SESAR / NextGen.

The implementation of concepts that are leading to the Air Navigation System of the future has the ATS Committee very involved representing the Pilots as stakeholders in the various meetings and ensuring that our concerns are being addressed. Perhaps the most important action we are undertaking is to classify our policy statements in the context of the ICAO Global Plan. By identifying which GPI (Global Plan Initiative) each of our policy statements pertains too, our representatives will be able to better address our concerns at relevant meetings.

AFI RVSM

The implementation of RVSM in the AFI was a big challenge, although compliant, not all issues were resolved to our satisfaction. IFALPA together with ICAO presented papers at the last RAN to create a Tactical Action Group (TAG) for AFI. The RAN embraced the proposal and the AFI TAG has begun to meet. We see this group as a good opportunity to address the concerns for the areas of opportunity that our members report and were not being addressed as best they could have been in the past. The TAG could become a model for other Regions to follow and IFALPA is fully committed to make this effort a success. 

Strategic Lateral Offset Procedures (SLOP)

The use of extremely accurate navigation systems (such as the global navigation satellite system (GNSS) by an increasing proportion of the aircraft population has had the effect of reducing the magnitude of lateral deviations from the route centre line and, consequently, increasing the probability of a collision, should a loss of vertical separation between aircraft on the same route occur. Concerned with the risk involved the 62nd IFALPA Conference held in Dubrovnik, Croatia 16-20 March 2007 made a clear statement regarding SLOP (to access the full statement click here) calling for;

All States and ICAO Planning and Implementation Regional Groups (PIRGs) to authorize the ICAO SLOP in all appropriate airspaces at the earliest opportunity, and

ICAO to support States and PIRGs in their efforts to implement SLOP, and

ICAO to continue developing advanced offset tracking procedures (such as the embedded lateral offset concept).

The ATS Committee working with the relevant Regional Vice Presidents has been preparing papers that have been presented in support of defining the airspaces where ICAO SLOP procedures may be used. The aim is to have ICAO Doc 7030 (Regional Supplementary Procedures) clearly define where ICAO SLOP procedures may be used by pilots. In addition our representatives are working hand in hand with the ICAO Separation and Air Safety Panel (SASP) in the development of guidelines for micro offsets or Advanced Strategic Offset Concepts (ASOC).