ICAO Air Navigation Commission & Panels

The technical arm of the ICAO Council

The Air Navigation Commission manage the technical part of the ICAO Work Programme and acts under the authority of the ICAO Council. The ANC is therefore in charge of 17 of the 19 Annexes to the Chicago Convention, and recommend SARPs adoption or amendment that are related to these Annexes. To learn more on how SARPs and PANS are developed (what is called the standards-making process), as well as how IFATCA plays a key-role in this very important mechanism, click here.

The ANC normally meets for three sessions of nine weeks each per year to address those technical matters. Each session normally tables a large number of preliminary reviews (coming most of the time from Panels’ work), final reviews (to include comments from States and International Organizations following the circulation of an ICAO State Letter) as well as Panels, PIRGs, RASGs and other reports.

Expertise from States and International Organizations

The Air Navigation Commission is composed of nineteen commissioners, who have qualifications and experience in various aviation domains, as described in the Chicago Convention. Even though these Commissioners are nominated by their State, they do not represent the interest of their State or any particular State or region: they act independently and utilize their expertise in the interest of the entire international civil aviation community.

Additionally to these 19 Commissioners, several other representatives from States and 8 members from the Industry are invited to take part in ANC meetings as observers. The International Organizations are represented by ACI, CANSO, IAOPA, IATA, IBAC, ICCAIA, IFALPA and of course IFATCA.

Safety and efficiency through innovation and global harmonization

As mentioned earlier, the ANC reviews, amends and eventually recommends SARPs and PANS for adoption or approval by the ICAO Council.

This process can be sometimes challenging, as there are many stakeholders involved and several priorities to keep in mind, such as maintaining and improving the overall safety of aviation in general, the efficiency of the air navigation system, all this while also considering the increase of traffic demand and the associated pressure on the current aviation infrastructure.

There are also new and advanced systems to introduce, risks to mitigate, all this while staying in line with global priorities highlighted in the Global Air Navigation Plan (GANP) and the Global Aviation Safety Plan (GASP). No doubt this requires a lot of coordination and effort!

PANELS

The Air Navigation Commission has established a number of panels of experts in various disciplines, who are assigned specific tasks from the ANC work programme. These panels are tasked to develop SARPs and PANS and to make sure that they are effective and practical for those who will have to use them. They are typically composed of experts from States and international organizations who are competent in certain fields of expertise to develop technical proposals.

All panels are supported by the ICAO Secretariat. This is done through the appointment of a Secretary (Technical Officer) and of a chairperson. The latter is elected from the panel membership.

IFATCA holds membership on many of the ANC panels

Surveillance Panel (SP)

SP handles all questions related to aeronautical surveillance systems, collision avoidance systems, and many more. Many new technologies are not limited to the surveillance domain and require integration with other groups: this is why the panel needs to maintain a close relationship with many other Panels. Additionally, SP is working on the new airborne collision avoidance system ACAS-X, on ADS-B and on MLAT, just to name a few.

ATM Operations Panel (ATMOPSP)

Probably the most relevant panel for ATCOs and therefore for IFATCA, ATMOPSP focuses on developing new ATM procedures in support of the GANP and addresses operational issues related to Doc 4444 (PANS-ATM).

Flight Operations Panel (FLTOPSP)

FLTOPSP is dedicated to develop and enhance provisions related to flight operations – for commercial air transport, general aviation, and helicopter operations – to ensure that they reflect current and emerging requirements, opportunities and developments in modern technologies. The work of the panel involves extensive coordination with other panels, with regards to risk management, technology enhancements and evolving operational procedures.

Safety Management Panel (SMP)

The SMP is the originator of Annex 19 - Safety Management, the newest addition to the Chicago Convention. The Panel examines question related to safety management, develop SARPs that are directly related to the Global Aviation Safety Plan (GASP). The Panel is also in charge of the work on the Safety Management Manual (SMM).

Separation and Airspace Safety Panel (SASP)

SASP undertakes studies, develops and reviews technical and operational SARPs for improving safety and at the same time to improve the efficiency of the ATM system. This is done through the development of SARPs that will result in increased airspace and airport capacity, improved safety and new separation standards.

Meteorology Panel (METP)

Accurate and timely meteorological information is essential to ATCOs work, safety and air navigation efficiency. Therefore, the challenges then faced by the METP are to ensure the ongoing observation, modeling and prediction of meteorological data and information is gathered and shared in a global manner, in a timely basis and to all the relevant stakeholders. The objectives of the Panel are to develop, maintain, and address the evolving needs of provisions and guidance material for personnel licensing, personnel training including CBTA, approved training organizations, simulation training devices and various emerging issues.

Aerodrome Design and Operations Panel (ADOP)

ADOP develops SARPS to guide States in the development of their aerodrome infrastructure in order to achieve modern aerodrome operations. ADOP is currently working on aerodrome design characteristics, on Aerodrome Reference Code design methods and governing parameters and on Obstacle Limitation Surfaces concepts.

Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems Panel (RPASP)

Certainly one of the fastest evolving Panel in ICAO, the RPASP work is to develop a regulatory framework for the safe integration of UAS in non-segregated airspace (airworthiness, operations, certification, licensing, air traffic management, detect and avoid, security, etc.) IFATCA is member of the Panel, but is also represented on the UAS Advisory Group (UASAG), tasked to examine the issue of smaller drones.

ATM Requirements & Performance Panel (ATMRPP)

The ATMRPP is in charge of developping new, innovative concepts and to produce guidance on key strategic ATM areas. These concepts aim for an harmonized transition to the Global ATM Operational Concept (GATMOC). To this end, the panel is working namely on System Wide Information Management (SWIM), Trajectory Based Operation (TBO) and FF-ICE (Flight and Flow Information for a Collaborative Environment). The objectives of the Panel are to develop, maintain, and address the evolving needs of provisions and guidance material for personnel licensing, personnel training including CBTA, approved training organizations, simulation training devices and various emerging issues.

Communications Panel (CP)

CP develops technical and operational provisions for ATM with regards to voice and data communications systems. One of the working group of the Panel is the Operational Datalink (OPDLSWG), on which IFATCA is represented. The working group is working to advance the use and performance of datalink and satellite voice technologies, addressing all operational aspects of ATS that use these technologies for communications.

Instrument Flight Procedure Panel (IFPP)

The IFPP studies and develops technical and operational ICAO provisions for instrument flight procedure design and associated domains, develops and maintains flight procedures SARPs and guidance material (e.g., PANS-OPS, Docs 8697, 9905 and 9906) leading to enhanced safety, increased terminal airspace capacity and utilization, improved airport/heliport accessibility in all weather conditions, and more efficient transitions to/from en-route airspace. This includes new instrument flight procedure (IFP) design criteria to address improvements in air navigation, evolving aircraft capabilities and new operational concepts; instrument flight procedure oversight requirements; and harmonization of charting criteria, databases, and avionics systems guidance with IFP design standards and the facilitation of an efficient communication between ATC and Flight Crews.

Personnel Training and Licensing Panel (PTLP)

The PTLP will undertake specific studies and develop ICAO provisions related to aviation personnel training and licensing, including studies to ensure that proposed amendments to the applicable provisions reflect current and emerging requirements, improvements in training tools and technologies, new training methodologies while reviewing automation dependency and possible mitigations. The objectives of the Panel are to develop, maintain, and address the evolving needs of provisions and guidance material for personnel licensing, personnel training including CBTA, approved training organizations, simulation training devices and various emerging issues.

IFATCA is currently not represented in the following panels

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