The meeting was informed that Air Traffic Services Message Handling System (AMHS) service commenced operation between Hong Kong and Macao, China since end of December 2009.

AMHS is the first application system to work over the ATN to replace the AFTN for efficient support of aeronautical messages delivery, including graphical charts/diagrams, between ATS operational centres.  Other ATN-based application systems to be implemented include AIDC, ADS-C, CPDLC and FIS [more …]

The Fifth South East Asia (SEA) ADS-B Working Group meeting hosted by DGCA Indonesia was held in Jakarta from 21 to 22 January 2010. The meeting was informed that the world’s first nationwide satellite-based air navigation surveillance system has been put into operational use in Australia since end of December 2009 after the culmination of years of planning, hard work and commitment by the staff of Airservices Australia and CASA.

The accuracy of the resulting information displayed on controllers’ screens has allowed separation standards to be reduced from the previous procedural standard of 30 nautical miles to the radar standard of five nautical miles for aircraft flight at and above FL290 ADS-B has been enthusiastically welcomed by controllers, pilots and the aviation industry [more …]

ICAO Press Release

Montreal, 8 December 2009 – “ Under ICAO’s leadership, aviation has produced the first, and to date, only globally-harmonized agreement designed to address climate change on a global basis from a specific sector and ICAO is in the best position to effectively and systematically address the impact of international aircraft emissions on climate change,” said Roberto Kobeh González, President of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Council today at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change meeting in Copenhagen

“The remarkable progress of aviation in reducing the impact of engine emissions over the past 40 years is the result of consensus building and cooperation among the 190 Member States of ICAO and sustained efforts of the air transport industry,” he added.

“We look to the outcome of COP 15 to deliver an agreement that acknowledges the importance of all States working through ICAO towards the achievement of an environmentally sustainable aviation,” he emphasized.

In October, a high-level meeting of ICAO Member States representing 93% of global commercial air traffic reached agreement on further reducing aviation’s impact on climate change, in cooperation with the air transport industry, through: 

1. A global goal of 2 % annual improvement in fuel efficiency until the year 2050;
2. Development of a global CO2 standard for aircraft;
3. Development of a framework for market-based measures in international aviation;
4. Submission of States’ action plans and annual reporting on CO2 emissions to ICAO; and
5. Measures to assist developing States and to facilitate access to financial resources, technology transfer and capacity-building [more …]

Aviation is a small but highly visible piece of the global climate change puzzle. Under the UNs International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), aviation has produced the first and only globally harmonized agreement to address climate change from a sector. This short video traces the concrete actions and tangible global results associated with ICAOs strategy to reduce the impact of aircraft emissions on the environment.