ICAO Activities

Since 2001, IFATCA has been a Permanent Observer on ICAO’s Air Navigation Commission (ANC). It has allowed the Federation’s long-standing contributions to the ICAO process to evolve. With the creation of the IFATCA Liaison Officer to the ICAO Air Navigation Commission (ANC), IFATCA has become an integral part of developing ICAO standards. This contribution allows the Federation to reflect on its objectives in developing global aviation procedures.

Exceptional groundwork was required over many years to establish the Federation as a respected aviation knowledgebase. It took the support of the IFATCA Executive Board to make our ICAO participation an organisational priority and the commitment from our Member Associations to fund the position and ensure that we are a daily presence at ICAO. Particular recognition goes to Andrew Beadle, former IFATCA EVP Technical and the first IFATCA ANC representative. Ruth Stilwell progressed Andrew’s excellent work until she was succeeded by Jean-François Lepage. After Jean-François became Deputy President of the Federation in 2024, the board appointed David Perks as the next person to uphold the high standard required for that role.

How ICAO Works

MAKING SARPS

The ANC & its Panels

IFATCA's LIAISON OFFICER TO THE AIR NAVIGATION COMMISSION

The Liaison Officer to ICAO Air Navigation Commission (LOANC) operates under the direction of the Deputy President. The Liaison Officer shall:

  1. Serve as the designated IFATCA observer to the ICAO Air Navigation Commission;
  2. Maintain IFATCA’s presence and participation in relevant ICAO meetings and discussions on matters before the Air Navigation Commission;
  3. Serve in Montreal during designated sessions of the ICAO Air Navigation Commission, ICAO Assemblies, Air Navigation Conference and ICAO Symposia to the extent practicable considering, among other things, limitations related to immigration status in Canada;
  4. Establish and maintain contact with the ICAO Secretariat and other International Organizations in the ICAO community, for the purpose of promoting and maintaining the aims and objectives of IFATCA;
  5. Manage and coordinate the IFATCA Representatives to ICAO’s International Panels, Work Groups, Study Groups and Task Forces to ensure that IFATCA’s concerns in their specific field of expertise are maintained and expressed as the issue works through the ICAO process;
  6. Provide guidance to IFATCA Representatives to ICAO Panels, Work Groups, Study Groups and Task Forces on the ICAO processes to ensure their roles are as effective as possible;
  7. Provide input and support to IFATCA officers responding to ICAO state letters;
  8. Serve as an ex-officio member and attend meetings of both the Technical and Operations and Professional and Legal Committees for the purpose of ensuring issues, concerns and expertise of relevant Standing Committees are included in IFATCA’s role in ICAO and to provide the committees with information, understanding and guidance on the issues in the ICAO process;
  9. Serve as a non-voting ex-officio member of the Executive Board for the purpose of ensuring the global and regional strategies of the Federation are synchronized with activities at the various ICAO fora;
  10. Raise with the Executive Board immediately any items of special or significant interest as they arrive from ICAO;
  11. Undertake other duties relating to ICAO as required by the Executive Board.