icao regional report for apac
TRANSCRIPT
-
8/7/2019 ICAO regional Report for APAC
1/48
APACReinforcing the principles
of efficiency and safetyin an unprecedented
era of growth
In this issue:
Growth Outlook ATFM South Asia style APAC airspace safety monitoring
APAC priorities and ICAOs Global Aviation Safety Plan ACI and IATA viewpoints
Airports and Code F aircraft PASO message APAC and ICAOs Strategic Objectives
An eDocument approach for ATN implementation EMARSSH update
Regional Report Asia-Pacific
REGIONAL REPORT
ICAOINTERNATIONAL CIVIL AVIATION ORGANIZATION
-
8/7/2019 ICAO regional Report for APAC
2/48
-
8/7/2019 ICAO regional Report for APAC
3/48
ContentsMessage from the Regional Director, APAC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
APAC growth outlook
APACs continuing expansion impacts regional employment, infrastructure
development and a broad range of additional economic drivers that are
mutually supportive of aviations success in the Region. N.C Sekhar provides
some perspective on recent trends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
APAC safety monitoring
In addressing its responsibilities to its Regions, the ICAO APAC Air Navigation
Planning and Implementation Regional Group (APANPIRG) has established a
Target Level of Safety for en route airspace in the APAC Region of 5 x 10 -9 fatal
accidents per flight hour. Andrew Tiede, ICAO APAC Regional Officer, Air Traffic
Management (ATM), elaborates. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Safety management in an era of growth: APAC and the GASP
Safety remains a key priority for this emerging APAC air traffic powerhouse.
Fareed Ali Shah, ICAO APAC Regional Officer, Flight Safety, explains why all
regional stakeholders will need to actively participate in the ongoing application
of ICAOs Global Aviation Safety Plan to meet the Regions objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
PASO profile
The Pacific Aviation Safety Office (PASO) is a registered international organizationin operation for the benefit of 13 Pacific Island Member States and is based in
Port Vila, Vanuatu. Alvin W. Tuala, PASO General Manager, explains his agencys
role in assisting its States, ICAO and other regional stakeholders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Banking on BOBCAT
Andrew Tiede repor ts that in the two years since the web-based BOBCATs
(Bay of Bengal Cooperative Air Traffic Flow Management System) first trials,
significant gains have been experienced by all regional stakeholders, including
notable fuel and carbon savings for the affected airlines. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
EMARRSH and Efficiency
The Revised Route StructureAsia to Europe via the Middle East, South-of-
the-Himalayas (EMARSSH) Task Force leads the development of a revised route
structure to provide for increases in international and domestic traf fic operatingbetween Asia and Europe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Ramping-up for New Larger Aircraft
N.C. Sekhar describes the ongoing developments as his Region makes the
necessary adjustments to accommodate the emerging use of Code-F aircraft
such as the Airbus A380. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Regional players: ACI
Maggie Kwok, Regional Director, ACI Asia-Pacific Region, describes how the ACI
Asia-Pacific Region will continue to engage in discussions with all international
organizations, most importantly ICAO and work closely with these partners to
serve our industry and to meet the challenges that lie ahead for the Region. . . . . . . . . . 30
Regional players: IATA
Rob Eagles, IATA APAC Director, Safety Operations & Infrastructure (SO&I),
describes why ICAO and IATA now need to work together with States to deliver
the vision of an integrated, harmonised and globally interoperable ATM system . . . . . . . 34
APAC and ICAOs Strategic Objectives
A review of how ICAOs Strategic Objectives are being applied and encouraged
in the APAC Region. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
APAC Office History
An historical look at ICAOs presence and performance in the Asia and Pacific Region . . . . 39
eDocumentation and ATN implementation
S.K. Saraswati, ICAO APAC Regional Officer, CNS, provides a detailed repor t
on how APACs new electronic document management system is now aiding in
APAC ATN implementation initiatives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
REGIONAL REPORT
ASIA-PACIFIC 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
Stphanie Kennan
Tel: +01 (514) 849-2264
E-mail: [email protected]
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
E-mail: [email protected]
Submissions
The Regional Reportencourages submissions frominterested individuals, organizations and States wishing
to share updates, perspectives or analysis related to
global and civil aviation. For further information on
submission deadlines and planned issue topics for
future editions of the Regional Report, please forward
your request to [email protected]
Published in Montreal, Canada. ISSN 0018 8778.
The information published in the Regional Reportwas
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 Regional Reportis
encouraged. For permission, please forward your
request to [email protected] The Regional Report
must be credited in any reproduction.
Cover image: The Kinnara
In Southeast Asian mythology, Kinnarees and Kinnaras
are two of the many creatures that inhabit a mythical
forest known as Himavanta. Kinnarees have the head,
torso, and arms of a woman and the wings, tail and
feet of a swan. She is renowned for her dance, song
and poetry, and is a traditional symbol of feminine
beauty, grace and accomplishment. The Kinnara is her
male counterpart and is idealised as a pragmatic lover
and celestial musician. The most famous Kinnari in
Thailand is the figure known as Manora(derived from
Manohara) in the Thai myth entitled Panyasa Chadok.
Thai Airways International publishes a monthly maga-
zine with the title Kinnaree.
PRINTED BY ICAO
-
8/7/2019 ICAO regional Report for APAC
4/48
-
8/7/2019 ICAO regional Report for APAC
5/48
3
MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR
I
CAORegionalReportAsia-Pacific
2008
ICAO provides a unique forum forconsensus building on global priorities
relating to civil aviation. To fulfill its
mandate effectively and to reinforce its
commitment to States, ICAO continues
to focus on priorities, improve coordina-
tion, increase cost effectiveness and
reduce overlap, wherever necessary.
The role of ICAO is therefore of
immense significance in the
development of aviation safety and
sustainability around the world. The everchanging technological, economic and
political environments in which global
civil aviation operates gives rise to new
opportunities and challenges which the
Organization has to continually meet in
order to satisfy the aspirations of its
Member States. To accomplish its tasks
as set out in Article 44 of Chicago
Convention, the Organization relies
upon its Regional Offices to maintaincontinuous liaison with the States to
which they are accredited and with other
appropriate organizations to promote
the implementation of ICAO provisions
and requirements.
It is a proven fact that aviation has a
high economic and social impact in
the Asia and Pacific region, directly
generating millions of jobs and many
billions of dollars to APAC GDP. The
impressive growth of regionaleconomies, apart from offering great
potential and new opportunities for
the air transport industry, has also
given birth to various complex and
delicate issues. The main challenge for
the APAC Region in the coming years
will be to manage the current tempo
of growth while maintaining the safety,
security, sustainability and efficiency
of civil aviation, which I think can beachieved, certainly, with the coopera-
tion and assistance of the States in
the region. In this respect the APAC
Regional Office is committed to
creating a stimulating environment for
its Member States in which they can
mutually shoulder their responsibilities
and fulfill their obligations under the
Chicago Conventiontoward the
international community in general and
to the travelling public in particular.
This year is especially significant for
the ICAO APAC Regional Office as
we celebrate the 60th anniversary
of our presence in this Region. During
these 60 years, the Office has been
an important representative of ICAO
assistance to Member States as well
as a symbol and fulcrum of regional
cooperation. The Office has been
located in the Kingdom of Thailand
since 1955, and through the generosity
of the Royal Thai Government enjoys the
use of excellent office and conference
facilities that benefit all stakeholders.
This edition of the APAC Regional
Reportprovides the history of the
office and describes many of its
achievements. I hope readers will
find the report informative.
Mokhtar A. Awan
ICAO APAC Regional Director
Celebrating 60 yearsof cooperation andachievement
Mokhtar A. Awan joined ICAO APAC as Regional Director in January 2008. Prior to his appointment, he served his government in various
important positions. Throughout his 30-year career in national public service, Awan has dedicated himself to fostering and promoting
international civil aviation, focusing on a safe and secure civil aviation infrastructure including meteorological services, and remaining
engaged with worldwide multilateral/inter-governmental organizations. Awan served as the Representative of Pakistan on the Council of ICAO
from 2002-2006, and was nominated and served as a member of the Governing Board of the International Financial Facility for Aviation Safety
(IFFAS). Awans extensive experience in international civil aviation combines policy, practice and procedures for the planning and development
of the international air transport system.
-
8/7/2019 ICAO regional Report for APAC
6/48
APAC GROWTH
4
Aviation has recently experienced a phenomenal period of
growth that has created new opportunities and new
challenges for States, airlines, airport operators, aircraft
manufacturers, air traffic service providers and other related
air transport organizations. The development and growth of
air transport depends on various factors including economic
and trade growth, fuel price changes, airline productivity
gains and airports and airspace capacity. Traffic growth will
vary by geographic region because of the impact of specific
local or regional factors. Changes in personal income affect
the level of consumer purchasing power and the propensity
to undertake leisure travel.
Global and regional economic developments
The world economy maintained its growth momentum in 2007
despite higher prices for crude oil and refined products. The
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew at an estimated average
annual rate of 5.2 percent in real terms. Growth in emerging
markets and developing countries remained very strong at 8.1
percent, well above the world average.
Over the 1995-2005 period, the aggregate economies of the
APAC Region grew at an average annual rate of 4.6 percent in
real terms and the gross domestic product (GDP) per capita
increased at 3.25 per annum. The region has the largest share
in the world economy despite a slowdown and recession
between 1998 and 2001. The economy bounced back in the
second half of 2003 with a surge in domestic demand coupled
with export growth boosted by increased global activity.
In 2007, the aggregate economies of the APAC Region
maintained its upward momentum at an average annual growth
rate of 7.3 percent. Developing countries contributed signifi -cantly as their average GDP grew by 9.8 percent. The
economies of China and India showed remarkable GDP growth
at 11.5 percent and 8.9 percent respectively, driven by growing
exports, investment and growing demand. Asias newly
industrialised economies posted a 4.9 percent GDP growth.
Aviation growth
Worldwide, the total number of annual passengers has
grown by 46 percent in the past 10 years, as the number of
passengers flying climbed from 1.46 billion to 2.13 billion
per year. Freight tonne-kilometre figures show an almost
identical rate of increase. The International Air Transport
Association forecast notes that in 2011 the air transport
industry will handle 2.75 billion passengers and 36 million
tonnes of freight. International passenger demand is
expected to rise from 760 million passengers (2006) to
980 million in 2011 at an annual average growth rate of
5.1 percent.
In 2006, 2.1 billion passengers traveled on scheduled
flights alone. To this must be added charter and other
aircraft operations. At the same time nearly 40 million
APAC civil aviation growth continues to outstrip all other regions of the world with no
foreseeable end in sight to this trend. This continuing expansion impacts regional
employment, infrastructure development and a broad range of additional economic drivers
that are mutually supportive of aviations success in the APAC Region, and as always ICAO
continues to provide leadership and vision to help regional stakeholders maintain the safety
and efficiency of air transport services to manage and guide this ongoing development.
N.C Sekhar provides some perspective on recent trends.
ICAOR
egionalReportAsia-Pacific200
8
Growth in the APAC civilaviation sector: An outlook
N.C. Sekhar is a civil engineer with three decades of experience in the design, development, construction and maintenance
of airport infrastructure. He took up the position of ICAO Regional Officer, Aerodromes and Ground Aids at the BangkokOffice in November 2006. Prior to joining the Organization he was involved with the development of a Greenfield airport in
Bangalore, India, based on the PPP model. Sekhar also ser ved ICAO TCB in Botswana from 1993 to 1999.
-
8/7/2019 ICAO regional Report for APAC
7/48
-
8/7/2019 ICAO regional Report for APAC
8/48
6
tonnes of freight were carried by air,
from fresh produce to computer
equipment for the home and office.
Over the 19962006 period, the
scheduled passenger traffic of airlines
registered in the APAC Region grew at an
average rate of 5.5 percent per annum
compared to world average of 4.9
percent (Figure 1, left). The regions
share of international traffic was 28
percent of the world traffic in 2006
(Figure 2, lower left). In 2007, the
international passenger traffic carried
in APAC is estimated to have grown by
6.6 percent. At the current pace of
traffic growth APAC will overtake the
European and North American (EUR/NAT)
Region within the next 10 years and
become the largest transport market.The bulk of this traffic growth will take
place in China and India, both in the
domestic and international segments.
In freight traffic APAC is the second
largest Region next to the Americas,
with an annual growth rate of 8.6
percent (2006)two percent above the
world average. China is the leading
player in the region (Figure 3, bottom
left). The regions share of international
scheduled freight traffic was37.4 percent of the world traffic in
2006 (Figure 4, page 8, top).
ICAO forecast
The ICAO global forecast is for an
average annual passenger growth rate
of 4.6 percent for the period 2005-2025,
when the total number of passengers
should reach some 4.5 billion and 6.5
percent for cargo traffic. The ICAO
average annual passenger growth rate
forecast for the APAC Region is 5.8
percent and eight percent for cargo
traffic respectively.
Employment
Today, some 32 million jobs are linked
to civil aviation. Employment in airlines,
airports, air navigation services and
aerospace industries (5.5 million jobs),
plus indirect and induced multiplierICAOR
egionalReportAsia-Pacific200
8
Figure 3: Average Growth in International Air Freight Traffic World and Region: 1996-2006
12
Africa
3.6
4.9
8.1
3.9
6.6
Asia/Pacific Europe Middle East
AverageAnnualgrowth
rate(%
)
North America Latin America World
10
8
6
4
2
0
8.6
6.7
Figure 1: Average growth in passenger traffic World and regions-1996-2006
12
Africa
5.7 5.55.9
10.3
3.5 3.3
4.9
Asia/Pacific Europe Middle East
AverageAnnualGrowthrate(%)
North America Latin America World
10
8
6
4
2
0
39.9%
3.8%
17.7%
7.4%
27.8%3.3%
Africa
2006 International Scheduled PKPs
3,941 billion
Asia/Pacific
Europe
Middle East
North America
Latin America
Figure 2: International scheduled air passenger traffic,World and regions 2006 (Total PKPs and percentage shares per region)
-
8/7/2019 ICAO regional Report for APAC
9/48
-
8/7/2019 ICAO regional Report for APAC
10/48
8
ICAOR
egionalReportAsia-Pacific200
8
effects account for 15 million jobs. Some
17 million additional jobs are supported
in a wide range of industries related to
trade and tourism. Civil aviations exten-
ded global economic impact is estimated
to be on the order of US$3.5 trillion
equivalent to nearly eight percent of the
global gross domestic product.
Airlines
At the end of 2006 there were
approximately 796 carriers worldwide
providing international and/or domestic
scheduled passenger services and about
87 operating only scheduled all-freight
services. Between 1997 and 2006, the
reported number of commercial air
transport aircraft in service increased
by about 30 percent from 17,445 to
22,685 (excluding aircraft with a
maximum take off mass of less than
9000kg). In 2006, 2,131 jet aircraft
were ordered (compared with 2,140 in
2005) and 1,032 aircraft were delivered
(compared with 918 in 2005). The
backlog of unfulfilled orders at the end
of 2006 was 5,284 aircraft compared
with 4,494 at the end of 2005.
Preliminary estimates for 2006 indicate
that the worlds scheduled airlines
experienced material operating profits
and overall net profitability despite rising
fuel prices. The operating profit amoun-
ted to an estimated US US$12.9 billion
representing 2.9 percent of operating
revenues.
The airlines of the APAC Region enjoyed
positive operating results throughout
the last decade. Preliminary estimates
indicate that an operating profit of
about US$800 million was achieved in
2006. In Asia/Pacific about 40 percentof airlines continue to be state owned
to a var ying extent. Privatisation of
state owned airlines has been one
of the pre-eminent transformations in
air transport.
Airports
According to Airports Council Interna-
tional (ACI) and based on reports from
1,100 member airports, in 2006 the
worlds airports processed 4.4 billion
passengers, 85.6 million metric tonnes
of cargo and 72.2 million aircraft
movements. The APAC Region alone has
96 ACI members operating 448 airports.
In 2006 these airports handled
1.1 billion passengers, 31.3 million
tonnes of cargo and 10.4 million aircraft
movements. Five (Tokyo, Beijing, Hong
Kong, Bangkok Suvarnabhumi and
Changi Singapore) out of the 25 busiest
airports worldwide are located in APAC.
Numerous airports, in their interest to
adjust capacity to the growing demand,
are restructuring their ownership and
management. These reforms are
enabled by liberalisation of economic
regulations. Still, significant investments
are required in a timely and efficient
manner to overcome and/or avoid
infrastructure bottlenecks. Privatisation
has already occurred at several key
airports in Asia, namely: Tokyo-Narita;
Hong Kong; Manila Terminal; as well as
Bangalore, Hyderabad, Delhi and
Mumbai airports in India. According to
ACI, capital expenditures for airport
infrastructure in APAC amounted to
US$8 billion in 2007, representing a
14 percent increase over 2006.
ICAO leadership in aviation
ICAO has sharpened its focus in how it
assists its 190 Member States to strive
for the new benchmarks of 21st century
civil aviation. These benchmarks are:
Optimum safety and security.
Worldwide liberalisation of air
transport.
A globally interoperable, harmonised
and seamless air traffic management
system.
Maximum compatibility betweenthe safe and orderly development of
civil aviation and the quality of the
environment.
Further development of a unified
global legal framework.
To this end ICAO has intensified its
leadership in a focused and proactive
manner, based on four basic
principlesimplementation, perfor-
mance, results and transparency. These
principles have helped in accelerating
the transition of ICAO to a performance
and results-based organization. The
mission of ICAO and of other members
of the world aviation community is to
continuously improve the performance
of the global air transport system in all
of these areas, so that it continues to
provide the immense socio economic
benefits our global society has come to
need and expect.
31.3%
2.8%
18.6%
7.7%
37.4%
2.1%
Africa
2006 International Scheduled FTKs
124,180 billion
Asia/Pacific
Europe
Middle East
North America
Latin America
Figure 4: International scheduled air freight traffic,
World and regions 2006 (Total FTKs performed and percentage shares per region
-
8/7/2019 ICAO regional Report for APAC
11/48
-
8/7/2019 ICAO regional Report for APAC
12/48
-
8/7/2019 ICAO regional Report for APAC
13/48
-
8/7/2019 ICAO regional Report for APAC
14/48
Airspace safetymonitoring in theAPAC context
APANPIRG/RASMAG
12
In addressing its responsibilities to its Regions, the ICAO APAC Air Navigation Planning and
Implementation Regional Group (APANPIRG) has established a Target Level of Safety for enroute airspace in the APAC Region of 5 x 10-9 fatal accidents per flight hour. The increasing
complexity of RVSM/RNAV/RNP requirements and the necessary State interactions led
APANPIRG to further establish the Regional Airspace Safety Monitoring Advisory Group
(RASMAG) to facilitate the safe implementation of reduced separation minima and CNS/ATM
applications, as well as to assist States in achieving the established levels of airspace safety
within the APAC Region. Andrew Tiede, ICAO APAC Regional Officer, Air Traffic Management
(ATM), provides the Reportwith a summary of these developments.
ICAOR
egionalReportAsia-Pacific
200
8
The establishment of RASMAG
As sub-regional implementations of reduced verticalseparation minimum (RVSM) and reduced horizontal
separation minimum (RNAV 10, RNP 10, RNP 4) proceeded
throughout the APAC region, the increasing complexity of
requirements and the necessary State interactions led
APANPIRG/14 (August 2003) to establish the Regional
Airspace Safety Monitoring Advisory Group (RASMAG).
The initial terms of reference for RASMAG focused on
airspace safety monitoring to support operations in reduced
vertical and horizontal separation environments, but these
were subsequently expanded to include consideration of
the communications performance of FANS 1/A data link
technologies and the automated ground-ground communi-
cations between sophisticated ATC systems known as ATS
Inter-facility Data Communications (AIDC).
The formal objectives of RASMAG are to facilitate the safe
implementation of reduced separation minima and CNS/ATM
applications, as well as to assist States in achieving the
established levels of airspace safety within the APAC Region.
RASMAG reports directly to APANPIRG and meets twice yearly,
in approximately May and December.
Over the past decade, ICAO has increasingly pursued
a sharper focus on ATS safety management by way of
the development of Standards and Recommended Practices(SARPs) in Annex 11Air Traffic Services and complementary
arrangements in the Procedures for Air Navigation Services
Air Traffic Management(PANS-ATM Doc 4444).
At the broadest level, Annex 11 requires States to establish
a safety programme in order to achieve an acceptable level
of safety in the provision of Air Traffic Services (ATS). More
specific requirements exist for the implementation ofsafety
management systems by Air Navigation Ser vices Providers
(ANSPs) that identify hazards, ensure remedial action and
provide for the continuous monitoring and regular assessment
of the safety level achieved.
In addressing its responsibilities in this regard, the APAC
Air Navigation Planning and Implementation Regional Group
(APANPIRG) has established a Target Level of Safety (TLS)
for en route airspace in the APAC Region of 5 x 10 -9 fatal
accidents per flight hour. APANPIRG also continues to
encourage cooperative arrangements between States to
undertake airspace safety assessments and to provide
airspace safety monitoring for the introduction of airspace
changes and reduction in aircraft separation minima, as
well as for ongoing operations.
Andrew Tiede joined ICAO in 2004 as Regional Of ficer, Air Traffic Management (ATM) for the APAC region. He had previously held the
position of ATS Safety Manager with Airservices Australia for the Melbourne FIR. As well as holding formal qualifications including a
Bachelor of Aviation Studies, he has broad experience in management, air traf fic management (including almost 20 years as an active air
traffic controller in Tower, Approach and En route roles) and aviation safety management, and also serves as an ANS auditor with ICAOs
Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme.
-
8/7/2019 ICAO regional Report for APAC
15/48
-
8/7/2019 ICAO regional Report for APAC
16/48
supported by the monthly submission
by States of Large Height Deviation
reports (LHD, being vertical excursion
of 90m/300ft or more) in RVSM
operations and Gross Navigational
Error reports (GNE, being lateral
excursion of 15NM or more, or
longitudinal excursion of 10NM or
more) in the horizontal environment.
APAC RVSM Regional
Monitoring Arrangements
Perhaps the most visible of these spe-
cialist assessment bodies are the
Regional Monitoring Agencies (RMAs),
which are specifically established to
undertake the ongoing monitoring
of RVSM operations in order to meet
ICAO Standards (which requiresuch monitoring be conducted on a
regional basis). For the APAC Region,
APANPIRG-endorsed RMA services
are provided by:
The Australian Airspace Monitoring
Agency (AAMA), operated by
Airservices Australia.
The China RMA, operated by the
Air Traffic Management Bureau
(ATMB) of the Civil Aviation
Administration of China (CAAC).
The JCAB RMA, operated by theJapan Civil Aviation Bureau.
The Monitoring Agency for the Asia
Region (MAAR), operated by
Aeronautical Radio of Thailand
(AEROTHAI).
The Pacific Approvals Registry and
Monitoring Organization (PARMO),
operated by the United States Federal
Aviation Administration.
The Flight Information Regions (FIRs)
for which each RMA takes responsibility
have been described in the RASMAG
List of Competent Airspace Safety
Monitoring Organizationsa copy of
which is included with each RASMAG
report on the ICAO APAC Regional
Office website: www.bangkok.icao.int.
Following the introduction of RVSM in
China in November 2007, the imple-
mentation of RVSM throughout the
APAC Region is essentially complete,
with only implementations in the Ulaan
Bataar FIR of Mongolia and thePyongyang FIR of the Democratic
Peoples Republic of Korea still to occur.
The regional RVSM monitoring arran-
gements currently in place mean that
each RMA has the responsibility to
inform RASMAG of the outcomes of the
periodic safety assessment process
and, in cases where the target level of
safety is not satisfied, identify the most
likely reasons for the non-compliance.
As part of the safety assessmentprocess, RMAs consider Large Height
Deviation (LHD) performance in terms
of two components. Technical risk
relates to the technical performance
of equipment, including aircraft
altimetry systems. Operational risk
arises from human performance
limitations and, in simple terms,
means errors made by pilots and air
traffic controllers. A typical safety
assessment summarising the results
of the airspace safety oversight in
terms of the technical, operational,
and total risks for the RVSM imple-
mentation in the Western Pacific/South
China Sea (WPAC/SCS) airspace is
shown as Table 1 (page 15, top).
In addition, Figure 1 (left)presents an
example of the trends of collision risk
estimates for each month using the
appropriate cumulative 12 months of
14
ICAOR
egionalReportAsia-Pacific200
8
Safety assessment and monitoring for
international airspace is a complex
process that requires the specific
application of internationally recognised
and mathematically based collision risk
models to demonstrate that target levels
of safety can be met. Collision risk
models consider many parameters that
may include, for example, average aircraft
length, height and wingspan, as well as
average along track speed and relative
cross track speed between aircraft pairs.
Requirements for separation in the
vertical plane vary from those specified
for separation in the horizontal plane,
and data link and ATS Inter-facility Data
Communications (AIDC) applications
also have different requirements.
The complexity of these matters hasnecessitated the establishment of a
number of behind the scenes specialist
agencies that conduct the required
safety assessment work. Under the
coordination of RASMAG, these
agencies work closely with affected
regional States to gather and analyse
data as part of continuous airspace
safety monitoring processes. To
support this work, APANPIRG has
regionally adopted the month of
December every year for the provisionby all States of one month of Traffic
Sample Dataessentially a count of
every flight in international airspace for
every day throughout December. This is
Vertical Collision Risk by Type
RVSM Implementation in the WPAC/SCS Airspace
The Current FLOS/FLAS
Technical Risk TLS for Technical Risk TLS for Total RiskOperational Risk Roral Risk
0.0E+00
Oct-06 Nov-06 Dec-06 Jan-07 Fev-07 Mar-07 Apr-07 May-07 Jun-07 Jul-07 Aug-07 Sep-07
8.0E-09
7.0E-09
6.0E-09
5.0E-09
4.0E-09
3.0E-09
2.0E-09
1.0E-09
Figure 1: Trends of Risk Estimates for the RVSM Implementation in WPAC/SCS Airspace
-
8/7/2019 ICAO regional Report for APAC
17/48
15
I
CAORegionalReportAsia-Pacific
2008
Large Height Deviation (LHD) reports, in this case since
October 2006.
Interestingly, the majority of LHDs in APAC RVSM operations
result from errors in ATC Unit-to-ATC Unit coordination, with
up to 70 percent of LHDs being categorised in this way.
Using this data, intensive investigation by RASMAG and APAC
Regional Office ATS working groups has led to improvements
in coordination arrangements between neighbouring area
control centres, with consequent improvements in airspace
safety performance.
RASMAG continues to strongly support the introduction ofAIDC messaging capability between ATC Centres to enable
automated system messaging to take the place of human-
to-human coordination exchanges, particularly for routine
circumstances.
Global long-term monitoring of RVSM height
keeping performance
One of the challenges to be addressed by RASMAG during
2008 is the preparation of an APAC regional impact
statement that summarises the estimated consequences
for the Region of the adoption from 2010 of ICAO globalprovisions for the long-term monitoring of the height
keeping performance of each of the individual airframes
involved in RVSM operations.
To be approved for operation in RVSM airspace, an aircraft
must comply with technical requirements that ensure
that the aircraft will accurately maintain the actual height
cleared by air traffic services. An airframe without a
current and satisfactory monitoring result is excluded from
RVSM operations. Extensive height-keeping performance
data was collected globally to demonstrate the stability of
Altimetry System Error (ASE), but the results to date
indicate that altimetry systems drift is more than what
was previously expected. This situation has led to
amendments to Annex 6Operation of Aircraft, that
require Contracting States to establish mechanisms for
monitoring height-keeping performance at specified
periodicity. The Annex 6 amendment is scheduled for
implementation in November 2010.
In considering these matters, APANPIRG/18 (September
2007) recognised that the implementation of long-term
monitoring requirements would have significant impacts in
the way regional monitoring was managed, including the
need for widespread regional height monitoring infrastructure
capability to be made available. Additionally, the RASMAG
considered that it was reasonable to expect that each RMA
would need to carry out at least the following tasks:
Educate States and airspace users as to the roles and
functions of an RMA.
Establish the monitoring requirements to be satisfied
by each operator.
Coordinate with other RMAs so that monitoring results
are shared.
Ensure that an adequate regional monitoring systeminfrastructure exists.
The special steps which an operator must take in order to
satisfy its fleet monitoring requirements will depend
on the monitoring infrastructure available within the airspace
where it conducts its flights. There are two types of moni -
toring systems available at present, both of which have been
specifically designed to determine aircraft total vertical error
and altimetry system error.
The first type is a fixed ground-based system, termed a
Height Monitoring Unit (HMU). Such installations exist inEurope (three), Britain (one), USA (three plus two under
construction) and Canada (two). Flying over one of these
systems will achieve a monitoring result, but flights must be
arranged to pass over one of the HMUs. The second type of
monitoring system is a por table GPS-based Monitoring
System (GMS), which requires placement of a specialised
data collection device aboard each aircraft for one flight.
Unlike HMU systems, use of the GMS requires that an
operator take special steps to arrange for monitoring by a
service supplier. However, since the data collection device
is placed aboard the aircraft to be monitored, no alteration
to the operators flight pattern is required.
Recent developments in the possible adaptation of geome-
tric height information available from ABS-B and multilate-
ration systems for use as the basis for RVSM height
monitoring show promise, and testing continues in Australia
and the United States. At present, however, no HMU
facilities exist within the APAC Region and there is only
limited availability of the portable GMS systems. Accordin -
gly, the provision of adequate regional monitoring infrastruc-
ture remains a continuing challenge to RVSM operations
in the APAC Region.
Source of Risk Lower Bound Risk Estimation TLS Remarks
Technical Risk 0.54 x 10-9 2.5 x 10-9 Satisfies Technical TLS
Operational Risk 3.03 x 10-9
Total Risk 3.57 x 10-9 5.0 x 10-9 Satisfies Overall TLS
TABLE 1: RISK ESTIMATES FOR THE RVSM IMPLEMENTATION IN WPAC/SCS AIRSPACE, AT MAY 2008
-
8/7/2019 ICAO regional Report for APAC
18/48
Safetymanagementin an eraof growth
The introduction of more data-driven,
proactive safety tools and systems is an
ongoing process in ICAO and the APAC
Region in particular. As the area of the
world that is most expected to drive global
aviation growth in the coming decades,safety remains a key priority for this
emerging air traffic powerhouse and all
regional stakeholders, large and small, will
need to actively participate in the ongoing
application of ICAOs Global Aviation Safety
Plan to meet the required safety objectives.
Fareed Ali Shah, ICAO APAC Regional
Officer, Flight Safety, explains.
Aviation has a high economic and social impact in the Asia and
Pacific region, directly generating millions of jobs and adding
many billions of dollars to Asia-Pacific GDP.
In addition to these ef fects, aviation also generates significant
spin-off ef fects on the regions economiesprincipally through
tourism and manufacturing. Aviation in the Asia-Pacific region
generates proportionately more economic activity than in other
parts of the world and, in light of the regions size and complex
geography, this is not surprising.
Looking to the future, global airline traffic is expected to
increase steadily to the year 2025 and the APAC region in
particular will contribute significantly to this expected upsurge.
Forecasters are looking to APAC to generate the highest share
of global air traffic increase within the next decade and note
that it will soon account for close to half the worlds air freight.ICAOR
egionalReportAsia-Pacific
200
8
APAC AND GASP
16
Fareed Ali Shah joined the ICAO APAC Office
as the Regional Officer, Flight Safety in
March 2007. Prior to that he was with the
COSCAP-SA as the Regional Flight Operations
Inspector from 1999 and took over as the
Programme Coordinator in December 2002.
He is actively involved in the ICAO Safety
Oversight Audit Programme and delivery of
the ICAO Safety Management Systems
(SMS) training.
-
8/7/2019 ICAO regional Report for APAC
19/48
17
I
CAORegionalReportAsia-Pacific
2008
complementary nature of these roles.
It is essential that all relevant stake-
holders are involved in the development
and implementation of any activities
aimed at improving safety. Shared
commitment to the objectives enshrined
in the Chicago Convention is funda-
mental to success.
A key feature of the GASP is the
description and provision of 12 inter-
related safety initiatives, three of which
will now be explored in greater detail
and which are essential to current
safety transformations now underway
throughout ICAO.
The first of these is the sharing and
free flow of safety datadata that is
required to assess aviation systemsafety on a continuous basis, and to
correct deficiencies when warranted. In
order for this data to become available,
there needs to be an effective error
and incident reporting mechanism
which encourages open reporting and
protects data collected solely for the
purpose of improving aviation safety.
The free-flow of safety-related infor-
mation by everyone involved in air
transport, at every level, and across
every discipline, is an essentialcondition for creating or strengthening
partnerships among various stake-
holders to resolve deficiencies.
The second safety initiative reflected
in the GASP and requiring mention
here is the consistent use of Safety
Management Systems (SMS). SMS
represent the most effective way of
responding to the need for results-
based supervision of personnel and
functions with a relatively small
workforce.
ICAO encourages the adoption of SMS
by service providers while providing
concrete assistance in the form of
standards and related guidance
material, as well as model legislation
that facilitates the implementation
of effective SMS. In addition, ICAO
provides several levels of safety
management training. This past
October ICAO held a State safety
programme and safety management
system implementation workshop in
Bangkok. The workshop included
systematic guidance for the imple men-
tation of key components of an SMS
and for the development of a State
Safety Programme.
The third safety initiative selected to be
highlighted from the GASP relates to
the ability of State and industry aviation
stakeholders to ensure that they are
staffed with sufficient numbers of
qualified personnel. Against the
forecast growth, a major challenge
faced by all sectors of aviation concerns
the recruitment, training and retention
of technically qualified staff.
No doubt everyone agrees that a
properly resourced, skilled and
appropriately trained workforce is a key
element in maintaining safe operations,
and a key aspect if the safety initiatives
described above are to be implemented
and managed in a sustainable manner.
Today, many countries are experiencing
significant shortages of suitable
technical staff. As a result, aviation is
witnessing an increasing migration ofprofessional staff between States and
regionsinevitably to the detriment of
some while improving personnel
availability in others. In the long term,
this challenge can only be addressed
if regulatory authorities and industry
cooperate and develop plans to more
effectively manage this important
human resource issue.
In conclusion, the forecast growth in
traffic and the increasing complexity
of air operations dictate that we remain
extremely vigilant. Safety is built on
the principle of partnership and the
cooperative approach to safety
recognises that all stakeholders of the
aviation system need to be involved.
An obvious result of these projections
will be an increase in the number
of aircraft in operation in the Asia
and Pacific Region. This will present
significant safety and logistical
challenges for a variety of the Regions
aviation stakeholders.
Today, safety statistics published by
ICAO point to a global air transport
system that is as dependable and
trustworthy as it has ever been.
Everyone involved in our industry can,
and should, be proud of these results.
At the same time, the forecast growth
in traffic and the increasing complexity
of air operations dictate that all
stakeholders remain extremely vigilant.
Aviations main challenge will be tomanage this growth while maintaining
the safety, security, sustainability and
efficiency of civil aviation.
ICAOs strategy for safety is detailed in
its Global Aviation Safety Plan (GASP).
The plan provides a common frame of
reference for all stakeholders in order
to allow a more proactive approach to
aviation safety. The latest incarnation
of the GASP was recently endorsed by
the ICAO General Assembly inSeptember 2007.
An important element of this plan is
that it integrates the Global Aviation
Safety Roadmap developed by the
Industry Safety Strategy Group at the
request of, and with the support of,
ICAO. This industry group comprises
Airbus, Boeing, Airports Council
International, the Civil Air Navigation
Services Organization, the International
Air Transport Association, the
International Federation of Air Line
Pilots Associations and the Flight
Safety Foundation.
The safety plan is therefore very firmly
founded on the principle of partnership.
Although there are clearly identified
roles played by the regulatory, industry,
and other partners in civil aviation, in
striving for greater aviation safety there
is also a clear need to emphasise the
-
8/7/2019 ICAO regional Report for APAC
20/48
PACIFIC AVIATION SAFETY OFFICE
18
ICAOR
egionalReportAsia-Pacific
200
8
The Pacific Aviation Safety Office (PASO) is a registered
international organization in operation for the benefit of 13
Pacific Island Member States and is based in Por t Vila, Vanuatu.
Pacific Islands Forum Aviation Ministers, at their meeting in
1998, adopted an Action Plan to adopt a policy framework for
safety regulation. Subsequently, in 2001, Forum Aviation
Ministers met in Apia, Samoa and approved in principle an
intergovernmental cooperative approach to establishing anoffice responsible for aviation safety, including security. In
2002, this was realised and the Pacific Aviation Safety Office
was opened in Vanuatu.
The current members of PASO are: Australia; Cook Islands;
Fiji; Kiribati; Papua New Guinea; Samoa; Solomon Islands;
Tonga; Vanuatu; Nauru; New Zealand; Niue and Tuvalu. PASO
membership is open to Forum Member States.
The Pacific Islands Civil Aviation Safety and Security Treaty
(PICASST) is a multilateral treaty formalising PASO under
international law. This was opened for signing at the ForumLeaders Meeting in 2004 in Apia. On June 11, 2005, the
PICASST entered into force, following the receipt of the fifth
signature on May 12, 2005. The par ties to the PICASST are:
Kiribati; Papua New Guinea; Samoa; Solomon Islands; Tonga;
Vanuatu; Nauru; Tuvalu and Niue. Fiji, New Zealand and
Australia are working on signing PICASST soon.
PASO is governed by a Council of Directors comprised of
representatives from each PASO Member Country and invited
observers who include the Association of South Pacific
Airlines (ASPA), the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), and the Pacific
Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS).
The ICAO APAC Regional Office actively supports PASO,
recognising its importance as a sub-regional safety oversight
organization that provides a cost ef fective and harmonised
solution to assist States in strengthening their safety oversight
capabilities and fulfilling their obligations under the Chicago
Convention. In this regard, the primary goal of PASO is to provide,
in the long term, an improvement in quality and an extension of
safety oversight at a lower total cost than would have to be paid
by the industry and Member States acting alone.
PASO is responsible for overseeing regional aviation safety
oversight for its membership. It does this primarily by
overseeing airport and airline operational safety and security
standards to ensure that they are met in all its Member
States. Its core set of responsibilities includes the oversight
of flying operations, airworthiness, security, airports, and
personnel licensing for these disciplines.
In addition, PASO aims to provide an advisory service to the
national aviation authorities of participating States and toprovide support to the local aviation industry. PASO services
are available to its membership, however it is anticipated that
other countries will join PASO over time as their needs require
and as the organization demonstrates its value and
capabilities. It is also possible that some countries will utilize
PASO services on a contract basis. PASO is designed to
accommodate future growth through both of these mecha-
nisms. The Pacific Island Leaders Forum, held in Niue in
August of this year, fully supports the work that PASO is doing
and urged its members to fully utilise the services that PASO
has to offer. In their Communiqu, the leaders directed
members to work closely to ensure that a sustainable funding
mechanism is developed to ensure PASO is a viable and
thriving organisation, looking after Pacific countries aviation
safety and security needs. It directed it members to provide
assistance to PASO in areas they could.
At the moment, PASO suffers from a lack of financial
resources to fully carry out its mandate and is actively
seeking assistance from outside donors. PASO is a worthwhile
organisation that the Pacific can be proud of and is in line with
ICAOs vision of ensuring that members actively participate to
meet international obligations.
PASO: Working to enhancePacific Island safety and securityBy Alvin W. Tuala, General Manager, PASO
Alvin W. Tuala is the General Manager of the Pacific Aviation Safety Office based in Port Vila, Vanuatu. He has also servedas the Regional Transport Sector Adviser with the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat based in Suva, Fiji, and prior to that he
was the Director of Civil Aviation for Samoa from 1999 through November 2005overseeing all aspects of civil aviation
safety and security including work on air services in Samoa.
-
8/7/2019 ICAO regional Report for APAC
21/48
19
Air traffic flowmanagement:South Asiastyle
For many years, flights between South east Asia and
Europe have experienced restrictions to their operations
arising from the military complexities within and around
Afghanistan. The limited number of ATS routes and
shortage of flight levels resulting from the non-
implementation of Reduced Vertical Separation Minima
(RVSM) meant that the Kabul Flight Information Region
(FIR) of Afghanistan effectively acted as a bottleneck
for this traffic flow, with particular impact on the night
time peak period traffic flows from Asia to Europe.
In order to accommodate prevailing circumstances at
European destinations, including nightly curfew
restrictions, airline scheduling resulted in a situation
whereby 55 to 65 long-haul flights per night arrived at the
eastern boundary of the Kabul FIR within a core three
hour period. On the South Asian side of Kabul FIR, full
RVSM flight level capacity was available as well as a
multitude of ATS routeswith the result that airspace
capacity was generally adequate.
Transit within the Kabul FIR, however, is restricted to
10 minutes longitudinal separation on a limited number
of ATS routes, using essentially two conventional flight
levels (FL310 & FL350). Consequently, traffic handling
during the nightly traffic peak often required many en
route orbits, level changes, re-routings, holdings and
other high workload ATC interventions. With the majority
of flights at the edge of their performance capabilities
for the typically 10- to 12-hour flight to Europe, the coarse
traffic management that was routinely necessary and
consequent additional fuel burn resulted in many
unscheduled (and expensive) technical stops prior to
reaching destination.
BOBCAT AND THE KABUL FIR
In conjunction with the
ICAO Air Traffic Flow
Management Task Force,
the web-based Bay of
Bengal Cooperative AirTraffic Flow Management
System, or BOBCAT, has
been developed by
Aeronautical Radio of Thailand to address
serious flight efficiency impacts caused
by the military operations in the Kabul
Flight Information Region. Andrew Tiede,
ICAO APAC Regional Officer, Air Traffic
Management (ATM), reports that
in the two years since the systems first
trials significant gains have beenexperienced by all regional stakeholders,
including significant fuel and carbon
savings for the affected airlines.
I
CAORegionalReportAsia-Pacific
2008
-
8/7/2019 ICAO regional Report for APAC
22/48
20
ICAOR
egionalReportAsia-Pacific200
8
The South Asian solution
Under the auspices of the ICAO APACRegional Office, the Bay of Bengal and
South Asia Air Traffic Flow Management
Task Force (ICAO ATFM/TF) was formed in
early 2005 to attempt to address these
issues. A daily flow-sequencing period of
four hours (2000-2359UTC), being the
three-hour core traffic period plus a half-
hour buffer at either side, was identified
as necessary. In addition to the large
numbers of af fected flights originat ing
from India, Malaysia, Pakistan, Singapore
and Thailand, the ATFM/TF identifiedspecific cases of long-haul flights originat-
ing from China, Hong Kong, Vietnam, the
Philippines and Indonesia that would also
transit the Kabul FIR during this period.
The need for an automated flow
management tool to assist in regulating
the flow of traffic had also been recog-
nised by the ATFM/TF. A concept of
operations was adopted whereby an
allocated wheels-up time (AWUT) and
Kabul FIR entry fix time would be applied
to each flight, notwithstanding that the
Kabul FIR entry time would be applicable
typically five to six hours after airborne
and up to 10 dif ferent ATC Area Control
Centres (ACCs) and many FIRs
downstream from departure.
The BOBCAT system
In conjunction with the ICAO ATFM/TF,
an automated and web-based compu-
terised toolthe Bay of Bengal
Cooperative Air Traffic Flow Manage-
ment System (BOBCAT) was develop-ed by Aeronautical Radio of Thailand
Ltd. (AEROTHAI), the Air Navigation
Services Provider (ANSP) for Thailand.
Working with the ATFM/TF, AEROTHAI
also established the 24-hour Air Traffic
Flow Management Unit (ATFMU) at the
Bangkok ACC, where the BOBCAT
servers are hosted and coordination
of AWUT and Kabul FIR entry fix times
is managed. Appropriate ATFM
procedures were developed, safetyassessments completed and, with
support from IATA, an operational trial
of international long-range ATFM
procedures commenced during July
2006. Following the success of the
trial, daily ATFM procedures were per-
manently implemented from July 5, 2007
(see Figure 1, top)for the Bay of
Bengal and South Asia.
BOBCAT has flexibility in meting-out slot
times depending on the traffic flow and
the requirements of the various ANSPs
concerned. The current configuration
caters to westbound aircraft entering the
Kabul FIR during the nighttime peak period
between 20002359UTC and sequences
flights at an interval of 15 minutes
comprising the 10-minute longitudinal
separation standard plus a five-minute
buffer. The five-minute buffer time is
expected to be reduced as the on-time
performance of affected flights improves.
As the system is software-based the
operational parameters can be readily
and infinitely varied to address thespecific needs of the prevailing ATFM
circumstances.
ATFM Procedures
All BOBCAT-sequenced aircraft are
required to conduct their flight in
accordance with State AIPs and the Bay
of Bengal and South Asia ATFM Users
Handbook. The primary parties involved
in the ATFM procedures are:
a) Airline dispatchers.b) The Bangkok Air Traffic Flow
Management Unit (ATFMU)
supported by the BOBCAT system.
c) Flight crews.
d) ANSPs.
Airline dispatchers
Several hours prior to the agreed cutoff
time for slot requests (presently
1200 UTC), airline dispatchers log on
to the BOBCAT website using their
assigned secure username/password
and submit slot requests for waypoint,
time and flight level for entry into the
Kabul FIR. At the cutoff time, BOBCAT
processes the slot requests and
displays outcomes in terms of AWUT
and Kabul FIR entry fix parameters,
including flight level, route, entry fix
and time on the respective slot
allocation pages, as well as automa-
tically e-mailing slot results to all
Figure 1: BOBCAT messages page showing
July 2007 implementation.
Figure 2: Bangkok Air Traffic Flow Management Unit (ATFMU)
-
8/7/2019 ICAO regional Report for APAC
23/48
airspace users concerned. In the event
that the slot assigned was not satis-
factory, dispatchers have the ability toswap slots or select an unused slot
displayed on the BOBCAT website.
Bangkok ATFMU
Management of the BOBCAT system
rests with the Bangkok ATFMU, shown
in Figure 2 (page 20, top), which is
located adjacent to AEROTHAIs ATC
centre in Bangkok. The ATFMU is
staffed on a 24-hour basis to cater to
the evening westbound rush hour. TheBangkok ATMFU has the capability to
modify slot allocation at the request of
affected airlines and also has a full
range of communications capabilities
to liaise with all ACCs and dispatchers
involved in the ATFM process. The
ATFMU also receives all flight plansand operational movement messages
for the flights involved.
Flight crews
It is the responsibility of flight crews
to ensure that the aircraft is ready to
taxi in time to meet the AWUT
nominated by BOBCAT. Crews must
also adjust cruise flight to comply with
BOBCAT slot parameters at the Kabul
FIR entry fix, requesting appropriateATC clearances, including speed varia-
tions, in accordance with published
AIP requirements.
Figure 3: BOBCAT Slot Allocation page Control Tower view Figure 4: BOBCAT Slot Allocation page Enroute ACC view
ANSPS
ANSPs retain normal responsibility forall separation and tactical ATS and
traffic management activities. To ensure
situational awareness of each nights
traffic, ANSPs also logon to BOBCAT to
view slot allocation resultsusing
either the Control Tower view (Figure 3,
top left)or En route ACC view (Figure 4,
top right). These results show the
wheels-up time for each aircraft from all
departure points as well as the route,
flight level, entry fix and time allocated
for entry into the Kabul FIR. Inaccordance with ICAO PANS ATM
provisions, flights with an ATFM slot
allocation should be given priority for
takeoff to facilitate compliance with
-
8/7/2019 ICAO regional Report for APAC
24/48
-
8/7/2019 ICAO regional Report for APAC
25/48
-
8/7/2019 ICAO regional Report for APAC
26/48
24
ICAOR
egionalReportAsia-Pacific200
8
AWUT. ANSPs also conduct en-route traf fic management in a
way that ensures that flights can be positioned at the
correct level and entry time for the Kabul FIR in accordance
with the BOBCAT slot allocation.
The strength of cooperation
Since the commencement of the ATFM operational trial (July
2006, through December 2007), the nightly average number
of flights submitting a slot request has risen from 35 to about
60 flights, with peaks exceeding 65 flights per night. This
represents nearly a 50 percent increase over the 18-month
period and again draws attention to the explosive traffic
growth being experienced in Asia.
Seven primary States are involvedAfghanistan, Pakistan,
India, Thailand, Malaysia, Myanmar and Singapore
supported by an equivalent number of surrounding States.
Currently, over 35 airlines, the majority of whom are IATA
members, are consistently using the BOBCAT system for
facilitated transit through the Kabul FIR.
The C in the BOBCAT acronym stands for cooperative.
Accordingly, BOBCAT is a cooperative strategic ATFM tool that,
in conjunction with ATFM procedures adopted by the ATFMU,
ANSPs and airspace users, delivers efficient ATFM outcomes.
Success very much depends on the accuracy of the
information provided by airline dispatchers as well as the
cooperative efforts of ANSPs and flight crew to achieve the
final results of the BOBCAT sequence.
Measuring the results
Before the implementation of the long-range ATFM
procedures, about 60 percent of the Europe-bound flights
from South east Asia and the Indian sub continent
experienced departure delays due to congestion along the air
routes between South east Asia and Afghanistan during the
evening peak hours. Frequently, aircraft en route had to
change their route, hold or orbit, or fly at non-optimum flight
levels as a result of this congestion.
Although work continues within the ATFM/TF to accurately
quantify the outcomes, the following benefits, amongst
others, have already been demonstrated:
a) ATFM sequenced aircraft now depart on their allocated
wheels-up time in an orderly fashion, which reduces
aggregate ground delay and ensures remaining ground
delays are absorbed with engines off.
b) En-route congestion is minimised and there is an orderly
entry into the Afghanistan airspace with a more evendistribution of aircraft across the available ATS routes.
c) Preferred optimal flight level allocation is achieved more
often and more reliably.
d) The re-routes around Afghanistan, which often resulted
in expensive technical stops, have been eliminated.
e) Many benefits have been reported by en route ANSPs,
characterised by orderly long haul traffic sequences
resulting in greatly reduced ATC workloads.
f) Similarly, for sequenced flights, the flight crew workload
has also been significantly reduced.
g) Based on information supplied from IATA and their member
airlines during mid 2007, the overall fuel savings foraircraft using ATFM procedures during this nightly four-hour
period is approximately 12 million kilograms of fuel per
year, resulting in very worthwhile savings in direct
operating costs. When considered in an environmental
context, these fuel savings also equate to a direct
reduction in carbon dioxide emissions of more than 50
million kilograms per year.
More recently, as a direct result of the work of the ATFM/TF
Afghanistan had agreed to implement new ATS route
segment UL333 across the southern portion of the Kabul
FIR to link existing airway structures in Pakistan and Iran.
Simultaneously, as BOBCAT was reliably providing meted
traffic flows, Afghanistan was able to lift westbound
restrictions on usage of route B466 in Kabul FIR. Both the
UL333 and B466 enhancements, as depicted in Figure 5
(above, left), became effective on August 28, 2008 and not
only benefit operators during the nightly ATFM period but
also facilitate operations between Europe and South east
Asia on a H24 basis by providing alternate routings through
the Kabul FIR.
Figure 5: ATS Routes affected by ATFM procedures
in the Bay of Bengal and South Asia for flights transiting
the Kabul FIR, period 2000 2359 UTC daily.
-
8/7/2019 ICAO regional Report for APAC
27/48
Historically, APAC ATS route design was
based on early technology using ground-
based aids to navigation and short/medium-haul aircraft that made refueling
stops en route between Asia and Europe.
The revised route structure implemented
by the EMARSSH Task Force has been
designed to take advantage of advanced
satellite technology using RNP and RNAV
aircraft capability and for medium/long-
haul aircraft.
To facilitate the work of the Task Force,
APANPIRG appointed a Core Team led by
the ICAO APAC Regional Office. Membersof the Core Team were from Australia,
Hong Kong, India, Iran, Saudi Arabia,
Singapore and IATA. The conditions lead-
ing to the development of the EMARSSH
route structure were as follows:
Existing aircraft capabilities and new
CNS/ATM technology
and procedures were used to develop
an ATS route structure
to reduce congestion, enhance safety,
and minimise environmental impact.
The EMARSSH trunk routes were
developed primarily for international
long-haul and medium-haul flights.
As much as possible, the EMARSSH
trunk routes were laterally separated,
with minimal crossings that could result
in choke points.
The need for full coordination amongst
the involved APAC ANSPs and airspace
users, and, due to the length of the
routes, the requirement for increased
harmonisation with both the Middle East
and European regions.
The EMARSSH route structure was
designed to support Required Navigation
Performance (RNP) 10 operations, since
the majority of flights operating within the
APAC Region were able to meet RNP
10 levels of navigational accuracy or
better. The immediate gain was derived
from the fact that EMARSSH routes have
been established 50NM apart without
affecting ATS operations on adjacent
routes, thus increasing airspace capacity.
This advantage was particularlysignificant over the Bay of Bengal, where,
prior to the implementation of EMARSSH,
100NM lateral separation was the
minimum required.
EMARSSH has been implemented in two
phases. In the first phase, additional
routes between Perth and Jakarta, as well
as between Auckland/Sydney/Melbourne
and Surabaya, were implemented in
December 2001. Subsequently, over a
series of meetings, the EMARSSH Task
Force developed a set of parallel routes
spaced at a minimum of 50NM apart
across the Bay of Bengal, India and the
Arabian Sea. In addition, the Task Force
realigned some routes over the Saudi
Peninsula and Egypt, as well as
developing routes through the Tehran FIR
to add to the capacity available in the
Kabul FIR. All these routes were
implemented in the second phase on
November 28, 2002.
In total, more than 30 FIRs were affected
by the EMARSSH implementations.
Essential to the successful conclusion of
the project was the effective civil/military
coordination carried out by many of the
States across the vast expanse of the
route structure. Without this cooperative
effort in some areas characterised by
complex military interactions there would
have been little chance in gaining the
benefits that have now been realised.
The implementation of the EMARSSH
route structure resolved some previouslyidentified choke points, particularly
those over the Bay of Bengal, and
created much needed airspace capacity
enhancement measures for flights
between Asia and Middle East/Europe.
This produced substantial benefits for
both airspace users and Air Navigation
Service Providers (ANSPs). Significantly,
the route restructure paved the way for
the implementation of RVSM over the
Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea.
Airlines too welcomed the new route
structure. IATA reported that the new
network of air routes connecting Australia,
Asia, the Middle East and Europe save
30 minutes of travel-time, reduce ground
delays for departures to Europe from
Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok,
and reduce fuel costs by a conservative
estimate of US$55 million per year
(in 2002 dollars and oil prices).
25
AIR NAVIGATION
In 2000, the ICAO APAC Planning and Implementation Regional Group (APANPIRG) established
the Revised Route StructureAsia to Europe via the Middle East, South-of-the-Himalayas (EMARSSH)
Task Force to lead the development of a revised route structure to provide for increases in
international and domestic traffic operating between Asia and Europe. The APAC Regional Report
provides a review of the conditions leading to and significant results of this vital initiative.
I
CAORegionalReportAsia-Pacific
2008
EMARSSH: Toward the development ofnew APAC-EUR/NAT route structuresKyotaro Harano joined the ICAO Asia and Pacific Office in 2004 as Regional Officer, Air Traffic Management (ATM) follow-
ing 20 years with the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau, initially as an air traffic controller at Nagoya Airport and Tokyo (Haneda)
International Airport, and then as the airspace management officer at Naha Area Control Centre with responsibility for
international liaison. During the period from 1996 to 1998 he worked at the ATM Section of ICAO Headquar ters in
Montreal and, from 1999 to 2004, also served the International Federation of Air Traffic Controllers Associations as
the Technical Representative for APAC matters.
-
8/7/2019 ICAO regional Report for APAC
28/48
-
8/7/2019 ICAO regional Report for APAC
29/48
-
8/7/2019 ICAO regional Report for APAC
30/48
In the early 1990s, major aircraft manufacturers
announced that plans were in hand to develop aeroplanes
larger than the Boeing 747-400 and which would becapable of carrying more than 500 passengers. In
response, ICAO carried out a study from 1995 to 1997 with
the participation of several States, selected international
organizations and aircraft manufacturers, to develop
appropriate ICAO provisions to facilitate aerodrome
development for these new larger aircraft. The result of
this research and consultation was the development by
ICAO of the new Code F standards for airports.
ICAO Provisions
The ICAO study led to Amendment 3 to Annex 14Volume I
Aerodrome Design and Operations. The amendment was
adopted by the ICAO Council in March 1999 and became
applicable from November 1, 1999. A new aerodrome
reference code, letter F, to cover aeroplanes with wingspans
from 65m up to but not including 80m, and an outer main
gear wheel span from 14m up to but not including 16m, was
established. New specifications on aerodrome physical
characteristics (runway width, taxiway width, shoulders,
taxiway minimum separation distances etc.) for Code F
aircraft, as well as rescue and fire fighting specifications for
aircraft with maximum fuselage widths in excess of 7m and
lengths greater than 76m but not including 90m were also
developed and included in the new Annex 14, Volume I.
In order to provide States with information on the issues
concerning aerodrome facilities and services, air traffic
management and flight operations which should be considered
for accommodating New Larger Aircraft (NLA) operations at
existing aerodromes, ICAO also published the new Circular 305.
This document provides guidance on conducting aeronautical
studies, including the development of alternative measures,
operational procedures and operating restrictions, specifically to
assist existing airports that do not currently meet the relevant
Code F specifications.
In support of the implementation of the new Code F specifications
in Annex 14, Volume I, ICAO has amended theAerodrome Design
Manual, Part 1Runways and Part 2Taxiways, Aprons andICAOR
egionalReportAsia-Pacific
200
8
NLA AIRPORT PREPAREDNESS
28
APAC AirportsRamping-up for
New Larger AircraftSince the debut of the
very first commercial
aircraft, the aviation
industry has experienced
constant improvements in
the speed, range and size
of its fleet, with size in
particular having the
greatest impact on the design and
operations of airports. ICAO and airportoperators have always risen to meet the
challenges that each new generation
of aircraft has posed, especially with
respect to the continuous adaptation of
the physical characteristics of airports.
N.C. Sekhar describes the ongoing
developments in this area.
-
8/7/2019 ICAO regional Report for APAC
31/48
the baggage claim carousels, etc. The
airports third terminal, opened in
January 2008, has been completely
designed and built incorporating A380
requirements. In all, Changi now opera-
tes 19 A380 compatible stands as well
as two additional stands for handling
freighter versions of the super jumbo.
Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA)
KLIA has invested US$30 million to
upgrade its facilities for A380operations. The project commenced in
2006 and was completed in December
2007. The project provided for a 60m
wide runway with 7.5m shoulders on
both sides, widening taxiways, relocation
of runway holding positions and stop
bars, provision of five apron stands with
three aerobridges for each stand,
terminal expansions, etc.
Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA)
In anticipation of A380 commercial
operations, HKIA has invested
HK$67 million on its own enhancement
works. The project commenced in April
2005, and was completed in June 2006.
Phase 1 of the project provided for
widening taxiway shoulders associated
with the southern runway and the cross
field taxiways, relocation of 15 runway
holding positions, relocation of objects
Holding bays, to provide important
additional guidance material to States.
In cooperation with IATA, ICAO is also
actively progressing with the revision of
the Airport Services Manual, Part 5
Removal of Disabled aircraft.
Airport readiness in APAC
In order to accommodate the A380,
many APAC States have either
incorporated the new ICAO Code F
standards in the design and constructionof new airports, or have employed
them when modifying existing airports
to receive the A380. The worlds first
commercial flight of the A380, on
October 25, 2007, was a milestone
in Asia/Pacific aviation history.
Changi International Airport
The A380 marked a new chapter in
Changi airports historyas this was
the first airport in the world to operatethe aircraft commercially with Singapore
Airlines. To prepare for the A380,
Changi invested about US$60 million
on upgrading the airport facilities,
widening existing runway shoulders,
widening the runway/taxiway and
taxiway/taxiway intersections, gate
modification, installation of a third
aerobridge providing direct access to the
A380s upper deck, enhancements to
Airbus A380 800 Boeing 747 400 Airbus A380 800 Boeing 747 400
Passengers 555 (33%) 400 Height 24 m (24%) 19.6 m
Wingspan 79.75 m (24%) 65 m Fuselage Width 7.14 m (10%) 6.4 m
Length 72.6 m (2%) 70 m Maximum ramp weight 560 tons (40%) 400 tons
COMPARATIVE OVERVIEW: A 380-800 AND B 747-400
such as lamp and sign posts, extension
of blast fences, upgrading the aircraft
stands for fixed ground power, pre-
conditioned air, and air bridges to serve
the upper deck. In addition, Rescue and
Fire-fighting (RFF) capability has been
upgraded to ICAO Category 10.
Narita, Kansai and Nagoya International
Airports, Japan
Narita Airport has completed its enhan-
cement works in May 2008. Kansaiairport has commissioned a second
runway and the new airport in Nagoya
was opened in February 2005, fully
compliant with Code F requirements.
Suvarnabhumi International Airport,
Bangkok
Designed from the onset and construct-
ed for ICAO Code F requirements, the
Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok was
opened for operations in September 2006.The airport has two Code F runways.
China and Korea
Three International Airports in China,
namely Beijing, Shanghai Pudong and
Guangzhou International Airports are
also now A380 compatible. In addition,
Incheon Airport in the Republic Of Korea
is A380 compatible.
-
8/7/2019 ICAO regional Report for APAC
32/48
Whats next for APAC?
THE ACI VIEWPOINT
30
On behalf of the ACI Asia-Pacific Region,
I would like to congratulate the ICAO
Bangkok Regional Office on the occasion
of its 60th anniversary.
The Airports Council International (ACI)
has been working closely with ICAO
since ACIs establishment in 1991 as
the first international association
representing the common interests ofairport operators around the world.
The aviation industry has been going
through changes in recent years that
almost defy imagination, and in the
Asia-Pacific Region par ticularly the
industry is witnessing a boom that
surpasses all our earlier expectations.
According to the ACI Global Traffic
Forecast, 2006-2025, the industry will
grow at an average rate of 4.0 percent
per annum in the next 20 years, withthe Asia-Pacific Region becoming the
worlds largest aviation market by 2025.
The aviation industry is providing over
4.5 million jobs worldwide that are
directly dependent on airports and
airport operations and airports will
continue to be the most important
source of jobs created in the aviation
industry. In the year 2006, airports in
Asia-Pacific employed some 950,000
on site.
Airports today are no longer simply
infrastructure providers. They have
become commercially successful
entities contributing to the growth of
regional economies and higher level of
customer satisfaction. Non-aeronautical
revenue for airports continues to grow
and now accounts for 45.7 percent of
revenues for airports in this region.
Capital Expenditure (CE) rose sharply
in all regions in 2007, with APAC
experiencing the largest CE growth rate
(14.3 percent) of any region in the
world. With these types of staggering
figures at hand an obvious question
might be:
Whats next for the Asia-Pacific Region?
Surging APAC traffic currently poses agreat challenge to our industry. Over the
next 20 years this will be further driven
by the strong economic growth of
emerging economies in the region
such as China and India. ACI believes
that a shortage in airport capacity is
therefore the most urgent problem that
our industry faces. China alone expects
to construct 49 new airports in the next
five years as well as to launch 700
additional airport-related projects.
Governments must continue to recognizethat the shortage in airport capacity is
indeed an urgent issue in light of the
fact that airports and the broader
aviation industry they serve play such
a vital role as engines of economic
growth, trade and tourismcontributing
significantly to both regional and global
prosperity.
ACI encourages its members to become
carbon neutral and I am proud to state
that airports in our region have adopted
a number of effective measures in this
area. In April 2008 our industry took a
significant step forward by signing a
joint declaration and committing itself
to a carbon neutral growth to help
tackle the climate change problem.
The majority of the airports in the Asia-
Pacific Region are very supportive of
this declaration and I am confident that
further excellent projects will be
developed to help minimize aviations
impact on the environment and aid its
sustainability.
ACI has also been participating actively
on safety matters together with ICAO
and submitted several safety-related
working papers in the last ICAO
Assembly. ACI encourages airport
operators, together with their regulators,to focus on airport certification as a
high priority. It believes regulators
should apply ICAO standards but avoid
an excessively prescriptive approach to
safety regulation.
ACI believes airport user charges
should be established through consul-
tation between airport operators and
users wherever possible. ACI advocates
that airports should continue to engage
in partnership with airlines and the localcivil aviation authorities on a number
of issues, including airport charges,
environmental programmes tailored to
local communities and contingency
plans to deal with outbreaks of
communicable diseases.
The ACI Asia-Pacific Region will
continue to engage in discussions with
all international organizations, most
importantly ICAO and work closely with
these partners to serve our industry
and to meet the challenges that lie
ahead for the Region.
Maggie Kwok formerly had a distinguished career with the Customs & Excise Department, HKSAR. She has extensive
experience in the area of world trade facilitation, has worked in strong partnership with the airport community through
her career, and was instrumental in making Hong Kong an international and regional air logistics hub. In mid-2006,
Mrs. Kwok joined the ACI, Asia-Pacific Region as Regional Director.
ICAOR
egionalReportAsia-Pacific
200
8
By Maggie Kwok, CDSM, Regional Director, ACI Asia-Pacific Region
-
8/7/2019 ICAO regional Report for APAC
33/48
-
8/7/2019 ICAO regional Report for APAC
34/48
-
8/7/2019 ICAO regional Report for APAC
35/48
-
8/7/2019 ICAO regional Report for APAC
36/48
By Rob Eagles, IATA APAC Director, Safety Operations & Infrastructure (SO&I)
IATA, ICAO AND APAC ATM
34
IATA has a long history of close coopera-
tion with the ICAO APAC Office, assisting
and supporting their vision of an integrat-
ed, harmonised and globally interoperable
Air Traffic Management (ATM) system.
APAC is one of the fastest growing Regions
in the world and, by 2010, it will be largest
aviation market in the world. This presentsobvious challenges for both ICAO and IATA,
but there are many examples of how the
effective working relationship between
ICAO and IATA has delivered significant
ATM benefits to the aviation industry. Two
such achievements are EMARSSH (Europe,
Middle East, Asia Route Structure South of
the Himalayas)and BOBCAT (Bay of Bengal
Cooperative ATFM Advisory System).
EMARSSH
A review of the route structure between
Europe and Australasia (south of the
Himalayas) in 2000 identified that
significant improvements were needed
to enhance ef ficiency. Flights were
suffering lengthy delays and were
unable to fly at their optimum altitude.
IATA engaged the help and support of
the ICAO APAC Regional Office to
address this issue (editors notefor
more on this topic see the related
EMARSSH article on p. 25).
The EMARSSH project was completed in
November 2002 providing a more
efficient route structure that stretches
halfway across the world. Flight times
between Australia and Europe were
reduced by up to 30 minutes, and fuel
consumption reduced by at least 25,000
tonnes annually (2002 data) with an
associated saving of 79,000 tonnes of
CO2. The implementation of the new
route structure was the culmination of
a two-year effort which saw IATA, the
international airlines, States, military
authorities and charting companies all
working together as an effective team
under the guidance of ICAO.
Air Traffic Flow Management (BOBCAT)
The growth of long-haul flights between
South east and Western Europe over
the last five years resulted in flights
experiencing lengthy delays. This was
caused by an unregulated flow of
flights through Kabul FIR and European
airport cur fews. The s