebanon and Syria as part of the Europe-Middle East

ICAOJournal–

Issue06–2008

Figure 1: Mathematical Calculation of Maturity Scores

32

ICAOJournal–

Issue06–2008

ATM Coordination (EMAC) project that issponsored by ICAO, EUROCONTROL andthe European Commission.

Benefits of approach taken

As indicated earlier, the maturity surveysare not audits—they are self-assess-ments that are tested through interviewsand comparison with other availablematerial. Audits are formal assessmentsof a State’s overall ATM system andas such have a far greater impact onhow a particular State’s safety recordis viewed by the general public.

The benefit of the maturity surveyapproach is that it is more of a finger inthe air, or snapshot, of how State ATMregulators and ANSPs see themselves.It allows them to have an assessmentmade of their safety organizationsoutside of the formal audits and allows

them to judge how they are progressingagainst other organizations. Althoughthe published results are de-indentified,each organization is provided with itsown report and maturity score and cantherefore see where they sit in theoverall graph statistics. It also enablesthem to identify areas that require impro-vement—ahead of the formal audits.

Additionally, ICAO and EUROCONTROLuse the results of the surveys to identifywhere support is required and thisallows resources to be focussed in theareas where they are most needed.

The future

Since these surveys were first develop-ed in 2002, much has changed in theworld of ATM and particularly withinEurope—where ever-increasing trafficgrowth, coupled with a complex ATM

structure, has led to new regulationsthrough the European CommunitiesSingle European Sky. There is now morecohesion and a will to ensure that thesafest possible ATM service isprovided. It is therefore becomingincreasingly important that we knowhow our aviation systems are perform-ing, how individual parts of the overallATM system are working, and in parti-cular how well ATM Safety requirementsare being met.

The parameters that were consideredrelevant in 2002 and formed thebenchmark for current surveys arechanging. EUROCONTROL, togetherwith its stakeholders, is developing newparameters that will be used in arevamped survey methodology from2010 onwards. This new methodology,although based on the existing one, willmore clearly separate out regulator andANSP requirements. It will concentrateon Key Performance Areas (KPAs),which will form Study Areas; specificallythe surveys will assess Key PerformanceIndicators (KPIs). A completely newset of parameters for assessing thematurity level of an organization’s ATMSafety framework will be used.

For regulators, the ICAO Eight CriticalElements for a State’s oversight systemwill be used as the basis for themethodology. It is considered that thismethodology could be used in otherregions of the world as well as in Europe,in order to build a global picture of howwell States are meeting their ATMsafety obligations and how mature theoverall global ATM safety framework is.

ICAO is investigating the feasibility ofIUSOAP taking a Continuous MonitoringApproach (the preferred option) from2011 onwards. To support this,sources of data are being sought andat the September 2008 SafetyPractitioners Workshop, held inMontreal, great interest was shown inthe Safety Maturity Framework metho-dology as being a light and easilyapplicable method of keeping track ofStates’ progress at minimum cost.

Figure 2: ANSP and Regulator average maturity for all study areas

33

NEWS IN BRIEF

ICAOJournal–

Issue06–2008

Unmanned Aircraft SystemsStudy Group begins its reviewThe First Meeting of the Unmanned Aircraft Systems Study Group(UASSG/1) was held at ICAO Headquarters in Montreal earlier thisyear. Nancy J. Graham, Director of the ICAO Air NavigationBureau, welcomed the participants and provided a brief synopsisof the expectations being placed on the Study Group while thankingthe members and their advisors for undertaking the work to review,develop and recommend amendments to ICAO Standards andRecommended Practices (SARPs) and associated procedures forair navigation services necessary to accommodate civil UAS innon segregated airspace.

Kenneth Davis of the FAA and Holger Matthiesen of EUROCONTROLwere elected co-Chairmen. Leslie Cary, Technical Officer, Air TrafficManagement (ATM) Section of the ICAO Air Navigation Bureauwas Secretary, supported by Vince Galotti, Chief, Air TrafficManagement Section.

Seventeen members, 13 advisers and two observers from 14 Statesand seven international organizations attended the meeting.

The ICAO Alternative Fuels Workshop will explore potential options and challenges in the development and deployment of alternative fuels foraviation, as well as initiatives for cooperation. The three-day forum will also review key issues relating to biofuels, ongoing and planned researchstrategies, certification and related standards requirements, and associated infrastructure implications.

Environment Unit Workshop provides important forum on Carbon Markets,while Alternative Fuels event planned for early 2009ICAO’s Aviation and Carbon Markets Workshopwas a unique two-day event that brought togethertop financial, industry and environment expertsto discuss the participation of international civilaviation in a global carbon market.

The event familiarised participants with keyissues related to aviation emissions and carbonmarkets while a variety of approaches, includingemissions trading and carbon offset programmes,were addressed. The workshop included a broaddiscussion of the pros and cons of marketinitiatives for aviation emissions and theopportunities for a global aviation carbon market.

For additional details and a full report of theWorkshop results, please visit the ICAOWeb Site at:

www.icao.int/2008WACM

Yvo de Boer, ExecutiveSecretary, UnitedNations FrameworkConvention on ClimateChange, addressingthe assembledparticipants to ICAO’sAviation and CarbonMarkets Workshopvia satellite feedearlier this year.

Do alternative aviation fuels represent a viable option? What are the timelines for their deployment?

34

ICAOJournal–

Issue06–2008

ICAO, UAE formalise newagreements on Gulf facilities

ICAO and UAE representatives on the occasion of the signing ofthe Memorandum of Understanding on the Gulf Centre for AviationStudies and receipt of the ICAO certificate of endorsement of theDubai Centre for Aviation Security as an Aviation Security Training

Centre (ASTC).

ICAO is accepting applications for the following senior positions until the dates indicated:

Until December 15, 2008:

Chief, Language and Publications Branch, Montreal, VN PC 2008/27/D-1

Deputy Director, Air Navigation Bureau, Montreal, VN PC 2008/28/D-1

Deputy Director, Legal Bureau, Montreal, VN 2008/29/D-1

Until December 17, 2008:ICAO Regional Director, Lima, VN PC 2008/30/D-1

All ICAO Vacancies are open to both female and male candidates. In order to increase the representation of women at all levels in ICAO,women are particularly invited to apply for vacant posts or for roster evaluation for future vacancies.

The full details of the above Vacancy Notice and other current vacancy notices, as well as instructions on how to apply, can be foundon http://www.icao.int/employment

ICAO Council AppointmentName: Jalal HaidarCountry: United Arab Emirates

Jalal Haidar is currently serving as the Permanent Representative of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on the ICAOCouncil and as the governing body’s third Vice President. He also sits on the Air Transport, Unlawful Interferenceand Human Resources Committees, and, together with several other Council members, has been leading acampaign to bring reform to ICAO. He further contributed to the UAE/Global Aviation Summit to address theshortage of skilled aviation personnel.

Prior to becoming the UAE Representative, Haidar was the Chief of the Aviation Security Coordinated Assistance and Development Sectionof ICAO, where he was responsible for initiating and managing ways and means to promote the development of sustainable aviation securityinfrastructure systems for ICAO Member States. He was also responsible for policy direction of the ICAO aviation security training network,chaired ICAO’s New and Emerging Threats to Civil Aviation Working Group, and the led in the development and establishment of the GlobalAviation Security Audit Programme of ICAO.

Prior to his assignment to ICAO, Haidar worked for Aerospace Services International (ASI), where he held several positions including his lastone as a Senior Vice President, Government and International Affairs. While at ASI, Haidar served as an aviation advisor to the late PrimeMinister Rafic B. Hariri, overseeing the new Beirut International Airport development project and leading in the commissioning of the newfacility. Prior to joining ASI, Haidar was Chief of Airport Operations at Chicago O’Hare International Airport and Duty Airport Manager.

Present at the signings and presentation are Saif MohammedAl Suwaidi, Director General, General Civil Aviation Authority (UAE);Taïeb Chérif, ICAO Sectretary General; Jalal Haidar, Representative

of the UAE on the Council of ICAO; Nancy Graham, Director ICAOAir Navigation Bureau; Mohamed Elamiri, Chief, Safety and

Security Audits Branch.

35

ICAOJournal–

Issue06–2008

Approved Maintenance Organization and Air Operator MaintenanceOrganization SMS Implementation SeminarBangkok, 2008

The Asia and Pacific Office and COSCAP programmes in Asia and Pacific jointly organized the Approved Maintenance Organization and AirOperator Maintenance Organization SMS Implementation Seminar at the ICAO Regional Office in Bangkok in June 2008. The goal of thisSeminar was to bring together regulators, air operators, service providers and manufacturers in a forum that promoted exchange of SMS bestpractices. 140 participants attended the Seminar.

The International Civil Aviation Vocabulary: Third EditionThe third edition of ICAO’s International Civil Aviation Vocabulary, recently released, includesapproximately 1,000 definitions and abbreviations from the 18 Annexes to the Conventionon International Civil Aviation. The Vocabulary is a compendium of some 700 pages that will be ofinterest to language specialists and other professionals with a keen interest in aviation terminology.

Part 1 includes definitions that have been adopted and recommended by the ICAO Council; they arein the six working languages of ICAO: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish.

Part 2 contains a comprehensive list of abbreviations from the latest edition of the Procedures forAir Navigation Services—ICAO Abbreviations and Codes (Doc 8400, PANS-ABC).

To order ICAO’s Publications please contact the Document Sales Unit (tel.: 514-954-8022). The Catalogue of ICAO Publicationsis available at www.icao.int. Orders can also me made by e-mail at [email protected].]

Asia and Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)Technological Innovation Summit and 12th Meetingof the GNSS Implementation Team (GIT/12)Bangkok, 2008

The Asia and Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)Technological Innovation Summit and 12th Meeting of the GNSS Implementation Team (GIT/12)hosted by Aeronautical Radio of Thailand Ltd. (AEROTHAI) were held in Bangkok, Thailand fromMay 26 to 30, 2008.

The Summit, inaugurated by Santi Promphat, Minister of Transportation, Royal Thai Governmentwas aimed at increasing participation, collaboration and understanding amongst APEC MemberEconomies with regards to the implementation of GNSS technology for all sectors oftransportation. The Summit, held on May 26 and 27, 2008 was attended by morethan 180 participants from 10 Member Economies, India as a special invitee and ICAO Asiaand Pacific Office Bangkok. Experts from Member Economies, industry and internationalorganizations gave presentations on the recent technological developments in GNSSapplications for all the three modes of transportation.

ICAORD, Bangkok address on ICAO strate-gies and status of GNSS implementation inthe Asia/Pacific Region at the APEC GNSSSummit in Bangkok in May 2008.

Pioneers of theEnvironmental Ageby Howard Aylesworth,ICCAIA Director, Civil Aviation Environment

FORUM

36

Environmental issues remain a key factor limiting aviationgrowth. A global policy atmosphere that opens the door on anew age of experimentation is required to meet the challengeof carbon-neutral industry expansion. This new and pioneeringeffort will require a combination of what the ICCAIA refers toas technology, tactics and teamwork, and it will need toleverage innovations in equipment, operating proceduresand processes across all sectors and stakeholders.

In the 1960s, jet noise was a growing concern. ICAOresponded by establishing aircraft noise standards. In the1970s, attention was drawn to local air quality. ICAOresponded by establishing engine emissions standards.In the 1990s, climate change was placed on the globalagenda. ICAO responded by requesting the Special Reporton Aviation, and policies for addressing carbon dioxide (CO2)emissions. As a global body ICAO continues to provide aunique forum for environmental leadership, but its Statesalso need to consider the specific case of aviation asmeasures mature in the near and long term.

Significant improvements in aircraft fuel efficiency have beenachieved since the dawn of the jet age—an average of one-two percent per year for new production aircraft. Approximately45 percent of this fuel savings is attributable to advances inairframe technology, 40 percent to engine technology and15 percent to development of entirely new aircraft. Theseremarkable improvements are the result of market forces androbust public-private partnership funded technology research,development, and demonstration programs.

The technology component of the ICCAIA vision sets long-termgoals for fundamental research and mid-term goals formaturation of nascent technologies to demonstrate theirpotential for application in product development. Wherepossible, the ICCAIA program applies these technologyadvancements to in-production air frames and engines thatdon’t meet the new standards. In this manner, the overallperformance—including the environmental performance—of in service aircraft and engines is constantly improved.

ICAO data shows that noise impacts around airports havebeen cut dramatically, even while the number of operationshas grown substantially. Solutions to achieving further noiseand local air quality objectives include better land use policies,enhanced operational procedures, and the application of

technologically advanced new aircraft designs to existingfleets. To achieve this comprehensive approach, aviation andcommunities must work together to achieve practicalenvironmental policies.

ICAO nitrogen oxides (NOx) and noise stringency standardsare periodically reset to benchmark advancements inenvironmental technologies after they have been applied to asufficient number of new products that have been proven inservice. Unlike market-driven CO2 reductions, ICAO NOx andnoise standards are appropriate due to the lack of significantmarket incentives required to reduce them. If CO2 emissionswere regulated, however, trade offs between it, NOx and noisemight actually prohibit the commercialisation of newtechnologies. Reliance on market forces to reduce CO2 allowsflexibility in this regard while avoiding the unintended conse-quences of a regulatory mismatch. The latter would be a lose-lose-lose solution for airlines, public health and welfare, andthe environment.

Since the energy crisis of the 1970s, aircraft and enginecompanies have been investigating the practicality ofalternative fuels for aircraft. Growing concerns over theavailability of jet fuel, price fluctuations, local air quality,and the global climate impacts of aviation have generateda renewed interest in alternative fuels.

This attempt to shift from fossil to alternative fuels isobviously not unique to aviation. Unfortunately, the biofuelsavailable to automobiles and for heating purposes are notpresently suitable for aviation applications. Appropriatebiofuels have the potential, however, to reduce aircraftcarbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. If aviation can develop andintroduce non-carbon aircraft fuel technologies for mid-centuryintroduction while simultaneously accelerating annualreductions in CO2 emissions, aggressive technologydevelopment programs and timely, dynamic methods fortechnology insertion will be a sustainable supply-side policy.

Air transportation system modernisation is perhaps thelargest and most immediate means to reduce CO2 emissions—an estimated 10 to 18 percent excess fuel burn. Thisrequires air navigation service providers to advance theirresearch and development efforts and accelerate their effortto implement 21st Century air transport systems.

ICAO Contracting States must now lead in establishing aglobal policy atmosphere that opens the door on a newpioneering age to meet the challenge of carbon-neutral growth.ICAO is the ideal and only truly global forum in which this canbe achieved.

ICAOJournal–

Issue06–2008

icao magazine

Documents