< Previous28 ICAO JOURNAL – ISSUE 1 2015XXXXXXXXXX28 ICAO JOURNAL – ISSUE 1 2015ICAo’s Next generation of Aviation Professionals (NgAP) programme is progressing into Phase 2 to help States implement best practices for attracting and developing the large numbers of pilots, air traffic controllers, aircraft technicians, and other skilled individuals who will be needed to operate, manage, and maintain the growing air transport system. more than 300 participants from 58 States and 10 organizations, including hundreds of students, gathered in montréal, Canada in december for the 2nd NgAP Symposium. ICAO Council President Dr. Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu has stated: “International civil aviation’s greatest priorities over the coming decades virtually all derive from the projected doubling of our network’s capacity. The shortage of pilots, air traffic controllers, engineers, and mechanics we are facing around the world, as well as the need to accelerate training and certification for these aviation professionals and the new managers who will need to lead them, are key areas where ICAO’s leadership and action will be instrumental to the future viability and sustainability of our global network.”Among the factors facing the aviation industry:■■Despite raising of the mandatory airline pilot retirement age to 65 (2007 in the U.S., 2011 in Europe) or even 67, as Japan has recently done, the industry is experiencing wholesale retirements of pilots of the post-World War II “baby boomer” generation.■■Aviation professions are increasingly not perceived as attractive enough to potential candidates. There is little awareness by the next generation of the types of aviation professions available to them. And there is significant competition with other industry sectors for skilled employees.■■Training capacity is insufficient to meet demand. There is a lack of accessibility to affordable training. And learning methodologies are not responsive to evolving learning styles.■■Some aviation disciplines lack harmonization of competencies.The issues the ICAO NGAP programme is addressing are key factors to the long-term successful implementation of ICAO’s Global Aviation Safety Plan (GASP) and Global Air Navigation Plan (GANP) as the industry responds to air transport passenger and total flight growth. In the next 20 years, airlines worldwide are forecast to add 25,000 new aircraft to the current commercial fleet of 17,000. In the next decade alone, 480,000 new technicians will be needed to maintain aircraft and over 350,000 pilots to fly them.Dr. Thomas Carney, Professor of Aviation Technology at Purdue University in Indiana, U.S., and Chair of the ICAO NGAP Task Force, described the NGAP vision as “a global aviation community that has sufficient competent human resources to support a safe, secure, and sustainable air transportation system.” To achieve that vision, the NGAP mission is “to develop strategies, best practices, tools, standards, and guidelines as applicable and to facilitate information sharing activities that assist the global aviation community in attracting, training, educating, and retaining the next generation of aviation professionals.”STrATegy, ToolS & dATAICAO established the Next Generation of Aviation Professionals Task Force in 2009, consisting of representatives from industry, academia, training providers, regulatory bodies, and international organizations. “During Phase 1 of the NGAP programme,” stated Nancy Graham, Director of ICAO’s Air Navigation Bureau (who retired recently), “we raised awareness and developed competency-based training (CBT) provisions for air traffic controllers (ATCOs) and air traffic safety electronics personnel (ATSEPs).”“In Phase 2, the NGAP programme will roll-out new provisions to support implementation with guidance manuals and regional workshops, and create tools to support States to implement human capital best practices.”Graham announced that ATCO and ATSEP CBT regional workshops are planned from the second half of 2015 to 2017, and will include material designed for regulators, service provider senior management, course designers, and instructors (classroom and on the job). The publication of new ATCO and ATSEP training manuals is expected this year.Planned NGAP outreach efforts and tools include:■■NGAP best practices database on the web ■■Continued NGAP communication ■■A web-based NGAP implementation kit (I-Kit) ■■An aviation tertiary education institutions database (ATED) on the web - available at http://www.icao.int/Training/atedti/Pages/Default.aspx ■■An amended Procedures for Air Navigation Services – Training (PANS-TRNG) Document 9868 NgAp pROgRAmmE tRANSItIONINg tO REgIONAL ImpLEmENtAtION fOCUSNEXt gENERAtION Of AVIAtION pROfESSIONALS ICAO JOURNAL – ISSUE 1 2015 29XXXXXXXXXXLin cautioned, however, that with the technology and information explosion, “too much choice leads to riskier decisions” and unreliable information sources. “The current working experiences are not applicable for the new working environment.”Dr. Suzanne Kearns, Associate Professor at the University of Western Ontario, Canada, called social media websites such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and others “weapons of mass distraction.” She said future aviation training must customize content through adaptive curricula. Instead of the traditional classroom “sage on the stage,” the new training dynamic is a “guide on the side.” Learning will be more interactive and scenario-based, and “learners will search out answers rather than passively listen.”PASSIoN for AVIATIoNThe hundreds of students who attended from around the world were inspired by remarks from Julie Payette, who in 1999 was the first Canadian astronaut staying aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and is now Director of the Science Centre of Montréal. She shared her experiences and vision on attracting and retaining NGAPs of all ages, nationalities, gender, race, and socio-economic backgrounds into the Science, Technology, On the final day of the Symposium, a proposal from the NGAP Task Force Research Working Group to develop an “NGAP Index” was presented. William Agius, Deputy Head, Centre for Aviation, Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Switzerland explained, “The availability of trained personnel is not evenly distributed across the globe, nor is demand, which is difficult to predict.” The NGAP Index incorporates a compilation of relevant data for aviation industry human resources planning, including economics, attractiveness to candidates, and people resources. The index is a component of the transition of the NGAP programme from a global initiative to a regional and national level. The plan is to evolve the concept into an NGAP dashboard on the ICAO iSTARS applications platform later in 2015, and provide the first reports to participating States in 2016.ICAO Council Representative for the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Captain Aysha Alhameli, announced a new collaborative Aviation Discovery Programme (ADP) at the event, coordinated between the U.S. FAA Academy, Western Michigan University (WMU), the École nationale de l’aviation civile (ENAC) in France, and the Association of African Aviation Training Organizations (AATO). Through an information campaign, the ADP’s objective is to excite and motivate youth throughout African regions, facilitated by AATO. The ADP team has agreed on a roadmap and will submit a progress report to the NGAP Task Force at its next meeting.Capt. Alhameli said, "The NGAP initiative is of strategic importance for global aviation in order to insure that there are global mechanisms in place to attract young qualified and competent aviation professionals. The issues presented at the symposium are key to the long-term sustainable success of the aviation industry." New APProACheS To leArNINgRuichun Lin, Assistant Professor at the Civil Aviation Flight University of China, noted that between now and 2040, degree-oriented learning will transition to lifelong learning, incorporating competency-based learning, on-the-job training, computer-aided learning, and virtual reality-based training. He predicted that the globalization trend will include student and professor exchanges and mutual recognition of academic degrees and certifications.“the NgAp programme vision: a global aviation community that has sufficient competent human resources to support a safe, secure, and sustainable air transportation system.”30 ICAO JOURNAL – ISSUE 1 2015A ‘speed networking’ session during the Symposium, consisting of short interviews with individual experts, enabled young professionals to establish closer contact with industry experts, as well as to dispel any doubts about their career paths. Immediately after the NGAP Symposium and just a couple of days prior to the 70th Anniversary of the Chicago Convention, ICAO also held the first Model Council Session for 36 university-level students. The aspiring young professionals had the unprecedented opportunity to sit in the seats of delegates of their countries and discuss ways to achieve sustainable development of aviation and to attract young professionals. The Model Council meeting for the future aviation experts is based on similar projects organized by the United Nations.The selected participants discussed actions to be taken to more effectively promote the field of aviation – at national, regional, and global levels. All 36 students prepared working papers and three were selected under voting procedure for presentation by their authors, followed by comment and suggestions. Proposals included creating better online tools for communication about opportunities in the aviation industry, the promotion of women in aviation, directing attention to the celebrations of events connected to aviation to increase the interest of a broader group of people toward careers in the airline industry, and the development of aviation education centers.“Interest in aviation must be carefully cultivated and nurtured,” commented Brett Levanto, Director of Operations at the U.S. firm that manages the Aviation Technician Education Council (ATEC). “Their passion can grow once they come through the door, but to get these workers inside will take effort. Go to schools. Bring students to your facilities. Teach kids about lift and drag. You can’t start too early. Show them the runway and let them learn to take off.” Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education programmes in the U.S., U.K., Germany, France, and other countries.“Since I’ve been a kid I wanted to fly. I wanted to fly in space. I wanted to fly airplanes,” Payette said. “When I did have the opportunity, I realized this was exactly where I wanted to be, and it made sense. It’s so much fun.”“Careers in aviation are plentiful. There’s something for everybody,” she added. “It’s a very important industry for everybody on our planet. It connects us and we need to be part of it. I’m pleased to be part of both the ‘aero’ and the ‘space’ part.”Payette said, “No person should be left behind” in their interest and pursuit of a career in aviation.Western Michigan University aviation flight science student Preston Mayes commented that the astronaut’s presentation was “something I will never forget for the rest of my life. One distinct quote of hers that I think will stick with me … she said, ‘Looking down at the little blue marble in all of the blackness, and realizing that’s the only place I have hope to return to …’ This quote was also relating to how far the aviation industry has come, and the potential the future has and the impact the NGAPs have on the industry.” NEXt gENERAtION Of AVIAtION pROfESSIONALSMore information on NGAP can be found at http://www.icao.int/safety/ngap/Pages/default.aspx. Contact e-mail: ngap@icao.int“the need for and availability of trained personnel is not evenly distributed across the globe.” – William Agius, Zurich University of Applied Sciences, SwitzerlandCanadian astronaut Julie Payette (centre) led off the 2nd NGAP Symposium with remarks that inspired both young and experienced professionals. Left to right: Nancy Graham, Director ICAO ANB (now retired); Kirill Lobakin, Moscow Aviation Institute graduate; Payette; Dr. Thomas Carney, Purdue University and Chair of the ICAO NGAP Task Force; Isavella Vasilogeorgi, ICAO/IAWA Scholar.Panelists addressed the competencies needed for aviation careers. Left to right: Marc Lacroix, Manager, Technical Operations, NAVCANADA; Farid Zizi, President of the ICAO Air Navigation Commission; Mary-Ann Sievers, Manager Training Strategy, Airways New Zealand; Ashley Lauryssen, Senior Training Expert, Eurocontrol; Viktor Robeck, Assistant Director, SO&I Training and Qualifications, International Air Transport Association (IATA); Kellie White, SEP Training Manager, Emirates Airlines.32 ICAO JOURNAL – ISSUE 1 2015XXXXX32 ICAO JOURNAL – ISSUE 1 2015regulations regarding the use of portable electronic devices (Peds) during commercial aircraft flight were essentially unchanged since the 1960s. As technology continues to evolve and passenger expectations for almost-constant connectivity increase, many regulatory agencies have begun relaxing the restrictions. In december, the ICAo Cabin Safety group (ICSg) published Circular 340 – Guidelines for the Expanded use of Portable Electronic Devices – to help States effectively deal with the change.A year and a half ago, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced that commercial airlines could safely expand passenger use of PEDs during all phases of flight and provided operators with implementation guidance. In the wake of this highly visible shift in policy, ICAO received many queries from States wishing to follow the FAA’s example of relaxing restrictions on passenger PED use. Shortly after, the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) advised ICAO that it would also begin working on the expanded use of PEDs for passengers. EXpANdINg USE Of pORtABLE ELECtRONIC dEVICES (pEds) IN thE CABINCABIN SAfEtYmArTIN mAurINo M.Eng, is a Safety, Efficiency and Operations Officer for ICAO’s Air Navigation Bureau.“…precise and clear information should be given to passengers regarding the types of PEDs that can or cannot be used during various phases of the flight …” ICAO JOURNAL – ISSUE 1 2015 33XXXXXThe ICSG’s work on the guidance material is reflected in ICAO Circular 340 - Guidelines for the Expanded Use of Portable Electronic Devices, published in December 2014. The content of this document was developed through a consensus process. The purpose of Circular 340 is to present a harmonized, internationally agreed approach to the implementation of the expanded use of PEDs. In order to promote international harmonization, ICAO encourages States to incorporate the guidance presented in this circular into their regulations and/or guidance material.To discuss the topic at an international level, ICAO representatives met with FAA and EASA colleagues and the International Coordinating Council of Aerospace Industries Associations (ICCAIA) in November 2013. The participants agreed that the situation required global harmonization, as many States wished to follow the United States’ changes. In January 2014, the parties met again, this time with participation from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), to discuss a strategy to promote seamless international implementation. The stakeholders agreed that, prior to allowing the expanded use of PEDs, States should develop a clear process for the approval/acceptance of changes in operator policy and procedures, and determine actions that should be taken to maintain or enhance safety while implementing this change.The mAIN ISSueS of PedSThe initial discussions revolved around two main issues: 1. Technical considerations to determine the tolerability of an aircraft’s onboard electronic systems and equipment to PED interference 2. Cabin safety issues related to the expanded use of PEDs EASA and FAA conducted gap analyses for each of these issues to assess if any differences between their approaches could potentially hinder international implementation. The results showed that technical considerations were not an issue of concern. Both regulatory agencies addressed PED tolerability testing through the use of internationally recognized standards. However, cabin safety issues raised concerns, particularly due to differences between approaches from the United States and Europe which could lead to passenger confusion on international flights. The stakeholders agreed that these issues should be addressed by ICAO through development of guidance material which would tackle these points:■■Cabin safety aspects related to expanded use of PEDs by passengers■■Technical aspects of aircraft PED tolerability testing■■The process for States to approve the use of PEDs across the phases of flight for existing aircraft typesICAo CAbIN SAfeTy grouP TASKedSince the main focus of the ICAO guidance would be cabin safety, the task of developing the material was assigned to the ICAO Cabin Safety Group (ICSG), comprised of cabin safety experts from States, operators, aircraft manufacturers, and international organizations. However, since the guidance material would also cover technical aspects such as airworthiness considerations, ICAO sought the expertise of other groups: members from the FAA PED Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC), subject matter experts from EASA, the European Organization for Civil Aviation Equipment (EUROCAE) working group on PEDs (WG-99), and the IATA Engineering and Maintenance Group (EMG). CABIN SAfEtY“the purpose of Circular 340 is to present a harmonized, internationally agreed approach to the implementation of the expanded use of pEds.” “The distinction between devices which must be stowed or secured is based on size.”34 ICAO JOURNAL – ISSUE 1 2015RTCA (Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics), and EUROCAE is recommended for determining if PED use is acceptable on an operator’s aircraft. The circular cites these documents as references:■■RTCA/DO-294 – Guidance on Allowing Transmitting Portable Electronic Devices (T-PEDs) on Aircraft■■EUROCAE ED-130 – Guidance for the Use of Portable Electronic Devices (PEDs) On Board Aircraft■■RTCA/DO-307 – Aircraft Design and Certification for Portable Electronic Device TolerancePed ChAlleNgeS for CAbIN SAfeTyCabin safety issues were at the forefront of the discussions during the development of Circular 340. The three main challenges tackled by the ICSG were:■■Stowing versus Securing of PEDs■■Passenger attention during the safety demonstration■■Implications for international operationsThe issue of “stowed vs. secured PEDs” created considerable debate within the ICSG; members initially could not agree on how PEDs should be handled once an aircraft is in movement. Concerns were raised that PEDs used by passengers during taxi, takeoff, or landing roll could become projectiles in a sudden deceleration and cause injury to other cabin occupants. After lengthy discussions, the group decided that a clear differentiation should be made between devices considered to be stowed versus secured. If a PED is “stowed,” it must be placed into an approved stowage location on board the aircraft. These locations have been designed and certified to comply with the requirements for retention of articles of mass. Approved stowage locations have specific weight and size limitations. When a PED is “secured,” it is restrained by a method which may not have been certified for retention of articles of mass.The distinction between devices which must be stowed or secured is based on size. Larger PEDs such as laptop computers should be stowed in a location that is certified for retention (e.g. an overhead bin). Smaller hand-held PEDs such as mobile phones or tablets should be secured during surface movement, take-off, descent, approach, and landing. Passengers should secure smaller PEDs on their person by means acceptable to the State. PEDs should not be left unsecured in an adjacent empty seat or lying on the lap of a passenger.Passengers may also secure small PEDs by placing them in the seat pocket. The use of seat pockets also generated a lot of discussion. As a result, the circular recommends that the operator’s policy should address the use of seat pockets for securing PEDs (i.e. is it allowed?). As part of the approval process, the operator should conduct a safety risk assessment to determine an acceptable weight limit for items placed in a seat pocket. The circular provides guidance for States who wish to allow operators to transition to an expanded use of PEDs. It presents a series of considerations that the State should integrate into the approval / acceptance process, including modifications to regulations and changes in policy and procedures, which should be required of any operator considering or planning to allow the expanded use of PEDs onboard its aircraft. Guidance is also provided to assist operators in implementing the expanded use of PEDs. Additionally, the circular addresses post-implementation activities, such as ongoing surveillance by the State and safety assurance processes by the operator in relation to the expanded use of PEDs (e.g. reporting suspected PED interference). The circular includes these chapters:■■Glossary■■Introduction■■Regulatory considerations■■Technical considerations■■Operator safety risk assessment■■Operator policy and procedures■■Training for crew members and State inspectors■■Passenger awareness■■Post-implementation activities, including reporting and investigation■■Additional resources (from States and international organizations)AIrCrAfT–Ped TolerAbIlITy TeSTINgThe decision to allow use of PEDs is based on determining the potential for PED interference with onboard electronic systems and equipment, especially those required for continued safe flight and landing. States’ regulations governing the use of PEDs on aircraft typically place the responsibility on aircraft operators for determining if PED use is acceptable. The circular explains how an operator may make the determination based on aircraft type certification data, specific PED tolerance tests, or aircraft operational tests. The use of available industry standards from standard-making organizations such as the CABIN SAfEtY“Concerns were raised that pEds used by passengers during taxi, take-off, or landing roll could become projectiles …” ICAO JOURNAL – ISSUE 1 2015 35rAISINg PASSeNger AwAreNeSSAs part of the transition process, the State should pay special attention to raising passenger awareness regarding the expanded use of PEDs. A key step in the process is conveying information to passengers on the operator’s new PED use policy, any safety implications of expanded PED use, and any passenger responsibilities associated with the provision of this service.Therefore, precise and clear information should be given to passengers regarding the types of PEDs that can or cannot be used during various phases of the flight, the requirement to secure and stow devices during certain phases of flights, and PED size and weight limitations. The circular provides guidance to States and operators to assist them in defining key messages for passengers – to raise awareness on the importance of the safety-related aspects of expanded PED use during various phases of flight. Multiple methods for dissemination of information are recommended, such as the use of the operator’s website. Well-coordinated dissemination of information is an integral part of the process and will facilitate the appropriate use of devices by the travelling public. Passenger attention during the safety demonstration was another challenge associated with the expanded use of PEDs. The pre-flight passenger safety demonstration is important for providing information to passengers on the safety aspects of the flight and demonstrating the use of safety and emergency equipment and aircraft systems. Unfortunately, accident investigations and studies have shown that passengers generally pay little attention to the safety demonstration. With the expanded use of PEDs, some experts expressed concern that even fewer passengers will be paying attention to the safety demonstration. Although prohibiting the use of PEDs during the safety demonstration may address this concern, this was not considered a realistic solution, particularly on large aircraft, since cabin crew members would not be able to verify every passenger’s compliance with this requirement. The ICSG agreed that distractions caused by use of PEDs during the safety demonstration should be avoided so that passengers can focus their attention on the safety briefing and crew instructions. Operators are encouraged to emphasize the importance of passengers paying attention to the safety demonstration and encourage them to focus on the briefing and cabin crew instructions. The operator may consider restricting the use of PEDs during the safety demonstration (e.g. by means of a passenger announcement), if it is deemed feasible for its particular operation (e.g. on smaller aircraft, or for passengers seated at emergency exits).The implications of the expanded use of PEDs on operators conducting international flights also generated a great deal of debate during the development of the circular. Two scenarios were discussed:■■The State of destination has regulations allowing the expanded use of PEDs which differ from those of the State of the Operator■■The State of destination does not allow the expanded use of PEDsThe FAA’s guidance material recommends that U.S. operators comply with any restrictions established by the State of destination (i.e. refrain from allowing the expanded use of PEDs when in States which do not allow it for their operators). This in turn means that operators should verify PED regulations in each State they operate to and from, and apply restrictions as needed. A consensus could not be reached on adopting this approach into ICAO guidance. The issue was left more open-ended, but States and operators are asked to give it consideration. The circular notes that, if the State of the Operator allows the expanded use of PEDs but the State of destination does not, the operator should include this aspect in its policy (and decide how to address it). The operator should have procedures to comply with any restrictions when applicable. CABIN SAfEtYThe ICAO Guidelines for the expanded use of portable electronic devices (Circular 340) are now available to States in English on the ICAO-NET at http://portal.icao.int/ and can be obtained via the ICAO online store at http://store1.icao.int. More information on ICAO’s Cabin Safety Programme can be found at www.icao.int/cabinsafety. 36 ICAO JOURNAL – ISSUE 1 2015newS In BrIefdevelopment. “Impactful results can also be achieved through the adoption of mature technology, or through the implementation of simple yet clever ideas.”At the conference, awards were presented to 16 winners of Process Innovation Challenge 2. The selected concepts ranged from airline meal tray assembly and automated welding to improved tracking of cargo and a “flying carpet” for moving jet engines on a pallet of air.The hovercraft-type floating pallet innovation, for example, developed by Rolls-Royce SATU and CEVA Logistics, saves 63% of the time required to transport 12-tonne Trent engines within its facility at about 40% of the cost of a customized electric forklift.A team at SATS, which provides ground handling services, reconfigured its cargo import and export warehouse and streamlined the handover process, improving accountability and management of airlines’ pallets and reducing the man-minutes required for sorting and transferring by 19%. SATS also manages in-flight catering services and started using robotic arms for tray assembly. “Now we can use the robots to put the parts like the salt and pepper, the cutlery, the glasses, the food on the trays without using human intervention at all,” explained Alex Hungate, President and CEO of SATS.MAJ Aviation, an engineering services firm, is using mobile devices for daily aircraft checks, replacing paper-based checklists and manual recording of aircraft parameters. Ian Tam Wvi Huat, Director of MAJ Aviation, said eight aircraft can now be turned around with four personnel instead of the previous six. “With two additional headcounts saved, we can re-deploy them to other work. We are planning to focus on developing them, sending them for training, so that they can perform other work inside the hangar."The government of Singapore plans to spend 1 billion Singapore dollars (about 735 million USD) annually until 2020 to support lifelong learning, according to Josephine Teo, Senior Minister of State for Finance and Transport. Speaking at the inaugural Aviation Productivity Conference 2015 in February, she said, “We will invest even more in training and education to raise the industry’s skill level in their chosen professions.”Later this year, details are expected for the Aviation Development Fund, through which the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) supports productivity efforts ranging from airport equipment adoption to self-service check-in and bag-drop solutions. “I encourage the aviation sector to take advantage of these incentives support,” Mrs. Teo said.Like many States, Singapore is facing financial challenges in aviation. “We expect growth this year to be modest. However, the labour market remains tight and cost pressures are unlikely to go away. It is therefore important for us to continue to raise the productivity level of the aviation sector, and to help businesses make the transition to innovation-driven growth,” the Minister stated. “Many companies have shared that technology adoption is an important aspect in raising their productivity, but have cited the high investment costs as a key barrier.”Mrs. Teo noted that technology adoption does not necessarily always involve expensive equipment or costly research and SINgApORE INVEStINg IN LIfELONg LEARNINg“Raising productivity is also about investing in our workforce …” – Josephine Teo, Senior Minister of State for Finance and Transport, Singapore ICAO JOURNAL – ISSUE 1 2015 37Dr. Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu, President of the ICAO Council, led a special fact-finding mission to the United States at the invitation of the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), seeking to ensure that ICAO remains proactive on regulatory developments relating to remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) and the emerging realm of sub-orbital space flight. Joining President Aliu were the U.S. Representative to ICAO on the Council, Ambassador Michael Lawson, then Director of ICAO’s Air Navigation Bureau, Nancy Graham, as well as Leslie Cary and Yuri Fattah, ICAO’s technical experts in RPAS and sub-orbital space flight respectively.The ICAO officials visited the NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, California, where they were provided with updates from NASA, FAA, and Department of Defense experts on how the U.S. is proposing to integrate civilian and military remotely piloted missions with commercial and general aviation operations.On the sub-orbital space leg of their visit, the ICAO officials were given a tour of the Mojave Spaceport, including briefings on how sub-orbital test flights are managed, a brief from Spaceport CEO Stuart Witt, regulatory discussions, and hangar tours from the ground-breaking teams from XCOR and Virgin Galactic.“These emerging areas of aerospace operations will be evolving and likely expanding dramatically over the coming century,” stressed President Aliu. “ICAO will be seeking to anticipate rather than react to the regulatory developments which will be needed, while effectively supporting the exciting innovations now occurring in these areas.”ICAO is already well advanced on its RPAS guidance material thanks to the ongoing work of its RPAS Panel, a technical body comprised of nearly 100 international State and industry experts.pRESIdENt ALIU LEAdS RpAS & SpACE fACt-fINdINg mISSIONNEW UpdAtES fOR ICAO pBN ImpLEmENtAtION KItSIn line with its ongoing cooperative efforts to assist States and operators with the establishment of Performance-based Navigation (PBN), the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has announced new updates to its PBN Implementation Kit, or ‘iKit’.First released in 2012, the updated 2014 PBN iKit contains documentation revisions relating to operational approvals, instrument procedure design and charting, as well as navigation specifications. It also includes references to new ICAO products and services that help to expedite PBN implementation. “ICAO is committed to helping States achieve current targets for PBN implementation,” remarked Dr. Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu, President of the ICAO Council. “We’re working hard across our entire Organization at present to ensure that sufficient resources and assistance are available through ICAO to build State capacity and support the more harmonized global implementation of ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs). The PBN iKit is one such resource and ICAO will continue to update and distribute it as needed so that no country is left behind where PBN benefits are concerned.”PBN implementation is the world aviation network’s highest air navigation priority at present. It is a key enabler for many of the Aviation System Block Upgrades (ASBUs) contained in ICAO’s Global Air Navigation Plan and provides significant safety, environmental, and operational efficiency benefits. The ICAO PBN iKit provides the global air transport sector with a convenient single-source for tailored PBN support materials and other documentation. It is an essential resource for the many regulators, pilots, air traffic controllers, airspace managers, procedure designers, and other air navigation specialists responsible for implementing and following PBN specifications and procedures globally.Next >