International Civil Aviation Organization
ACP/FSMP
WG-F/31 IP-08
2014-10-03
INFORMATION PAPER
AERONAUTICAL COMMUNICATIONS PANEL (ACP)
FREQUENCY SPECTRUM MANAGEMENT PANEL (FSMP)
THIRTY FIRST MEETING OF WORKING GROUP F (FREQUENCY)
Seattle, Washington, USA 6 – 10 October 2014
Agenda Item 8: Development of potential updates to ICAO WRC-15 Position.
PROGRESS REPORT ON THE VOLUNTARY PATH FOR GLOBAL FLIGHT TRACKING,
INCLUDING AN INITIAL PLAN FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF SARPs
(Presented by the Secretary)
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This paper outlines the progress to date on the work related to the outcomes, conclusions and
recommendations as a result of the special meeting on global flight tracking held in Montréal from 12 to
13 May 2014, in particular with regard to the ad hoc working group (AHWG) established by the
President of the Air Navigation Commission (ANC) and the Director of the Air Navigation Bureau, and
the Aircraft Tracking Task Force (ATTF) led by IATA.
Action: The ACP/FSMP WG-F is invited to take note of the information contained in this paper.
1.
INTRODUCTION
1.1
Following the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, a special
Multidisciplinary Meeting regarding Global Flight Tracking was held at ICAO Headquarters from 12 to
13 May 2014. Participants at this meeting included ICAO Council and Air Navigation Commission
(ANC), States, as well as representatives from the industry and ICAO Panels. A list of participants is
available at http://www.icao.int/Meetings/GTM/Pages/Documentation.aspx.
ACP WG-F/31 IP-08
2.
PROGRESS TO DATE
2.1
Near-term initiatives
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Formation of Flight Tracking Working Groups
2.1.1
The multidisciplinary meeting concluded that global tracking of airline flights will be
pursued as a matter of priority to provide early notice of and response to abnormal flight behaviour. It
also concluded that a draft concept of operations (CONOPS) on flight tracking be developed that includes
a clear definition of the objectives of flight tracking, ensuring that information is provided in a timely
fashion to the right people to support search and rescue, recovery and accident investigation activities,
and also includes the roles and responsibilities of all stakeholders.
2.1.2
To develop the CONOPS as the guiding document for the overarching efforts, the
President of the ANC and Director of the ANB established an ad hoc working group (AHWG) consisting
of several Air Navigation Commissioners, five of the Air Navigation Commission Panel Chairs, a search
and rescue expert and the Secretariat.
2.1.3
The multidisciplinary meeting also concluded that an industry-led initiative under the
ICAO framework would be the most expeditious means to promote flight tracking implementation. In this
regard, the Aircraft Tracking Task Force (ATTF), led by IATA, is addressing near-term needs for flight
tracking and will identify potential solutions by the end of this year. ICAO is supporting this collaborative
effort.
Ad Hoc Working Group Progress
2.1.4
The AHWG has progressed its work on the draft CONOPS through correspondence,
teleconferences (eleven to date) and two face-to-face meetings (July, Montreal and September, Dublin).
This draft document specifies the high-level requirements and objectives for what is now referred to as
the Global Aeronautical Distress and Safety System (GADSS) CONOPS. The CONOPS is intended to
apply to commercial aircraft operators but takes an overall system approach and consequently is not
restricted to a particular type of operation. The draft CONOPS describes: the target concept, including the
key characteristics needed to deliver on the high-level requirements of the GADSS; areas for
improvement in the current operating environment; high-level concept requirements and an
implementation roadmap, including steps and timeframes necessary to transition to the target concept.
2.1.5
The draft CONOPS provides high-level system specifications, including a description of
stakeholders and usages of flight tracking information during all phases of flight including normal,
abnormal and distress flight conditions. The document does not prescribe specific technical solutions for
flight tracking but provides scenarios that can be used to verify whether a specific solution complies with
the concept. The AHWG will complete the draft of the CONOPS by 30 September 2014. This work
provides a systemic framework which will encompass the ATTF work on near-term options for airlines.
Aircraft Tracking Task Force Progress
2.1.6
The ATTF has also progressed its work through correspondence and a series of monthly
face-to-face meetings and has developed a document which outlines the characteristics of a routine flight
tracking system or capability. The ATTF document (ATTF report and recommendations) also defines its
relation to the broader GADSS concept of operations which addresses the role of governments, airlines,
and air navigation service providers in both routine and non-routine aircraft tracking situations. It
describes aircraft tracking in terms of existing coverage, practices, and technologies. It has an assessment
of capabilities section which describes information received from vendors who currently, or plan to, offer
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aircraft tracking products and or services. The ATTF document outlines performance criteria which
establish a baseline for airlines that elect to implement or enhance aircraft tracking capabilities in the near
term.
2.1.7
The ATTF concluded its work on the final report and recommendations during their
September meeting. A draft version of the report and recommendations will be provided to ICAO shortly.
The ATTF report and recommendations will be presented to IATA’s governing bodies prior to them
being finalized. It is expected that the final report and recommendations will be available by the end of
2014.
Collaboration Between the AHWG and ATTF
2.1.8
The AHWG has focused on developing a clear definition of the objectives of flight
tracking to ensure that information is provided in a timely fashion to the right people to support search
and rescue, recovery and accident investigation activities, as well as on developing the roles and
responsibilities of all stakeholders. The work of the ATTF has been on the near-term objective of flight
tracking using existing technologies. Both the ad hoc working group and the task force recognized that
the CONOPS and the industry recommendations would need to encompass a fully integrated concept and,
consequently, the two groups have worked in close coordination. Members of the working group and the
task force have participated in each other’s meetings, as well as reviewed and provided comments on the
draft documents. The ATTF concept of operations for near-term flight tracking has also been fully
incorporated into the high-level GADSS concept of operations.
Other Near-term Initiatives
2.1.9
In addition to the development of the CONOPS, the AHWG determined that, at present,
there is no consolidated contact list of worldwide aircraft operators, air traffic service units and rescue
coordination centres to enable rapid identification and contact between these stakeholders. The
development of such a contact list, as well as a communications protocol to support rapid
communications between the stakeholders, is one of the key areas for improvement. To that end, both the
AHWG and ATTF have collaborated actively. The development of a consolidated contact list will require
follow-on work on the part of the aviation community.
2.1.10
The Multidisciplinary Meeting recommended that ICAO increase its resources allocated
to search and rescue in order to improve the effectiveness across national and regional boundaries. In that
regard, we are grateful to the government of Australia who has nominated an expert, shortly to report to
the Secretariat. With this assistance, it is anticipated that provisions of Annex 12 — Search and Rescue
will need a thorough review, incorporating lessons learned from States that were recently involved in
accidents where flight tracking could have facilitated search and rescue operations. Additionally,
consideration is being given to provisions which would require States to regularly run practice exercises
involving airlines operations centres, air navigation service providers and rescue coordination centres to
test and verify their ability to respond and coordinate together in an integrated manner.
2.2
Mid-term initiatives
Initial Plan for the Development of SARPs
2.2.1
The Multidisciplinary Meeting recommended that in the medium term, ICAO
performance-based provisions should be developed on flight tracking and should be flexible enough to
accommodate regional needs and be commensurate with operational situations.
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2.2.2
Based on the operational experience that will be gained from near-term flight tracking
initiatives, an initial timeframe for the development and implementation of SARPs related to flight
tracking is proposed to be coincidental with the implementation of Block 1 of the Aviation System Block
Upgrades (i.e. 2018). Consequentially, the work to develop the amendment proposals would need to
begin in the 2015 timeframe. The industry experience gained in implementing the voluntary flight
tracking measures will be taken into consideration in the formulation any future SARPs on this subject.
2.2.3
Independently of the aforementioned, current initiatives to draft SARPs for Annex 6 —
Operation of Aircraft regarding the capability to locate an accident site within 6 NM have benefited from
the GADSS CONOPS. Distress flight tracking performance-based provisions using the Minimum
Operational Performance Standards (MOPS) for the next generation of emergency locator transmitters
(ELTs) being developed by EUROCAE and RTCA is being considered by the Flight Recorder Panel. It is
expected that the Panel will take advantage of this work and recommend non-technology specific
performance-based SARPs for Annex 6.
2.2.4
The Multidisciplinary Meeting recommended that ICAO encourage States and the
International Telecommunications Union (ITU) to take action, at the earliest opportunity, to provide the
necessary spectrum allocations as emerging needs are identified. ICAO has relayed this message to the
ITU, and urged ITU to facilitate a greater understanding of spectrum needs for aviation safety.
2.3
Long-term initiatives
ITU-T Focus Group on “Aviation Applications of Cloud Computing for Flight Data Monitoring
2.3.1
The multidisciplinary meeting recommended that ICAO work in coordination with the
International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to develop aviation requirements for network
communications associated with remote storage of flight information. To that end, the ITU set up a focus
group to identify requirements for telecommunication standards for an aviation cloud for real-time
monitoring of flight data based on the operational requirements for real-time monitoring of flight data
identified by ICAO. Given the highly interdependent and complementary nature of the work of this
group with that of ICAO, the Secretariat is working very closely with ITU in order to ensure that there is
no duplication of effort, that there is common approach to the issues and that the solutions are compatible
with the objectives of both organizations. ICAO will host the ITU focus group meetings in Montréal and
keep ITU up to date with relevant developments, including that of the new Information Management
Panel.
3.
CONCLUSIONS
3.1
Both the AHWG and ATTF are nearing completion of their efforts. The groups have
worked collaboratively to enable an integrated approach to derive information from a flight tracking
system and to ensure the dissemination of such information in a timely manner, in an abnormal or distress
situation, to the right people to support search and rescue, recovery and accident investigation activities.
Progress has also been made on related near-, mid- and long-term elements, outlined above. While an
initial timeframe has been outlined for the development of SARPs related to flight tracking, the proposed
timeframe may need to be reconsidered when additional experience is gained through the industry
voluntary flight tracking measures.
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Appendix
APPENDIX
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE
MULTIDISCIPLINARY MEETING ON GLOBAL FLIGHT TRACKING
MONTRÉAL, 12-13 MAY 2014
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), upon the completion of this Special Meeting on
Global Flight Tracking of Aircraft, forged consensus among its Member States and the international air
transport industry sector on the near-term priority to track airline flights, no matter their global location or
destination. Furthermore, the meeting established a framework for future efforts in this regard for the
medium and long term.
Conclusions
Recommendations
Near term
Near term
a) global tracking of airline flights will be
a) a FINAL high level concept of operations
pursued as a matter of priority to provide
should be delivered to the ICAO High
early notice of and response to abnormal
Level Safety Conference (HLSC 2015,
flight behaviour;
February, Montreal);
b) a DRAFT concept of operations on flight
tracking will be developed that includes a
clear definition of the objectives of flight
tracking that ensures that information is
provided in a timely fashion to the right
people to support search and rescue,
recovery and accident investigation
activities, as well as, the roles and
responsibilities of all stakeholders;
c) under the ICAO framework, the
contribution by the industry through an
Aircraft Tracking Task Force (ATTF) will
help address the near-term needs for flight
tracking;
d) ICAO will consider establishing a short
term joint ICAO/IATA advisory group to
support the global tracking initiative;
e) airlines will be encouraged to use existing
equipment and procedures to the extent
possible to support flight tracking pending
the outcome of the ATTF; and
f) in partnership with the task force, ICAO
will develop guidance material, based on
available flight tracking best practices;
b) ICAO should increase its resources
allocated to the Search and Rescue in order
to improve the effectiveness across
national and regional boundaries;
c) ICAO should, in collaboration with a pool
of search and rescue experts, identify and
address operational search and rescue
challenges with implementation of existing
Annex 12
provisions,
and
provide
assistance to States, including aiding in the
setting of priorities for the mid and long
term;
d) ICAO should facilitate the sharing of
experience and lessons learned from States
that were recently involved in accidents
where flight tracking could have facilitated
search and rescue efforts to all other States;
e) ICAO should strongly encourage States to
regularly run practice exercises involving
airlines operation centres, air navigation
service providers (ANSPs) and rescue
coordination centres (RCCs) to test and
verify their ability to respond and
coordinate together in an integrated manner
to abnormal flight behaviour scenarios;
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Appendix
Conclusions
A-2
Recommendations
Mid term
f) ICAO performance based provisions
should
be
developed,
using
a
multidisciplinary approach, on flight
tracking to support the location of an
accident site in a timely manner for the
purpose of search and rescue and accident
investigation;
g) ICAO performance based provisions
addressing flight tracking requirements
should be sufficiently flexible to
accommodate regional needs and be
commensurate to operational situations;
h) ICAO should encourage States and
International Telecommunication Union
(ITU) to take action, at the earliest
opportunity, to provide the necessary
spectrum allocations as emerging aviation
needs are identified. This includes
spectrum for satellite and radio services
used for safety of life aviation services.
ICAO encourages ITU to place this on the
Agenda for the upcoming ITU World
Radio Conference 2015;
i)
COSPAS-SARSAT should be invited to
continue to investigate, within its own
program and in partnership with the
industry, the means of improving the
reliability and utility of emergency locator
transmitter (ELTs), particularly in the
context of flight tracking during a distress
event; and
Long-term
j)
— END —
ICAO should work in coordination with
ITU to develop aviation requirements for
network communications associated with
remote storage of flight information.