The METP has organised its work programmes around job cards provided by the ANC. The initial job cards were based on the recommendations from the Meteorology Divisional Meeting (2014) held in Montréal, Canada from the 7 – 18 July 2014. The ANC approves the final versions of all job cards. The panel agreed that the most efficient way of handling the complex work programmes was by the formation of different working groups.

The METP is currently comprised of five working groups to complete its work programmes as given below:

Meteorological Requirements and Integration (MRI)
Meteorological Information and Service Development (MISD)
Meteorological Information Exchange (MIE)
Meteorological Operations Group (MOG)
Meteorological Cost Recovery Guidance and Governance (MCRGG)

Each of the working groups has a rapporteur who reports to the METP Chair. MISD and MOG are made up of work streams, each of which have a coordinator responsible for managing their assigned work.

In turn, the working groups may establish or disestablish work streams to focus on particular aspects of working group responsibilities.

MRI

Meteorological Requirements and Integration

The Meteorological Requirements and Integration (MRI) working group is responsible for developing the overall strategy for the development of global aeronautical meteorological requirements. This will involve updating the meteorological component of the Global Air Navigation Plan (Doc 9750) including the Aviation Safety Block Upgrades (ASBU) for meteorology and, in particular, developing a specific ASBU block 2 module which was not previously incorporated.

Two further major tasks are under the responsibility of the MRI working group. Firstly, it has been agreed that the current Annex 3 — Meteorological Service for International Air Navigation will be restructured alongside the development of a new Procedures for Air Navigation Services — Meteorology with the latter containing the technical specifications. This undertaking will be in line with parallel work on the development of a Procedures for Air Navigation Services — Aeronautical Information Management and will need to take into account the migration to a system-wide information management (SWIM) environment whereby the provisions relating to meteorology will become data-oriented rather than product-oriented. Secondly, much of the work described in Doc 9750 for developing future requirements for air traffic management will require additional supporting meteorological information. This is particularly true for the concept of trajectory-based operations and the management of traffic for gate-to-gate operations. The MRI is responsible for defining those future meteorological requirements as a technical support to the Air Traffic Management Requirements and Performance Panel (ATMRPP) who will be coordinating this task alongside a number of other ICAO panels.

MISD

Meteorological Information and Service Development

The Working Group for Meteorological Information and Services Development (WG-MISD) was established by the MET Panel to assess user needs, determine shortfalls, develop concepts of operations, and define the functional and performance requirements for new meteorological information required to support future operational concepts as defined in the Global Air Navigation Plan (Doc. 9750). The WG-MISD employs a requirements development process based on standard, internationally-accepted system engineering principles. Currently, the WG-MISD consists of five work streams that are developing requirements for MET information to be included in Amendment 78 and Amendment 79 to Annex 3 – Meteorological Service for International Air Navigation, as well as the guidance material to implement the proposed provisions.

The MISD is also responsible for developing requirements for information concerning the release of radioactive material into the atmosphere, topics involving space weather and managing regional hazardous weather reporting. Organized systems can be expected in the near future for these topics with varying levels of complexity including the precise nature of information required, the potential selection of regional and/or global centres and the capabilities that exist or could be developed..

MISD is also responsible for developing requirements for information concerning the release of radioactive material into the atmosphere, topics involving space weather and managing regional hazardous weather reporting. Organized systems can be expected in the near future for these topics with varying levels of complexity including the precise nature of information required, the potential selection of regional and/or global centres and the capabilities that exist or could be developed.

Regional Hazardous Weather Advisory Center Work Stream

The Regional Hazardous Weather Advisory Center (RHWAC) work stream is developing requirements for the provision of hazardous weather information. This involves a current effort to improve the production and dissemination of SIGMETs through cooperative arrangements between States, particularly in those areas of the world with known SIGMET deficiencies. The mid-term effort is to develop the requirements to meet identified user needs for phenomena-based, globally-consistent en-route hazardous weather information to support future trajectory based operations. The work stream is developing a Concept of Operations, and then defining the preliminary functional and preliminary performance requirements for the systems to provide this information.

Space Weather Work Stream

The Space Weather (SWX) Work Stream has recently completed the Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) for the new space weather information service that is proposed for inclusion in Amendment 78 to Annex 3. The SARPs are based on the previously completed Concept of Operations and functional and preliminary performance requirements. In addition, the SWX Work Stream recently completed draft criteria to identify the providers of space weather information to fulfill the SARPs. ICAO will soon assign global and regional responsibilities to particular States that have been assessed as capable and reliable providers of SWX information.

The SWX work stream also completed the development of a Manual on Space Weather Information for International Air Navigation to support implementation of the SARPs by describing the provision and intended use of the information.

Once the assignment of global and regional responsibilities has been decided the MET Panel will implement an ad-hoc co-ordination group, including representatives from the MISD, WMO, and the particular States and organizations concerned in the development of a joint operational scheme.

Sulphur Dioxide Work Stream

The Sulphur Dioxide (SO₂) work stream has superseded the previous Volcanic Ash work stream, the work associated now being undertaken by the MOG in its global systems oversight responsibilities (see below).

A Job Card for the provision of information about sulfur dioxide (SO₂) and other hazardous gases in the atmosphere has been approved by the ANC.

The SO₂ work stream is currently following the WG-MISD requirements development process with an emphasis on accessing user needs, determining information shortfalls, further refining the concept of operations, and defining functional and performance requirements for any new information elements related to SO₂.

Release of Radioactive Material Work Stream

The Release of Radioactive Material (RRM) work stream recently completed a SARP to allow for the provision of a cylinder-shaped SIGMET to enable the dissemination of RRM information for aviation consistent with internationally-accepted guidance from the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Once the Con-ops for the approach to RRM matters is completed, this work stream will go into recess.

Volcanic Ash Work Stream

Now in operational management mode - MOG

World Area Forecast System Work Stream

Now in operational management mode - MOG.

MIE

Meteorological Information Exchange

The Meteorological Information Exchange (MIE) working group is responsible for the smooth transition to the provision and exchange of aeronautical meteorological information in ICAO meteorological information exchange model (IWXXM) format which will form the basis for the migration of the meteorological domain into the system-wide information management (SWIM) environment. This will be a multi-step process over many years and will need to incorporate all of the services currently provided as well as those being developed. Therefore MIE can be expected to have close links with all of the other groups involved with the panel as well as close ties with the Information Management Panel (IMP) that is responsible for the development of SWIM across all information domains.

The MIE currently comprises 4 work streams:

IWXXM Requirements.

This work stream is tasked to look at the new requirements for IWXXM that will enable a move from a product-centric to an information-centric environment for the exchange of meteorological information.

MET-SWIM Plan.

This work stream is tasked to develop a plan, and associated roadmap, for the full integration of meteorology into a SWIM environment to ensure which will enable the full benefits to be derived relating to safety and efficiency.

IWXXM Documentation.

This work stream will develop recommended provisions and associated guidance for meteorology for IWXXM and in the context of a global SWIM environment.

Support & Coordination.

This work stream looks at governance issues related to the MIE and provides general support to the group by organizing meetings and coordinating the work plan.

MOG

Meteorological Operations Groups

The Meteorological Operations Groups (MOG) working group is responsible for the operational oversight of the existing global and regional systems WAFS, IAVW and the SADIS/WIFS. The SADIS/WIFS is the distribution system for WAFS information and other meteorological information which is cost recovered through an internationally agreed scheme under the auspices of ICAO. The SADIS has operated via a satellite system until July 2016 with a gradual introduction of an Internet-based service that has become the primary service. The MOG is responsible for monitoring whether these services are meeting user needs and expectations.

International Airways Volcano Watch (IAVW) Operations Work Stream

The IAVW oversight work stream is working with the updated Concept of Operations begun under the International Airways Volcano Watch Operations Group (IAVWOPSG) and revised consistent with the WG-MISD requirements development process.

The work stream will be following the WG-MISD requirements development process with an emphasis on accessing user needs, determining information shortfalls, further refining the concept of operations, and defining functional and performance requirements for new information elements related to volcanic ash – including the concepts of density and dosage.

World Area Forecast System (WAFS) Operations Work Stream

The WAFS work stream is responsible for oversight of the WAFS production and progressive developments with respect to the Global Air Navigation Plan (Doc 9750). The work stream is working with a Concept of Operations for the use of future WAFS information to determine the new weather information elements necessary to support future operational concepts and required improvements to currently provided weather elements. In addition, the work stream is cataloging current WAFS information to ensure that it is available through the System-Wide Information Management (SWIM) environment.

SADIS / WIFS Operations Work Stream

The SADIS / WIFS work stream is responsible for the oversight of the SADIS and WIFS facilities. These two systems SADIS provided by the UK and WIFS provided by the US are the delivery systems for WAFS and OPMET data which are disseminated via the Internet. This work stream is also facilitating the delivery of WAFS and OPMET data using IWXXM.

MCRGG

Meteorological Cost Recovery Guidance and Governance

The Meteorological Cost Recovery Guidance and Governance (MCRGG) ad-hoc group is responsible for a specific task to investigate possible mechanisms that would enable the State cost recovery schemes to be modified in cases where services are provided by single States across larger regions containing some or many other States that could even be global in nature. This group works closely with a similar group within the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) on the subject of governance which covers many aspects including the governance of SWIM and data policy and cost recovery.

There are four work streams:

White Paper Work Stream

This work stream was set up to develop, in wide collaboration, a high level understanding on how meteorological service provision will most likely evolve over the next decades. The objective is to provide a view for stakeholders to consider in the next steps of planning, including concept and development, and providing further context for stakeholders involved in implementation.

The White paper is an important set of guiding principles that the Meteorology Panel and its working structures will apply in developing revised or new provisions. As such it is a living document that the work stream is required to maintain and periodically review.

Review of Guidance Material

This work stream was set up to review the formal ICAO and WMO guidance on cost recovery and governance as a further initial step in understanding what needs to be done in establishing cost recovery and guidance for pending regional hazardous weather advisory systems (and space weather advisory systems).

In due course it is expected that the work stream will switch to the collaborative development of recommended cost recovery and guidance schema.

Definition Meteorological Authority

This work stream was set up to review the formal definition of the pivotal term, Meteorological Authority. This is significant to many matters as discussed at various meteorological forums, and in the case of the METP it is potentially a critical matter with regard to the establishment of regional/global cost recovery and guidance schemas.

SWIM Management and Governance

This work stream was set up to look specifically at the implications of the SWIM concepts with regard to regionalized and globalized cost recovery and governance – together with the potential technical and management relationships that may be generated by of regional/global cost recovery and guidance schemas .