< PreviousICAO WORLD CIVIL AVIATION REPORTINTERNATIONAL CIVIL AVIATION ORGANIZATION.....................................................................................................................................................................101.............................................................................................................................................................................2016–2031 Global Air Navigation Plan (GANP)Addressing Growth and Realizing the Promise of 21st Century Air Traffic Management (ATM)Air transport plays a major role in driving sustainable economic and social development. It directly and indirectly supports the employment of 58.1 million people, contributes over $2.4 trillion to global Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and carries over 3.3 billion passengers and $6.4 trillion worth of cargo annually. Aviation achieves its impressive level of macro-economic performance by serving communities and regions through clear cycles of investment and opportunity. Infrastructure development generates initial employment. The ensuing airport and airline operations promote new supplier networks, increased tourism and greater access for local producers to distant markets. These burgeoning trade and tourism economies then continue to expand, fostering wider and more sustainable regional growth.It is no mystery then why air traffic growth has so consistently defied recessionary cycles since the mid-1970s, expanding two-fold once every 15 years. It has resisted these recessions precisely because it has served as one of our most effective tools for ending them – an important consideration for governments at every level in a challenging economic environment. But even as air transport’s speed and efficiency significantly facilitate economic progress, its growth under certain circumstances can be a double-edged sword. Though a sure sign of increased living standards, social mobility and generalized prosperity on the one hand, unmanaged air traffic growth can also lead to increased safety and efficiency risks in those circumstances when it outpaces the regulatory and infrastructure developments needed to support it.To ensure that continuous safety improvement and air navigation modernization continue to advance hand-in-hand, ICAO has developed a strategic approach linking progress in both areas. This will allow States and stakeholders to realize the safe, sustained growth, increased efficiency and responsible environmental stewardship that societies and economies globally now require. This is aviation’s core challenge as we progress into the ensuing decades.20th Century Air Navigation Fortunately, many of the procedures and technologies being proposed to address today’s need for increased capacity and efficiency in our skies also enhance many positive factors from a safety standpoint. Additionally, the more efficient routes facilitated by performance-based procedures and advanced avionics serve to significantly reduce aviation emissions – a key factor supporting more fuel-efficient modern aircraft as aviation pursues its commitment to comprehensively reduce its environmental impacts.Air Navigation has witnessed some important improvements in recent decades, and yet, a considerable amount of the global Air Navigation system is still limited by conceptual approaches that arose in the twentieth century. These legacy Air Navigation capabilities limit air traffic capacity and growth and are responsible for unnecessary gas emissions being deposited into our atmosphere. A fully-harmonized global air navigation system built on modern performance-based procedures and technologies is a solution to these concerns. This goal has been on the minds of Communications, Navigation and Surveillance/Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM) planners for many years. Because technology never stands still, the realization of a strategic path to such a globally harmonized system has proven elusive. The solution to this impasse lies at the heart of ICAO’s core mission and values. Only by bringing together the States and stakeholders from every corner of the aviation community can a viable solution to twenty-first century Air Navigation be determined. 21st Century Air Navigation The Global Air Navigation Plan (GANP) with its embedded Aviation System Block Upgrades (ASBUs) framework defines a programmatic and flexible global systems engineering approach allowing all States to advance their Air Navigation capacities based on their specific operational requirements. This will permit all States and stakeholders to realize global harmonization, increased capacity, and environmental efficiency that modern air traffic growth now demands in every region around the world. If the air transport system is to continue to drive global economic prosperity and social development to the extent that the aviation community and the world have grown accustomed, especially in the face of expected regional traffic growth projections and the pressing need ICAO WORLD CIVIL AVIATION REPORTINTERNATIONAL CIVIL AVIATION ORGANIZATION...................................................................................................................................................................102for more determined and effective climate-related stewardship, States must fully embrace the ASBU framework and follow a unified path to the future global Air Navigation system.The Global Air Navigation Plan (GANP)The Fifth Edition of the GANP is designed to guide complementary and sector-wide air transport progress from 2016 through 2031 and is approved triennially by the ICAO Council. The GANP represents a rolling, 18-year strategic plan which leverages existing technologies and anticipates future developments based on State/industry agreed operational objectives. The Block Upgrades are organized in non-overlapping six-year time increments starting in 2013 and continuing through 2031 and beyond. This structured approach provides a basis for sound investment strategies and will generate commitment from States, equipment manufacturers, operators and service providers.Although the ICAO work programme is endorsed by the ICAO Assembly on a triennial basis, the Global Plan offers a long-term vision that will assist ICAO, States and industry to ensure continuity and harmonization of their modernization programmes. The GANP explores the need for more integrated aviation planning at both the regional and State level and addresses required solutions by introducing the consensus-driven Aviation System Block Upgrades (ASBU) systems engineering modernization framework. In addition, the GANP identifies issues to be addressed in the near future alongside financial aspects of aviation system modernization. The increasing importance of collaboration and partnership as aviation recognizes and addresses its multidisciplinary challenges ahead is also stressed. The GANP also outlines implementation issues involving the near-term performance-based systems and Block 0 Threads and the Planning and Implementation Regional Groups (PIRGs) that will be managing regional projects.The eight appendices in the GANP provide supplementary information relating to the evolution of the GANP, online support documentation, detailed .............................................................................................................................................................................GANP Fifth Edition Aviation System Block Upgrades FrameworkThe ICAO Block Upgrades (dark blue columns) refer to the target availability timelines for a group of operational improvements (technologies and procedures) that will eventually realize a fully-harmonized global Air Navigation System. The technologies and procedures for each Block have been organized into unique Modules (smaller white squares) which have been determined and cross-referenced based on the specific Performance Improvement Area to which they relate. ICAO has produced the systems engineering for its Member States so that they need only consider and adopt the Modules appropriate to their operational need.ICAO WORLD CIVIL AVIATION REPORTINTERNATIONAL CIVIL AVIATION ORGANIZATION.....................................................................................................................................................................103description of ASBU Threads, and the Technology Roadmaps supporting the Block Upgrades, as well as financial guidance to implement the ASBU elements.The goal of the GANP is to support the achievement of an interoperable global air traffic management system, for all users during all phases of flight that meets agreed levels of safety, provides for optimum economic operations, is environmentally sustainable and meets national security requirements.In order to achieve this goal, a framework of operational improvements has been defined (the ASBUs). These operational improvements are organized around performance improvement areas (PIAs) and key feature areas of the air navigation system that need to be improved (Threads). The timeline is important in planning. This is the reason why the operational improvements defined in the ASBU framework are also scheduled according to availability roadmaps. In order to reflect this availability, four Blocks (0, 1, 2 and 3), with milestones in 2013, 2019, 2025 and 2031 respectively, have been defined and several ASBU Threads planned.GANP 2019: Sixth EditionTo find a balance between consolidation and keeping pace with new developments, the GANP will undergo a more comprehensive update with the 2019 Edition and be aligned with the Block periods. It is recognized that the global air navigation system involves complex interactions between many stakeholders with different operational requirements and expectations, and national air navigation systems with different maturity levels and availability of resources. In addition, the global vision cannot be achieved directly, but by intermediate steps that need to be established. Therefore, in order to address these challenges, a Multilayer structure will be proposed for the GANP 2019 edition:The Global Managerial Level will be the front door for all stakeholders to ICAO. It will be a document written in executive language and endorsed at the highest political level. It will contain, among others, performance ambitions in the key performance areas based on a global traffic forecast, traffic flows, challenges and traffic characteristics and a conceptual roadmap to achieve the global vision. The Global Technical Level will be the core of the GANP. Its key component will be a performance-based decision-making method to define air navigation implementation strategies within a global framework of specific operational improvements. The global framework will be maintained in an information warehouse, from which reports can be derived and will consist of the basic services to be provided for international civil aviation plus other specific upgrades of these services.The Regional Level will comprise ICAO Regional Air Navigation Plans (Vol I, II and III) and other Research and Development Programmes.The National Level will be the level where States are responsible for the development and deployment of national air navigation plans following a performance-based decision-making method which will guarantee the best use of the resources dedicated to meeting the expectations of the aviation community.A more detailed overview of the 2016-2031 GANP is available with the online subscription version of this publication..............................................................................................................................................................................2018 ICAO 13th Air Navigation ConferenceProposed topics:!Convergence on the next generation of Datacom !Agreement on the system architecture for a global System-wide Information Management (SWIM)!Agreement on the Air Navigation Capacity and Efficiency Indicators!Introduction of the Basic Building Blocks for the GANP (BBBGs)!Introduction of the business case templates for the individual Aviation System Block Upgrades (ASBU) modules for Block 1 and their associated influence diagrams!Consolidation of the work programme required for Block 2!Development of a new ASBU Block 4ICAO WORLD CIVIL AVIATION REPORTINTERNATIONAL CIVIL AVIATION ORGANIZATION...................................................................................................................................................................104.............................................................................................................................................................................Performance-based Navigation (PBN) The global aviation community is facing significant infrastructure capacity, fuel efficiency and airport access challenges driven by the constantly growing demand for air transportation services. The conventional ground-based systems such as VOR, NDB and ILS do not permit the flexibility of point-to-point operations available with PBN to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow. ICAO has identified Performance-based Navigation (PBN) implementation as the major enabler to address these challenges. PBN is helping the global aviation community improve safety, reduce congestion, conserve fuel, protect the environment, and maintain reliable, all-weather operations, even at the most challenging airports.Performance-based Navigation (PBN) defines performance requirements for aircraft navigating on an ATS route, terminal procedure or in a designated airspace. It is ICAO’s objective to redefine the regional differences of various Area Navigation (RNAV) and Required Navigation Performance (RNP) specifications into a globally harmonized set of PBN applications. To better understand the concept of PBN, it is important to understand the events leading up to PBN, the benefits associated with the use of PBN, and what is being done to implement PBN around the world.The global aviation community is facing significant challenges. As demand for air transportation services increases, States are being faced with finding ways to safely increase capacity, efficiency, and access to terrain challenged airports. These constraints are largely a result of reliance on conventional ground-based navigation aids (e.g., VOR, NDB, ILS) that limit routes and procedures to the physical locations of ground-based navigation aids. These ground-based systems have served the aviation community well since inception; however, they do not permit the flexibility of point-to-point operations available with PBN to meet today’s challenges and those in the future.ICAO has adopted PBN to address these challenges. Through the application of Area Navigation (RNAV) and Required Navigation Performance (RNP) specifications, PBN provides the means to create flexible routes and terminal procedures. PBN eliminates the constraints associated with conventional, ground-based sensor specific routes/procedures and offers the flexibility and benefits of performance-based, non-sensor specific navigation (both RNAV and RNP).PBN is helping the global aviation community reduce aviation congestion, conserve fuel, protect the environment, reduce the impact of aircraft noise and maintain reliable, all-weather operations, even at the most challenging airports. It provides operators with greater flexibility and better operating returns while increasing the safety of regional and national airspace systems.Figure: 1ICAO WORLD CIVIL AVIATION REPORTINTERNATIONAL CIVIL AVIATION ORGANIZATION.....................................................................................................................................................................105.............................................................................................................................................................................Environment-friendly !Reduces emissions by saving fuel. !3.19 kg of CO emissions are eliminated for every kg of 2fuel savings. !Achieved via shorter/vertically optimized PBN flight paths. !IATA's estimations indicate shorter PBN routes globally could cut CO emissions by 13 million tonnes 2per year. !Provides a mechanism for optimized profile descents. !Allows aircraft to descend from high altitudes to airports at minimum thrust settings. !Consistent, precise paths can be routed to avoid noise sensitive areas. !Noise levels can be reduced through use of optimized profile descents. !Allows lower, quieter thrust levels. Improved Safety !Reduces the risk of Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT) accidents. !Provides very precise lateral and vertical flight paths. !Provides consistent, predictable and stabilized approaches. !Aircraft arrive at the runway aligned with the centerline: same configuration and same speed every time. !Reduces diversions caused by adverse weather conditions. !Enables aircraft to reliably access airports with lower visibility restrictions. Improved Operating Returns !Reduces fuel waste through shorter flight tracks, optimized profile descents and fewer diversions. !Enables more direct and closely spaced parallel tracks on route for increased fuel efficiency and reduced flight time variance. !Creates new market opportunities by providing safe access to terrain and weather challenged destinations. !Provides a path for airline growth as emissions caps are implemented around the world. !Provides a degree of precision approach capability without the investment required for expensive ground-based infrastructure. !Improves customer satisfaction/loyalty by allowing airlines to more consistently access airports serviced at higher on-time rates.Increased Airspace Capacity!Increases traffic capacity through more efficient routes and smoother flows.!Increased flight precision results in smaller separation minima.!Reduces airspace conflicts between adjacent airports and prohibited or special use airspace.The Global RolloutIn 2007 the 36th Session of the ICAO Assembly adopted a Resolution which urged all States to implement routes and airport procedures in accordance with the ICAO PBN criteria. Regional PBN Implementation Task Forces were developed to coordinate the regional implementation programmes. There is good momentum with PBN implementation. However, a great deal remains left to be done to achieve the global PBN implementation target. 60.2 per cent of ICAO Member States have published a PBN Implementation Plan (Figure 1), covering 61.9 per cent of world's international runways. The implementation level is highest in North American (Figure 2)From a global perspective, ICAO and IATA formed the Global PBN Task Force bringing States and industry together to collaborate on global solutions, such as the required operational approval process and the development of educational material for PBN.Figure: 2ICAO WORLD CIVIL AVIATION REPORTINTERNATIONAL CIVIL AVIATION ORGANIZATION...................................................................................................................................................................106.............................................................................................................................................................................PBN Products and ServicesSince ICAO first began raising PBN awareness, it has learned a great deal about what States and stakeholders need in terms of PBN implementation assistance. ICAO has therefore structured the new PBN products and services into six specific categories:A two-week intensive collaboration that analyzes and evaluates the environmental, economic and airspace capacity issues affecting local/regional strategic PBN planning and implementation. PBN-Start culminates in the delivery to customers of an achievable strategic plan aligned with local/regional PBN goals.In order to assist States with the PBN implementation decision making process, ICAO now offers a new service that explains the terminology, details the process and methodology, and assists the State with developing a sound business case.PBN represents a paradigm shift with respect to everything from airspace and procedure design to airline and airport operations. In light of the steep learning curve associated with its benefits, ICAO will be offering a list of courses covering everything from PBN overview to operational approvals.Local PBN events such as workshops or symposia offer a unique opportunity to bring divergent planning, design and operational stakeholders together to share experiences and best practices and ensure that your State drives PBN implementation on a coordinated basis.Implementation needs will vary from State to State and ICAO recognizes this. It also recognizes that this assistance is the most important aspect of realizing your PBN planning and ultimately its wide-ranging benefits. Accordingly, ICAO will provide a full set of tools based on the master PBN Implementation Plan and tailored to the specific needs of your State or Region.ICAO will be pleased to help coordinate funding assistance for State PBN needs with applicable international bodies such as the World Bank, committed industry partners and financial institutionsDescriptionClass TypeTitlePBN Assessments (PBN-Start)PBN Business CasePBN TrainingPBN Workshops and SymposiaPBN Implementation AssistancePBN Funding CoordinationOnline +ClassroomFor more information on these products please contact pbn@icao.int.To adapt to the future operational environment, the GANP identifies PBN as being the component with the highest priority. The PBN Programme was established to address the proliferation of national and regional requirements to support area navigation and ensure a solid foundation for GANP and ASBU (Figure 3). New air navigation specifications and technology should be developed in next 15 years to achieve:Improved Airport Access (APTA) by APV, RF leg, RNP AR!Runway Sequencing (RSEQ) by Controlled Time of Arrival (CTA)!Trajectory Based Operations (TBO) by Point Merge, System-wide Information Management (SWIM)!Continuous Climb and Descent Operations (CCO/CDO)!Improved Operations through Enhanced En-Route Trajectories (FRTO)Individual State and regional implementation plans are available with the online subscription version of this publication.Figure: 3ICAO WORLD CIVIL AVIATION REPORTINTERNATIONAL CIVIL AVIATION ORGANIZATION.....................................................................................................................................................................107PBN PublicationsPerformance-based Navigation (PBN) Manual – Doc 9613 4th EditionManual on the Use of Performance-based Navigation (PBN) in Airspace Design – Doc 9992, 1st EditionPerformance-based Navigation (PBN) Operational Approval Manual – Doc 9997Any of these publications can be obtained from the ICAO Store - https://store1.icao.int/.............................................................................................................................................................................ICAO WORLD CIVIL AVIATION REPORTINTERNATIONAL CIVIL AVIATION ORGANIZATION...................................................................................................................................................................108.............................................................................................................................................................................Procedures for Air Navigation Services —PANS-Aerodromes (Doc 9981): Applicable on 10 November 2016The first edition of the PANS-Aerodromes addresses priority areas revealed by the Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP) audits, in the areas of aerodrome certification, conduct of safety assessments and compatibility studies. Findings of the Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP)Following the ICAO Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP) audits at aerodromes, that revealed findings in key areas such as aerodrome certification, conduct of safety assessments, and compatibility studies, ICAO decided to establish the PANS-Aerodromes Study Group, in order to develop and provide, in coordination with the ICAO Aerodromes Panel (now the Aerodrome Design and Operations Panel), materials for the suitable and harmonized application of aerodrome Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) contained in Annex 14, Volume I — Aerodrome Design and Operations, with the objective of improving the level of implementation of safety assessments at aerodromes, as well as their certification and continued oversight.The PANS-Aerodromes specify, in greater detail than the SARPs in Annex 14, Volume I - Aerodrome Design and Operations, operational procedures to be applied by both aerodrome regulators and operators in priority areas to ensure aerodrome operational safety and to improve overall system capacity and efficiency, in a globally harmonized manner. The Air Navigation Commission, during its final review of Amendment 10 to Annex 14, Volume I, in June 2008, expressed the view that Annex 14, Volume I, was primarily a design document, and the SARPs therein were appropriate for designing new aerodromes. At existing aerodromes where full compliance with Standards cannot be achieved, alternative measures may be required in order to accommodate a specific type of aeroplane. It was suggested that a PANS-Aerodromes was needed which would include procedures on how to address such operational issues. Annex 14 contains specifications applicable to aerodromes, as well as certain facilities and technical services normally provided at them. To a great extent, the specifications for individual facilities have been interrelated by a reference code system as described in Annex 14, Volume I, in accordance with the characteristics of the aeroplane for which an aerodrome is intended. It is not intended that those specifications limit or regulate the operation of an aircraft. Those matters related to the possible use of the aerodrome by more demanding aircraft and related applicable approvals are left to appropriate authorities to evaluate and take into account for appropriate measures to be implemented as necessary for each particular aerodrome in order to maintain an acceptable level of safety during operations.A Complement to ICAO SARPSThe PANS-Aerodromes are complementary to the SARPs contained in Annex 14, Volume I.They specify, in greater detail than the SARPs, operational procedures to be applied by aerodrome operators to ensure aerodrome operational safety. PANS-Aerodromes specify procedures to be applied by both aerodrome regulators and operators for initial aerodrome certification and continuing aerodrome safety oversight as well as aerodrome compatibility studies, in particular, where full compliance with the SARPs in Annex 14, Volume I, cannot be achieved.The PANS-Aerodromes do not substitute nor circumvent the provisions contained in Annex 14, Volume I. It is expected that infrastructure on an existing aerodrome or a new aerodrome will fully comply with the requirements in Annex 14, Volume I. The contents of PANS-Aerodromes are designed to enable the use of the procedures and methodologies described in the document to assess the operational issues faced by existing aerodromes in a changing and challenging environment and to address those issues to ensure the continued safety of aerodrome operations.The procedures in the document are directed mainly towards aerodrome operators and consequently do not include procedures for aerodrome control service provided by the air traffic service (ATS), which are already covered in the Procedures for Air Navigation Services — Air Traffic Management (PANS-ATM, Doc 4444).ICAO WORLD CIVIL AVIATION REPORTINTERNATIONAL CIVIL AVIATION ORGANIZATION.....................................................................................................................................................................109.............................................................................................................................................................................PANS StatusThe PANS do not have the same status as SARPs. While SARPs are adopted by the Council in pursuance of Article 37 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation and are subject to the full procedure of Article 90, the PANS are recommended to Contracting States for worldwide application.While the PANS may contain material that may eventually become SARPs when it has reached the maturity and stability necessary for adoption as such, they may also comprise material prepared as an amplification of the basic principles in the corresponding SARPs and designed particularly to assist the user in the application of those SARPs.This edition of the PANS Aerodromes became applicable on 10 November 2016.Amendment 1 to the PANS-Aerodromes, which was approved in April 2016, introduces provisions regarding the use of a global reporting format for assessing and reporting runway surface conditions, and will become applicable in November 2020.ICAO is currently preparing the next edition of the PANS-Aerodromes, covering day-to-day operational matters such as runway safety, apron safety, airside inspections, work in progress on the airside, foreign object debris/damage (FOD), and wildlife management.All the ICAO publications mentioned in this article are available from the ICAO Store, https://store1.icao.int/Next >