WW/IMP-WP/79

11/5/98

Item 2

Agenda Item 2:	Institutional issues

2.2	Co-operative and sub-regional approaches, including multinational air navigation facilities and services

COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT ON REGIONAL AIR TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT IN THE

SOUTH PACIFIC

(Presented by the Secretariat)

Action paper

Summary

This paper documents the agreement reached by Aviation Ministers of States of the South Pacific Forum in Suva on 4 May 1998 to manage the South Pacific Airspace cooperatively as a unified airspace consistent with the ICAO approach to homogeneous air traffic management regions.

1.	INTRODUCTION

1.1	The South Pacific region has been a leader in the implementation of CNS/ATM through the achievement of early benefits for operators using the FANS1 technology via the South Pacific FIRs from Sydney and Auckland to Los Angeles.

1.2	To progress this implementation further, the South Pacific Forum earlier this month convened a series of aviation policy workshops and Ministerial meetings in Suva to discuss, inter alia, the issue of future airspace management across the Pacific FIRs.

1.3	The Forum member countries are Australia, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.

1.4	Aviation Ministers of the Forum countries reached a historic agreement which paves the way for cooperative management of the Pacific Airspace of the Forum region.

2.	MINISTERIAL ACTION PLAN

2.1	Ministers agreed to adopt a policy framework in which:

a)	Pacific Airspace of the Forum region would be managed cooperatively, efficiently and safely as a unified airspace consistent with the ICAO approach to homogeneous air traffic management (ATM) regions;

b)	all Forum countries would have an interest in the management of airspace service provision across the region and a direct involvement in the determination of future upper airspace service provision across the region in accordance with established ICAO procedures;

c)	the benefits flowing to States from service provision across their national and regional airspace would be optimised to the extent possible, recognising the interests of users and consistent with ICAO guidelines.

2.2	It was agreed to work this year towards cooperative management arrangements. The Forum Secretariat was authorised, in consultation with Forum member States and with the assistance of ICAO, to develop to the extent practicable, proposals and report progress to the Forum Officials Committee in August 1998 that would identify:

a)	structural options for Forum countries to cooperatively manage upper airspace ATM services across the Pacific Airspace of the Forum region, recognising the need for those options to give consideration to the lower airspace ATM services requirements;

b)	the users' requirements for the provision of ATM services through consultation with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the Association of South Pacific Airlines (ASPA);

c)	an operational concept of services document which broadly describes the services to be provided and the manner in which the services would be integrated and delivered;

d)	through consultation with existing service providers, the range of viable and cost effective alternatives for service provision in the upper airspace that will meet the needs of Forum countries to sustain services in the long term;

e)	the basis for cost and revenue sharing and required commitments for using returns for aviation purposes;

f)	a mechanism for the cooperative management to seek formal expressions of interest or tenders for the provision of upper airspace management services for the Pacific Airspace of the Forum region;

g)	assessment criteria for determining the selection of any service provider;

h)	a timeframe, including transitional arrangements, for implementation of cooperative service provision;

i)	required consultations with and notifications to ICAO of changed arrangements;

j)	a mechanism for dispute resolution; and

k)	the cost benefit for individual countries (if they so request) to assist them in determining their level of participation in the cooperative arrangements.

2.3	Ministers agreed to note with appreciation the offers of Fiji and the United States of America to assist with the implementation of the proposal and studies referred to above, and made a strong request to the Asian Development Bank and ICAO for urgent funding and technical assistance to assist the efforts of the Forum to implement the above proposal at the earliest possible time.

2.4	Minister agreed to observe a moratorium on the acquisition of further CNS/ATM facilities until the analysis of current regional CNS/ATM capability has been undertaken, except where judicious investment is required to ensure the safe and ongoing management of aviation services.

3.	CONCLUSION

3.1	This important agreement between the countries of the South Pacific Forum recognises that cooperative management of larger tracts of Pacific airspace, which will result in some rationalisation of air traffic management service provision, is likely to minimise costs while maximising benefits to Forum member countries.

3.2	It paves the way for an early transition to CNS/ATM as a means of enhancing safe and cost effective management of air traffic operating within and across the Pacific region.

4.	ACTION BY THE CONFERENCE

4.1	The conference is invited to:

a)	note the information contained in this working paper;

b)	support, in principle, the cooperative approach adopted by the States of the South Pacific Forum for management of the Pacific Airspace of the Forum Region as a unified airspace consistent with the ICAO approach to homogenous ATM regions; and

c)	encourage other States to consider a similar cooperative approach to the management of other homogenous ATM areas.

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