Interim Report

APEC Transportation Working Group (TPT-WG)
Steering Committee on Safe and Environment-Friendly Transportation Systems
Follow-on Survey Regarding Recommendations of the APEC TPT-WG
Group of Experts on Aviation Safety and Assistance (GEASA)

Background

In the June 1995 Ministerial Joint Statement, the Transportation Working Group (TPT-WG) was directed to convene aviation safety representatives from each economy to identify aviation safety problems in the region and to make recommendations for necessary assistance. These safety representatives formed a Group of Experts on Aviation Safety and Assistance (GEASA). The GEASA was directed to facilitate the harmonization, coordination and transparency of transport policies, regulations, procedures and standards and to have as a priority the review of transport regulatory practices and procedures and to pursue as far as possible their harmonization or mutual recognition.

The work of the GEASA began in April 1996 and resulted in a report to Ministers entitled, "Aviation Safety in the APEC Economies," in June 1997 that identified ninety-two potential safety problems and resulted in recommendations in the five areas of: lack of adequate civil aviation safety oversight; lack of harmonization of civil aviation safety rules; concern regarding traffic conflicts; lack of good incident reporting data bases; and availability of appropriate skills in industry. The APEC Transport Ministers accepted the report at their June 1997 ministerial meeting and requested the GEASA to make recommendations to implement the recommendations. The GEASA submitted its recommendations in its November 1997, "Report to APEC Transport Ministers on Mechanisms to Implement Recommendations on Aviation Safety in APEC Economies." The report proposed that the newly formed TPT-WG Steering Committee on Safe and Environment-Friendly Transportation Systems (SCSE) be tasked with the monitoring of the implementation status of the safety programs recommended by the GEASA.

Current Status

The TPT-WG Steering Committee on Safe and Environment-Friendly Transportation Systems agreed at the 13th TPT-WG meeting in Mexico City, Mexico, to begin the monitoring of the implementation of the GEASA recommendations by the APEC economies. It was agreed that this monitoring should be conducted through a survey to each economy, with results forwarded to the APEC Transport Ministers. A sample survey was presented at the 13th TPT-WG for comment and after consultation was later mailed in July 1998 to all APEC economies for completion by September 1998. (This is document TPT/13/SC/SE/5.1). To date, completed surveys have been received from sixteen APEC economies (of the 18 economies in 1998 surveyed) and results have been summarized as a part of this report.

Survey Results

Economies were asked to respond to their implementation of the GEASA safety recommendations in nine areas. The results of responses are summarized below.

I. High Priority for Civil Aviation Safety

All economies have made a public announcement or other indication that aviation safety is a high priority. A number of economies have indicated that adequate revenue and personnel are in place for aviation safety oversight. The international civil aviation system is interdependent and a significant safety deficiency in one State is a high safety risk for several other States. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and other institutions have reported significant civil aviation deficiencies in a number of States worldwide, including in some APEC Economies. It is necessary to seek a way to assist those Economies that need assistance to enhance their civil aviation safety by national action and injection of foreign currency initial expenditure in skills and equipment.

II. Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) structure.

All economies reporting had established a civil aviation authority that was separate from the airline operations and was responsible for oversight of civil aviation safety operations. In all but two economies reporting, the CAA's were also responsible for the compliance and enforcement of civil aviation safety operations; in the other two economies, other government organizations were designated with compliance and enforcement responsibilities. All CAA's were responsible for other aviation functions, the most common being air traffic, security, airports and accident investigation. All CAA's had a designated office responsible for oversight of air carrier operations and continued airworthiness.

III. Safety Oversight.

All but one economy participates in Directors General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) meetings within their regions. The economies geographically located within the Asia-Pacific region participate in the ICAO Annual Conference of DGCAs of the Asia-Pacific region and two of the four Western Hemisphere economies also participate in this meeting. Half of the economies reported some participation in the ICAO Co-operative Development of Operational Safety and Continuing Airworthiness Project or COSCAP.

IV. Civil Aviation Safety Academy Approach

More than half of the economies have developed a standard training course curriculum for its inspectors. Those that do not have a standard training course curriculum avail themselves of training from either ICAO experts, the U.K. CAA or the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration.

At the request of ICAO, the US-FAA is developing a series of generic training courses for the ICAO Trainair Program. These courses are designed for operations and airworthiness inspectors who are responsible for certification and oversight of flight operations and continuing airworthiness of aircraft and focus on air operator certification and certification of maintenance organizations. Courses are expected to be completed in late-1999 and will be available for instruction at any of the twenty-two ICAO Trainair facilities world-wide.

V. Harmonization of Civil Aviation Safety Rules

Most of the economies reported participation in some type of harmonization activity. This could either be a regional program like the ICAO COSCAP, working individually with a country or groups of countries, or by individual economy review and comparison of regulations of other economies.

VI. Air Traffic Conflict

Approximately half of the economies participating in the ICAO Asia Pacific Air Navigation Planning and Implementation Regional Group (APANPIRG) have endorsed its recommendation on Airborne Collision Avoidance Systems (ACAS) developed in June 1997. Most economies report that they have regulations addressing ACAS and other economies have work in progress in this area.

VII. Lease, Charter or Interchange of Aircraft (ICAO Article 83 bis)

All but one of the applicable economies have ratified ICAO Article 83 bis and approximately half of these economies have developed the needed legislation or regulations needed to implement this standard within their own economy.

VIII. Incident Reporting and Analysis Systems

The majority of the economies responded that they had some type of accident/incident reporting system. Most of these systems are confidential and separate from the aviation safety regulator. For future reference, ICAO will be asked to report on the progress toward the development of an international standard for universal reporting of incidents, and the United States will be asked to provide an update on the development of the Global Analysis and Information Network or GAIN system.

IX. Availability of Appropriate Skills in Industry

The majority of economies have established certification criteria for pilots, mechanics and engineers and the training centers that might provide such airmen certification services.

Future efforts

The results of the surveys and related follow-up activities in the APEC region will be compiled and reported to Ministers at the next APEC Transport Ministerial meeting. In the interim, Economies will be able to update their surveys to reflect improvements in their own aviation system and the new APEC member Economies will be asked to complete surveys. It is suggested that at the 16th APEC Transportation Working Group meeting that a seminar be held to address a number of the former GEASA's safety recommendations endorsed by the APEC Transport Ministers. The United States as the lead of the SCSE Aviation Safety Initiative will take on the responsibility for organizing this seminar. The United States welcomes the assistance of all Economies including the nomination of agenda items and speakers for the seminar.

This page was last updated on 12 March, 2008