Asian airlines seek action on airspace threats
Guest Writers are not employed, compensated or governed by TD, opinions and statements are from the specific writer directly
Asia’s largest airlines have called on the world’s governments to improve the management of airspace closures.
At the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines’ (AAPA) annual Assembly of Presidents, which was held in Bali on 12-13 November, 16 major Asian carriers urged governments to provide “accurate and timely information” with regards to airspace threats and closures.
The issue is especially sensitive following the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines’ flight MH17 by Russian-backed separatists in Ukraine, and Cathay Pacific’s recent decision alter its European flight paths due to the threat of Russian missiles being fired from warships in the Caspian Sea.
And the fact that the AAPA event was being held in Bali, which is currently under the shadow of a volcanic ash cloud, brought the issue of natural disasters to the fore.
While AAPA said that it remains every country’s sovereign right whether it wants to close its airspace, it did urge governments to improve the sharing of information and to coordinate their actions with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
“Following the tragic loss of MH17, ICAO developed an online centralised global information repository to enable states to distribute additional risk information related to operations in the vicinity of conflict zones, supplementing existing information channels,” AAPA stated in its final resolution.
“States are responsible for issuing risk advisories regarding threats to the safety of civilian aircraft operating in their airspace, such as armed conflicts, ash clouds, missile and rocket launches, whilst air carriers are responsible for conducting comprehensive assessments of safety and operational risks for regular flight operations planning purposes.
“AAPA urges governments to improve efficiency in providing accurate and timely information regarding threats and risks to civil aviation, particularly those associated with conflict zones. AAPA sees the need for governments to review the effectiveness of the global conflict zone information repository and the associated information sharing process to provide timely guidance to air carriers and air navigation service providers,” it added.
This is one of six resolutions passed following two days of high-level discussions in Bali. Other included urging government to adhere to ICAO-led safety standards, to expand aviation infrastructure to cope with rising demand, to reduce taxation, increase passenger facilitation, and for the industry to implement environmental measures.
Comments are closed.