volcex16 debrief meeting.pdf

EUR/NAT VOLCEX16 debrief & VOLCEX17 planning meetings & VOLCEX/SG/12 summary

SUMMARY OF THE

DEBRIEF MEETING OF THE EUROPEAN AND NORTH ATLANTIC

VOLCANIC ASH

EXERCISE in 2016 (EUR/NAT VOLCEX16)

&

PLANNING MEETING OF VOLCEX17

&

VOLCEX/SG/12

(Reykjavik, 15-16 November 2016)

1. Introduction

1.1 The Debrief Meeting of the European and North Atlantic Volcanic Ash Exercise in

2016 (EUR/NAT VOLCEX16) was held in Reykjavik, Iceland on 15 November 2016 and hosted by

Isavia.

1.2 The meeting was chaired by Nigel Gait, UK MET Office and co-rapporteur of the

EUR/NAT VOLCEX/SG. The Secretary of the meeting was Mr. Christopher Keohan from the ICAO

EUR/NAT Office, Paris.

1.3 The meeting was attended by 47 experts representing 16 States, 2 airlines, 1 research

institution and 4 International Organizations (Eurocontrol, IATA, IFALPA and ICAO). The list of

participants and contact list are presented at Appendix A and Appendix B respectively.

1.4 The meeting adopted the updated provisional agenda as provided in Appendix C.

2. Recapitulation of Exercise VOLCEX16

2.1 The meeting recalled the VOLCEX16 Exercise Scenario that involved a simulated

eruption of Bárðarbunga in Iceland starting at 0500 UTC on 11 Oct 2016 lasting until 1600 on 12 Oct

2016. The volcanic ash plume impacted north western Europe on Day 1 and extended to northcentral

Europe on Day 2 with forecast positions past 1600 UTC that extended into central Europe, Baltic and

Russian Federation. Stakeholders actively participated in VOLCEX16 from 0800 to 1600 UTC on

both days.

2.2 VAAC London generated the Volcanic Ash Advisories (VAA) and Volcanic Ash

Advisories in Graphical Form (VAG) and the UK MET generated Volcanic Ash Concentration Charts

at 6 hourly intervals in support to the EUR/NAT Volcanic Ash Contingency Plan on the first day of

the exercise and both Volcanic Ash Concentration Charts and Volcanic Ash Column Mass Loading

Charts on the second day of the exercise. Airlines had the opportunity to test their Safety Risk

Assessment (SRA) using Volcanic Ash Concentration Charts on the first day and Volcanic Ash

Column Mass Loading on the second day of the exercise.

2.3 Teleconferences organized by Network Manager discussed the current Air Traffic

Management (ATM) network situation (based on Air Traffic Flow Management (ATFM) simulation)

as well as outlook (based on VAAC charts) for the following 24 hours.

EUR/NAT VOLCEX16 debrief & VOLCEX17 planning meetings & VOLCEX/SG/12 summary 2

June 2010

2.4 In addition, the current ATM situation and responsiveness to airline operators need for

operational flexibility was discussed based on a screenshot from ATFM simulation tool that showed:

1) all flights rerouting around larger areas of high ash concentration (exercise assumption); 2)

cancelled flights departing to and from airports located under areas of high ash concentration; and 3)

ATFM delays necessary due to rerouting.

2.5 Participants of VOLCEX16 included 41 airline operators, IATA, Aircraft Operator

Crisis Coordination Cell (AOCCC), European Aviation Crisis Coordination Cell (EACCC), Network

Manager, 23 ANSPs, MWOs from 17 States, NOFs from 16 States, 21 Regulators, VAAC London

(VAAC Toulouse backup), and 6 other organisations.

2.6 The meeting recalled the aims and objectives of VOLCEX16 which are reproduced

here within.

Exercise the merged EUR/NAT Volcanic Ash Contingency Plan (EUR Doc 019, NAT Doc

006, Part II)

o For individual States: test the effectiveness of their national procedures in accordance

with the ICAO plan;

o For all participants: test the effectiveness of local (organizational) volcanic ash

contingency plans and/or procedures;

o Exercise the origination, dissemination, reception and use of volcanic ash related

aeronautical/meteorological information (including VAA/VAG, VA concentration

charts – day 1 and column mass loading charts and data – day 2, VA SIGMET and

NOTAM and special air-reports on volcanic activity); ensure that NOTAM are in

accordance with the ICAO EUR/NAT Volcanic Ash Contingency Plan; and

o Evaluate the utility of VA threshold (column mass loading methodology) charts and

data;

Exercise and evaluate crisis coordination between the various stakeholders through EACCC

(the European Aviation Crisis Coordination Cell) and the Aircraft Operator Crisis

Coordination Cell (AOCCC);

Test the ATM responsiveness to need of AO operational flexibility;

Test dissemination of special air-reports on volcanic ash, their upload and display on the NM

NOP Portal/EVITA Tool;

Test the effectiveness of EVITA with VA concentration charts (day 1) compared with new

proposed VA column mass loading charts (day 2); and

Conduct table top exercise on comparison of current concentration charts and proposed ash

column mass loading charts (10 June 2016). Results to be reported to EANPG COG (second

week of October 2016).

3. Exercise VOLCEX16 lessons learned, recommendations and conclusions

3.1 The meeting was provided presentations by ICAO, United Kingdom (VAAC London),

IATA on behalf of airline operators, Eurocontrol Network Manager, and IFALPA. These

presentations can be accessed on the ICAO Portal under group name VOLCEXSG VOLCEX16

VOLCEX16 Debrief.


June 2010

3.2 Based on the presentations and meeting input, the meeting agreed to the following

recommendations:

Modify EVITA;

o More user friendly (to be used without specific training) in line with work flows being

developed by n-Conect user groups;

Supplementary product improvements;

o Column Mass Loading (CML) products not approved;

o VAACs London and Toulouse to provide suggested changes to the supplementary

products including a review of the fixed vertical levels;

o Circulate to VOLCEX/SG for feedback;

o Agreed proposal to be provided to EANPG COG and NAT IMG;

o EANPG COG and NAT IMG consider change management process, if applicable; and

o Revised proposal to be tested in the next VOLCEX;

Continue practicing ATM response considering;

o Knowledge of SRA approach from States;

o Greater concentration of traffic at low and mid-levels; and

o Non-standard re-route options and opportunities provided by ANSPs (promoted by

airspace users) promulgated in an efficient manner (e.g. via NM NOP);

Communications;

o Consider chat forum (enabled with n-Conect); and

o VAACs to participate in the beginning of the teleconferences and answer questions

before exiting the telcon (e.g. first 10 minutes of telcon to preserve their time for their

duties) and avoid duplicate briefings for individual ANSPs;

Co-operation

o The long term aim is for fully harmonized procedures for forecast ash concentrations

(low, medium, according to VAAC supplementary products) to be agreed upon by all

States in the EUR Region

Upload special air-reports on volcanic ash on NOP portal/EVITA tool;

o Fix software bug in geographic coordinates (e.g. E longitude remains E);

o Consolidate position section to one section;

o Consolidate MET section to one section;

o Include option to report SO2;


June 2010

o Have these messages plotted; and

o Consider having this tool possibly available for other phenomena (e.g. Turbulence) in

non-crisis situations;

NOTAM;

o States should comply to Annex 15 and the merged EUR/NAT VACP in providing

NOTAM which points to existing volcanic ash information and does not reproduce

the ash cloud dimensions (or concentration of ash);

Next Exercise Directive to include;

o Reminder to use EXERCISE three times in the message header and footer for all VA

messages for VOLCEX events since exercises must not interfere with real-time ops;

o Emphasis on final date of posting of Directive;

o Preparatory telcons for AOs and ANSPs;

o Exercise Directing Staff (DISTAFF);

o Cross-border FIR coordination on SIGMET (or link to this guidance material);

o Participants that support AOs (e.g. Computer Flight Plan Service Provider) noting their

status in the meeting would be to support AOs;

o Verification of receipt of special air-reports on volcanic ash and SO2 at VAACs and

NM to ensure both get the same reports;

o Simulate re-routing scenario in advance based on assumptions made (AOs avoid high

concentration ash); and

o Considering inclusion in Exercise Directives of NAT tracks based on location of the

forecast of volcanic ash when exercising Icelandic eruptions;

Note that the next Exercise involving an eruption on Iceland should consider

extending the exercise to Day 3 to involve more States, or adapted to the weather

scenario selected.

4. VOLCEX17 planning meeting

4.1 The meeting reviewed outcomes of the VOLCEX16 debrief meeting to shed light on

the objectives to be developed for the next volcanic ash exercise called VOLCEX17. The meeting

agreed to the following objectives:

Exercise the merged EUR/NAT Volcanic Ash Contingency Plan (EUR Doc 019, NAT Doc

006, Part II);

o For individual States: test the effectiveness of their national procedures in accordance

with the ICAO plan;

o For all participants: test the effectiveness of local (organizational) volcanic ash

contingency plans and/or procedures; and


June 2010

o Exercise the origination, dissemination, reception and use of volcanic ash related

aeronautical/meteorological information (including VAA/VAG, VA supplementary

information, VA SIGMET and NOTAM and special air-reports on volcanic activity);

ensure that NOTAM are in accordance with Annex 15 and the ICAO EUR/NAT

Volcanic Ash Contingency Plan;

Exercise and evaluate crisis coordination between the various stakeholders through EACCC

(the European Aviation Crisis Coordination Cell) and the Aircraft Operator Crisis

Coordination Cell (AOCCC);

Test the ATM responsiveness to need of AO operational flexibility;

Test transmission/dissemination of special air-reports on volcanic ash, their upload and

display on the NM NOP Portal/EVITA Tool and verify number of reports received at NM and

VAACs; and

Test cross-border SIGMET coordination.

4.2 In addition, a greater use of the ‘annotated satellite picture’ in future exercises to

identify areas of ‘discernible ash’ was expected.

4.3 The meeting placed priority on populating the Directing Staff (DISTAFF) for

VOLCEX17 which is reproduced here within.


June 2010

Organization Name Job Title E-mail Address Office

Phone

Number

EXERCISE

LEADER

Portugal

Jose AMARAL

[email protected]

ICAO Christopher

KEOHAN

Regional

Officer -

MET

[email protected] +33 1 46

41 85 16

ECTL Kenneth THOMAS Head of

Network

Operations

Management

Coordination

[email protected] +32 2 729

9792

+32 472

528242

+32 2 729

9028 fax

NM NM Exercise

Team

[email protected]

nt

……..

VAAC

Toulouse

VAAC

Manager

ANSP Jose AMARAL [email protected]

Regulator Portugal

NOF Santo Giuseppe

SGRO

[email protected]

MWO Meteo France

IATA Carlo VERELST Manager

ATM

Infrastructure

Europe

[email protected]

[email protected]

+32 2 729

97 51

4.4 The meeting also agreed to the following VOLCEX17 attributes and milestones.

Attributes

Volcano Name: Terceira (volcano no. 382050)

Location: Azores (Portugal)

Eruption time: 28 Nov 2016 tbd UTC (small exercise VAAC Toulouse and Portugal Day 0)

Duration: 29, 30 Nov 2017 (Exercise from 0800-1600 UTC both days)

o VAAC products issued every 6 hours

o First operational telcon at 1000 UTC, second operational telcon of day at 1330 UTC

Plume attributes:

o day 1 (29 Nov 17): Issued by VAAC Toulouse:

o day 2 (30 Nov 17): Issued by VAAC Toulouse:

o The plume was expected to be carried by a westerly wind (with some north/south

perturbations possible) to impact the Mediterranean belt.

Milestones

End of April 2017 – VAAC products available

10 Aug 2017 – initial draft available to all the DISTAFF

mailto:[email protected]









June 2010

29 Sep 2017 – Final VOLCEX17 Exercise Directive available

Mid-Oct 2017 – first preparatory telcons Regulators/ANSPs/MWOs/NOFs, AOs (separate)

End-Oct 2017 – second preparatory telcons Regulators/ANSPs/MWOs/NOFs, AOs

(separate), if deemed necessary

28, 29 Nov 2017 – VOLCEX17

7 Dec 2017 – individual reports due from participants

14 Dec 2017 – consolidated reports due

significant findings should be provided in lessons learned and

recommendations

3rd

week Jan 2018 - VOLCEX17 debrief meeting and VOLCEX18 planning meeting, Santa

Maria (tbc by host)

1st week Feb 2018 – VOLCEX17 final report posted on the ICAO EUR/NAT RO website

5. VOLCEX/SG/12

5.1 The meeting agreed to the updated VOLCEX/SG future work programme as provided

at Appendix D.

6. Any other business

6.1 The meeting thanked Isavia for hosting this series of volcanic ash exercise meetings

and the meeting concluded at 1500 on 16 November 2016.

_______________________

VOLCEX16 Debrief & VOLCEX17 Planning & VOLCEX/SG/12

15-16 November 2016 (Reykjavik, Iceland)

LIST OF PARTICIPANTS

Last updated: 02/12/16

CANADA

Darcy ARNOLD

Darryl HORN

DENMARK

Kim ROSING-ASVID

FINLAND

Erik BERG

Pekka KIVI

FRANCE

Alexis CLINET

Philippe HUSSON

Patrick SIMON

GERMANY

Bodo ERHARDT

HUNGARY

József TÖRŐCSIK

Zsuzsa RIGÓ

Júlia MICZKI

Gyula GYŐRI

Andrea WASSER

ICELAND

Arni GUDBRANDSSON

Birgir Örn ÓLAFSSON

Óskar Tryggvi SVAVARSSON

ITALY

Giuliano CELLI

Mauro COLTELLI

Vasco LOCCI

Giovanni MACEDONIO

Angelo ROMITO

Danilo PANCOTTI

Augusto PROIETTI

Santo Giuseppe SGRO

IRELAND

Declan MANGAN

LATVIA

Peteris ZACESTS

NETHERLANDS

Rob VAN DER BOOM

NORWAY

Line HAMMERLUND

Ira SCHAUG-PETTERSEN

PORTUGAL

José AMARAL

Joao Paulo FRIAS CORREIA

Antonio BEJA

RUSSIAN FEDERATION

Alexey BUEVICH

SWEDEN

Thomas JÖNSSON

UNITED KINGDOM

Nigel GAIT

Ian LISK

Anton MUSCAT

AMERICAN AIRLINES

Bob GIANGUILIO

Steve SMITH

ICELANDAIR

Kari NIELSSON

EUROCONTROL

Daniela GHEORGHE

Nick RHODES

Kenneth THOMAS

IATA

Carlo VERELST

ICAO

Chris KEOHAN

IFALPA

Klaus SIEVERS

UNIVERSITY OF ICELAND

Uta REICHARDT

Appendix A



CONTACT LIST


CANADA

Darcy ARNOLD [email protected]

Darryl HORN [email protected]

DENMARK

Kim ROSING-ASVID [email protected]

FINLAND

Erik BERG [email protected]

Pekka KIVI [email protected]

FRANCE

Alexis CLINET [email protected]

Philippe HUSSON [email protected]

Patrick SIMON [email protected]

GERMANY

Bodo ERHARDT [email protected]

HUNGARY

József TÖRŐCSIK [email protected]

Zsuzsa RIGÓ [email protected]

Júlia MICZKI [email protected]

Gyula GYŐRI [email protected]

Andrea WASSER [email protected]

ICELAND

Árni GUÐBRANDSSON [email protected]

Birgir Örn ÓLAFSSON [email protected]

Óskar Tryggvi SVAVARSSON

ITALY

Giuliano CELLI [email protected]

Mauro COLTELLI [email protected]

Vasco LOCCI [email protected]

Giovanni MACEDONIO [email protected]

Angelo ROMITO [email protected]

Danilo PANCOTTI [email protected]

Augusto PROIETTI [email protected]

Santo Giuseppe SGRO [email protected]

IRELAND

Declan MANGAN [email protected]

LATVIA

Peteris ZACESTS [email protected]

NETHERLANDS

Rob VAN DER BOOM [email protected]

NORWAY

Line HAMMERLUND [email protected]

Ira SCHAUG-PETTERSEN [email protected]

PORTUGAL

José AMARAL [email protected]

Joao Paulo FRIAS CORREIA [email protected]

Antonio BEJA [email protected]

RUSSIAN FEDERATION

Alexey BUEVICH [email protected]

SWEDEN

Thomas JÖNSSON [email protected]

UNITED KINGDOM

Nigel GAIT [email protected]

Ian LISK [email protected]

Anton MUSCAT [email protected]

AMERICAN AIRLINES

Bob GIANGUILIO

Steve SMITH [email protected]

ICELANDAIR

Kari NIELSSON [email protected]

EUROCONTROL

Daniela GHEORGHE [email protected]

Nick RHODES [email protected]

Kenneth THOMAS [email protected]

IATA

Carlo VERELST [email protected]

[email protected]

ICAO

Chris KEOHAN [email protected]

Appendix B















































CONTACT LIST


IFALPA

Klaus SIEVERS [email protected]

UNIVERSITY OF ICELAND

Uta REICHARDT [email protected]



Tel.: National 01 46 41 85 85

Fax: National 01 46 41 85 00 E-mail: [email protected]

International +33 1 46 41 85 85 International +33 1 46 41 85 00 Web: www.icao.int/EURNAT/

Appendix C - Agenda

EUR/NAT VOLCEX16 DEBRIEF MEETING

15 November 2016

Isavia Air Navigation – Isavia Reykjavikurflugvelli 101, Reykjavik, Iceland

Provisional Agenda

15 November 2016

Time Item Lead

0830 Registration --

0900 Welcome and opening of the meeting, including:

Purpose and conduct of the Debrief Meeting; and

Adoption of the provisional agenda.

Secretary

0915 Recapitulation of Exercise VOLCEX16, including:

Scenario;

Participating agencies and Directing Staff

(DISTAFF); and

Aims and Objectives.

Exercise Leader

0930 Exercise VOLCEX16 lessons learned,

recommendations and conclusions:

Volcanic Ash Advisory Centres;

Meteorological Watch Offices;

Air Navigation Service Providers;

Exercise Leader

based on the

Initial Exercise

Reports submitted

1030 Coffee break --



International NOTAM Offices;

Aircraft Operators and IATA;

Exercise Leader

based on the

Initial Exercise

Reports submitted

1230 Lunch break --



National supervisory authorities;

Eurocontrol; and

Others

Exercise Leader

based on the

Initial Exercise

Reports submitted


…/…

EUR/NAT 16-0408.MET – Convening Volcex16 Deb Volcex17 Plan VOLCEXSG12 2/4

15 November 2016

Time Item Lead

1530 Key messages arising from Exercise VOLCEX16:

Taking into consideration the aims and objectives of

Exercise VOLCEX16, and based on the lessons learned,

recommendations and conclusions discussed, the meeting

will identify those key messages to be put for the

consideration of the European and North Atlantic Volcanic

Ash Exercises Steering Group (EUR/NAT VOLCEX/SG)

or where appropriate, EANPG COG and NAT IMG,

particularly in the context of the Volcanic Ash

Contingency Plan for the EUR/NAT Region.

Exercise Leader

1630 Any other business Secretary

1700 Close --

_______________________


Attachment 2

EUR/NAT VOLCEX17 PLANNING and VOLCEX/SG/12 MEETINGs

16 November 2016

Isavia Air Navigation – Isavia Reykjavikurflugvelli 101, Reykjavik, Iceland

Provisional Agenda

16 November 2016

Time Item Lead

0900 Welcome and opening of the meeting

Purpose and conduct of the Planning Meeting;

Tour de table; and

Adoption of the provisional agenda

Secretary

0915 Review of:

Proposed column mass loading products; and

Updates related to the dissemination of special air-

reports sent to EUROCONTROL NM

NOP/EVITA

VAACs

Eurocontrol


1045 VOLCEX17 framework (following guidelines provided

in Appendix F of Doc 9766 and OPINS), including:

Determination of Exercise Leader and Directing

Staff;

Participants including States, International

Organizations, airlines and other bodies;

Exercise aims and objectives noting changes

associated with VACP in EUR and NAT Regions

Exercise Leader

1230 Lunch break --

1345 Exercise scenario planning, including:

Exercise volcano;

Exercise duration;

Role of VAACs, MWOs, ACCs, Network

Manager, MATMC, EACCC, volcano

observatory, IATA and airline operators, national

supervisory authorities, and other players;

Communications

Exercise Directives;

Initial Exercise Reports;

Exercise Debrief; and

Final Exercise Report

Exercise Leader


1530 Exercise scenario planning (continued)


16 November 2016

Time Item Lead

VOLCEX/SG/12

Adapt VOLCEX/SG future work programme;

Any other business

_____________________

APPENDIX D – EUR/NAT VOLCEX/SG FUTURE WORK PROGRAMME

Updated 30 November 2016

2017 TO 2019

Date Activity Location

29, 30 November

2017 VOLCEX17 Volcano in Azores,

Portugal (Terceira)

3rd

week January 2018 Debrief meeting for VOLCEX17

Planning meeting for VOLCEX18

VOLCEX/SG/13

Santa Maria, Portugal

(to be confirmed by

host)

Autumn 2018 VOLCEX18 Iceland or Italy

Late 2018/2019 Debrief meeting for VOLCEX18

Planning meeting for VOLCEX19

VOLCEX/SG/14

Oslo, Norway or Italy

-- END --

volcex16 debrief meeting.pdf

Documents