ICAO starts symposium to shape future air

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Tuesday started a 4-day symposium to prepare a proposal to the international aviation community that will assist in the modernization of air traffic management systems in order to cope with the anticipated doubling of passenger traffic to some 5 billion by the year 2030. The Global Air Navigation Industry Symposium (GANIS) attracted some 500 representatives from ICAO member states and industry to ICAO headquarters in Montreal, Canada's second largest city. Raymond Benjamin, Secretary General of ICAO, told participants that over the next 10 years, some 120 billion U.S. dollars will be spent worldwide on upgrading the global aviation system to enhance safety, efficiency and overall sustainability. "We have to ensure that it is done in a timely, coordinated and harmonized manner around the world," Benjamin said. Nancy Graham, Director of ICAO's Air Navigation Bureau, said the proposed approach provides a clear way forward for member states and the aviation community. "Success ultimately depends on States, operators, air navigation service providers, manufacturers and airports working closely together to synchronize deployment of the future systems," Graham added. The proposal is based on an "aviation system block upgrades" concept. Developed in cooperation with member states, international organizations and industry, it is flexible and can be implemented by a member state or region based on need and level of readiness. The essential qualities of the proposal are a clearly defined measurable operational improvement with appropriate metrics to determine success; the necessary equipment and/or systems in aircraft and on the ground along with the operational approval or certification plan; standards and procedures for airborne and ground systems; and a positive business case over a clearly defined period of time. The approach proposed by ICAO will provide a level of investment certainty for operators, infrastructure providers and equipment manufacturers. It will also outline a regulatory approval process to support States in the introduction of significant changes. The Symposium from Sept. 20 to 23 will be an opportunity for participants to share latest developments and best practices, identify commonalities and differences among existing or planned systems, discuss emerging issues and chart out the next steps to achieve a seamless and interoperable global air navigation system. Feedback from participants will help refine the "block upgrades" concept, which ICAO expects to incorporate into the revised ICAO Global Air Navigation Plan that will be presented to member states at the Organization's 12th Air Navigation Conference in November 2012, which will set the planning horizon for the coming decade. A specialized agency of the United Nations, ICAO codifies the principles and techniques of international air navigation and fosters the planning and development of international air transport to ensure safe and orderly growth.