Story. International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) International Civil Aviation Organization ICAO objectives
On December 7, 1944, a significant event occurred in the American city of Chicago. During long and intense negotiations, representatives of fifty-two countries adopted the Convention on International Civil Aviation. It states that the development of strong international ties in civil aviation contributes to the future progressive development of friendly relations, the preservation of peace and tranquility between the peoples of different states. Peace on earth depends on how strong and stable these ties are. It follows that the main priority of the participants of this Organization should be compliance with the principles of aviation security and the rules on the basis of which civil aircraft are operated.
The importance of this Organization is undeniable. But what does the general public know about her? As a rule, not so much. In the article we will tell you in more detail about what the international civil aviation organization ICAO is, what is the history of its creation, the list of participants and principles of activity.
What is ICAO?
Let's consider the abbreviation - ICAO. It is derived from the English version of ICAO, which stands for International Civil Aviation Organization, and is translated into Russian as “civil aviation”. On this moment it is one of the largest UN agencies responsible for creating a global regulatory framework for ensuring the safety of international civil aviation.
ICAO headquarters is located in Montreal, Canada. You can see its exact location on the map below.
The following are: English, Russian, French, Arabic, Spanish and Chinese. Let us note that it is the representative of China who currently holds the post of Secretary General of ICAO.
History of creation
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) was created after the adoption of the Civil Aviation Convention. Since the meeting of representatives of future states was held in Chicago, its second (and perhaps more famous) name is the Chicago Convention. Date - December 7, 1944. ICAO received the status of a specialized agency in 1947 and, to this day, retains a certain freedom in terms of management and methods of carrying out its main tasks.
The main incentive for the development of aviation and the subsequent creation of an organization controlling its civil sector was the Second World War. In the period from 1939 to 1945, there was a particularly active development of transport routes, since it was necessary to meet the needs of the army and the people. At the same time, militaristic tasks came to the fore, which hindered the development of peaceful relations on earth.
The United States was the first to propose creating an effective model for the development of civil aviation. After preliminary negotiations with the allied states, it was decided to organize a convening of representatives of 52 states to adopt a single Convention on International Civil Aviation. The meeting took place on December 7, 1944 in Chicago. For five weeks, delegates discussed many issues, a huge amount of work was done, the result of which was the Convention. By general agreement of the delegates, it did not come into force until April 1947, when it was ratified by the 26th ICAO Member State.
Members of the Organization
ICAO members include 191 states, among which is the Russian Federation as the successor to the USSR, which joined ICAO in 1977. This includes almost all UN members: 190 countries (except Dominica and Liechtenstein), as well as the Cook Islands.
In addition to direct participants, there are special industry groups whose goal is to create a global regulatory framework necessary for the effective operation of international civil aviation. It is important to note that a separate body, the Council, exists to achieve consensus regarding the provision of International Standards and Recommended Practices. He is also responsible for the preparation of adopted standards in the form of Annexes to the Convention on International Civil Aviation. (We’ll talk more about the other functions of the Council a little later).
ICAO Charter
The Convention on International Civil Aviation contains 96 articles and includes all amendments made between 1948 and 2006. It establishes the duties and privileges of ICAO members and indicates the sovereignty of states in their own air territory. It is emphasized that all international flights must be coordinated with the state over whose territory they will be carried out. The last article defines the basic concepts used in civil aviation. For example, “International airspace” is defined as the space above the high seas and other territories with a special regime (Antarctica, international straits and canals, archipelagic waters). You can familiarize yourself with all the terms on the official ICAO website. They are described in accessible language, so they will be understandable even to those who are not at all familiar with aviation terminology.
In addition, there are 19 Annexes to the Convention, which set out the International Standards and Recommended Practices mentioned above.
ICAO goals and objectives
Article 44 of the Chicago Convention states that the main goals and objectives of the Organization stem from its desire to promote international cooperation by strengthening air services between Member States. This lies in the following areas of its activity:
- Ensuring aviation security and the safety of international air navigation.
- Encouraging and developing improved ways of operating aircraft.
- Satisfying society's need for regular, safe and economical air travel.
- Assistance general development international civil aviation in all areas.
All identified goals and objectives are succinctly presented in the strategic action plan of the International Civil Aviation Organization ICAO:
- Improving aviation efficiency.
- Flight safety and aviation security in general.
- Minimizing the harmful impact of civil aviation on nature.
- Continuity of aviation development.
- Strengthening norms legal regulation activities of ICAO.
ICAO Institutional Bodies (Structure)
In accordance with the Chicago Convention, the International Civil Aviation Organization ICAO has a clear structure. Article 43 states that it consists of an Assembly, a Council and other bodies necessary for its activities.
Assembly
The Assembly consists of 191 states that are members of ICAO. a body whose sessions occur at least once every three years at the request of the Council. During the discussion of a particular issue, each member has the right to one vote. Direct decisions are made on the basis of a majority vote.
At the sessions of the Assembly, the current activities of the Organization are considered, the annual budget is adopted, and general guidelines are formed for a certain period.
The Council includes 36 states, which are elected once every three years. The determining criteria for selection are the following requirements:
- The state should play an important role (ideally a leading one) in the field of aviation and air transportation;
- The state should contribute significantly to the development of international aviation and participate in the maintenance of air transport.
- The State must ensure that all geographical regions of the world are represented on the Council.
The main purpose of the Council is to adopt International Standards and Recommended Practices. A standard is a special technical requirement, the implementation of which is necessary in order to ensure the safety and regularity of international civil traffic. A recommended practice is also a technical requirement, but unlike a standard, its implementation is not mandatory. Both standards and practices are contained in the Annexes to the Convention on International Civil Aviation.
The Council is led by a President elected by the Council for three years. His duties include convening meetings of the Council and performing the functions assigned to him by the Council during these meetings.
Air Navigation Commission
The Air Navigation Commission consists of 19 members who are independent experts appointed by the Council to review and make necessary amendments to the Annexes.
Secretariat
The Secretariat helps ICAO organize its work. Especially important role at the same time, it is assigned to the Air Transport Committee, the Joint Air Navigation Support Committee and the Technical Cooperation Committee.
Regional bodies
ICAO also includes seven regional committees that are approved by Member States and authorized to implement ICAO International Standards and Recommended Practices:
- Asia Pacific Office (Bangkok).
- Committee for Eastern and Southern Africa (Nairobi).
- European and North Atlantic Committee (Paris).
- Middle East Office (Cairo).
- North American, Central American and Caribbean Committee (Mexico).
- South American Committee (Lima).
- Committee for West and Central Africa (Dakar).
ICAO codes
To designate each international airport and the airline uses a specially developed code system. For consist of four letters, for airlines - of three. So, for example, for Sheremetyevo airport the ICAO code is UUEE, for Aeroflot airline it is AFL. The latter has a telephone call sign for aircraft operating international flights - AEROFLOT. On the official website you can independently familiarize yourself with other equally interesting codes and find out their decoding.
ICAO, organized in the first years after the end of the Second World War, still does not lose its important status in the systems of modern international organizations. Its activities are aimed at developing and strengthening existing interethnic ties, and maintaining peace and order on earth. All this is fundamentally important today, when the health and lives of millions of people are in constant danger.
International organization
Raymond Benjamin
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO from English ICAO - International Civil Aviation Organization) - a specialized agency of the United Nations that establishes international standards civil aviation and coordinating its development in order to improve safety and efficiency.
ICAO was established by the Convention on International Civil Aviation. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is not an ICAO.
The International Civil Aviation Organization is based on the provisions of Part II of the Chicago Convention of 1944. Exists since 1947. The headquarters is located in Montreal, Canada. The USSR became a member of ICAO on November 14, 1970.
The statutory purpose of ICAO is to ensure the safe, orderly development of international civil aviation throughout the world and other aspects of the organization and coordination of international cooperation on all issues of civil aviation, including international transport. In accordance with ICAO rules, international airspace is divided into flight information regions - airspace, the boundaries of which are established taking into account the capabilities of navigation and air traffic control facilities. One of the functions of ICAO is to assign four-letter individual codes to airports around the world - identifiers used to transmit aeronautical and meteorological information at airports, flight plans (flight plans), designation of civil airfields on radio navigation maps, etc.
ICAO Charter
The ICAO Charter is considered to be the ninth edition of the International Civil Aviation Convention (also called the Chicago Convention), which includes amendments from 1948 to 2006. It also has the designation ICAO Doc 7300/9.
The Convention is supplemented by 18 Annexes. Annexes), establishing international standards and recommended practices.
ICAO codes
Both ICAO and IATA have their own code system for airports and airlines. ICAO uses four-letter airport codes and three-letter airline codes. In the US, ICAO codes usually differ from IATA codes only by the K prefix (for example, LAX = KLAX). In Canada, similarly, the prefix C is added to IATA codes to form an ICAO code. In the rest of the world, ICAO and IATA codes are not related to each other, since IATA codes are based on phonetic similarity, and ICAO codes are location-based.
ICAO is also responsible for issuing alphanumeric aircraft type codes, which consist of 2-4 characters. These codes are commonly used in flight plans.
ICAO also provides telephone call signs for aircraft worldwide. They consist of a three-letter airline code and a one- or two-word call sign. Usually, but not always, the call signs correspond to the name of the airline. For example, the code for Aer Lingus is EIN and the call sign is Shamrock, for Japan Airlines International the code is JAL and the call sign is Japan Air. Thus, an Aer Lingus flight number 111 would be coded "EIN111" and pronounced "Shamrock One Hundred Eleven" over the radio; a Japan Airlines flight of the same number would be coded "JAL111" and pronounced "Japan Air One Hundred Eleven." ICAO is responsible for standards for aircraft registration, which include alphanumeric codes indicating the country of registration.
Organization structure
The structure of the organization is described in the second part of the Convention on International Civil Aviation. In accordance with Article 43 “Name and structure” the organization consists of an Assembly, a Council and "other organs that may be necessary".
INTERNATIONAL AVIATION ORGANIZATIONS.
1. International aviation organizations that operated before the formation of ICAO.
Before the formation of ICAO, the following international organizations operated:
SIN A - International Air Navigation Commission, was formed in 1919 after the Paris Conference. Carried out administrative and arbitration functions, approved flight technical standards and rules for the unification of international air navigation. Legally, it existed until 1947 and was abolished by the Chicago Convention.
S I D P A - was created in 1925 in Paris to unify the rules related to international private air law. It was not a permanent organization and did not have its own charter, so there was no decision to liquidate it. It was replaced by the ICAO Assembly.
CAPA - Permanent American Aviation Commission. It was founded in 1927 in Lima. She dealt with the same issues as SINA in Europe, but in relation to the American continent. Was abolished by the Chicago Convention.
There are currently about 30 international air transport organizations. The most influential and authoritative among them:
International Air Transport Association (IATA).
International Air Carriers Association (IACA).
International Civil Airports Association (ICAA).
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
International Federation of Air Transport Controllers Associations (IFATCA).
International Society for Aeronautical Telecommunications (SITA).
International Council airport operators.
There are also a number of regional organizations.
2. ICAO.
ICAO - International Civil Aviation Organization ( ICAO - International Civil Aviation Organization) - an interstate international organization that regulates the activities of civil aviation, including the use of airspace, flight safety, organization of air transportation.
ICAO was created in 1944. On November 1, 1944, the international Conference, in which 52 states took part. The USSR refused to participate in the conference, mainly for political reasons. All participants agreed that the international aviation organization should deal with two groups of issues:
Develop and implement unified international basis flight technical standards and rules that would help improve the safety and regularity of flights on international air routes;
Issues of an economic nature - to increase the efficiency and economy of the operation of international lines.
On the first issue there were no complications and provisions relating to the unification of flight technical standards and regulations were included in the text of the Convention.
On the second issue of the economic functions of ICAO, a struggle developed between the USA, Great Britain and Canada. As a result of tripartite secret meetings at the conference, a draft of these countries was proposed, according to which ICAO's functions in the economic field were defined only as advisory.
ICAO began its activities in 1947. The headquarters is located in Montreal. The official representative of ICAO in Europe is Paris. In Africa, Cairo.
ICAO organizational structure :
The Assembly is the highest body of ICAO, in which all ICAO member states can be represented on an equal basis. Currently, more than 160 states are members.
Other states that are not members of ICAO may participate in the work of the Assembly as observers.
The Assembly is held at least once every three years.
The functions of the Assembly are mainly to determine the direction of ICAO's activities in the field of international air navigation and international air transport. The Assembly sums up the results of ICAO activities for a certain period and approves the corresponding program, the implementation of which is entrusted to the Council.
The Council is a permanent body of ICAO, which ensures the continuity of the organization's activities between sessions.
The Assembly is responsible to this supreme body for its work. The Council consists of 33 states elected by the Assembly. The former USSR was elected to the Council in 1971.
A President is elected to lead the Council.
The primary responsibility of the Council is its adoption of international standards and recommendations.
Permanent working bodies - Directorates. Directorates are subsidiary bodies of ICAO that deal with the development of technical issues of civil aviation and are approved by the Council to carry out specific assignments.
There are also regional bureaus of the ICAO secretariat, whose task is to assist countries in implementing air transport development plans (Egypt, France, Kenya, Mexico, Peru, Senegal, Thailand). There is a commission on ICAO affairs in Russia.
ICAO goals and objectives is the development of principles and technical
methods of international air travel and to promote the planning and development of international air transport so as to:
Ensure the safe development of international civil aviation throughout the world;
Encourage the art of designing and operating aircraft for peaceful purposes;
Promote the development of air routes, airports and air navigation facilities for international civil aviation;
Meet the needs of people around the world for safe, regular, reliable and economical air transport;
Prevent economic losses caused by excessive competition;
Ensure respect for the rights of contracting states and equal opportunities in the operation of international airlines;
Avoid discrimination between contracting states;
Contribute to improved safety in international air travel;
In general, promote the development of all aspects of international civil aviation.
In the field of organizing air transportation, the main areas of cooperation between states within the ICAO framework are simplification of formalities, unification of baggage allowances, maintaining a balance of interests of the state, airlines and clients.
ICAO is working to create uniform procedures related to compliance government agencies upon entry into the country, transit or departure from the country of passengers, as well as requirements for aircraft
and crews.
Aircraft arrival and departure.
Arrival and departure of passengers and their luggage.
Tools and services designed to handle loading at international airports.
Landing at non-international airports.
Other facilitation provisions.
In addition, the Appendix provides ICAO recommended uniform
transportation documents, such as:
General Declaration;
Cargo list;
Boarding/disembarking card;
Crew member certificate;
UN Standard Form for Trade Documents.
Thus, the purpose of the Annex is to standardize and unify the procedures and documents used by states for international transport.
On the issues of baggage allowances and associated excess baggage charges, ICAO's work is aimed at promoting the development of a unified system of baggage allowances and excess baggage charges, and at minimizing conflicts between “weight” and “piece” baggage systems.
To protect the interests of states, airlines and clients, ICAO is developing requirements for compensation and conditions of transportation. For consistency purposes various conditions transportation, the ICAO Council recommends that States provide, taking into account their international obligations And national policy, compliance of all provisions relating to passenger tariffs and rules of transportation with the general rules of transportation of airlines.
On the issue of compensation for passengers who are denied boarding on flights when they have confirmed seat reservations, the ICAO Council recommends that States implement compensation systems.
The protection of the interests of air transport consumers, which is carried out by ICAO, also includes the requirement to comply with tariffs and specifically inform all users of international air transport about the full variety of tariffs and corresponding conditions actually established in the market by airlines.
In the field of regulation of international air transportation, the role of ICAO is also to regulate commercial issues of relations between states and airlines, as well as to coordinate the activities of other international organizations in this area.
There are 4 levels of responsibility for the safety of air transportation (passengers and baggage):
1. International (provided by ICAO and IATA, and for the transport of dangerous goods except ICAO and IATA-IAEA).
2. State.
3. Industry.
4. Responsibility of the airline.
ICAO requirements for flight attendants:
1. Admission to this type of aircraft (certificate + simulators).
2.Knowledge of the emergency schedule.
3.Knowledge and ability to use ACC.
4. Uniform (the BP must stand out from the background of the passengers).
5.Safety instructions must be located in the pocket of each seat.
6. There must be on board, and the BP must know by heart, instructions on actions in emergency situations.
7. The power supply unit must have individual emergency flashlights.
8.Emergency exits and passages of the aircraft are not littered with luggage and other things.
9. Tables, seat belts, seat backs, audio equipment, armrests, windows - control over the fulfillment of these requirements during takeoff/landing is carried out by the power supply unit.
3. IATA.
IATA - International Air Transport Association ( IATA – International Air Transport Association) is a non-governmental international organization established at a Conference of representatives of 50 air transport companies from 31 countries, held in Havana from April 16 to 19, 1945. IATA's headquarters are located in Geneva.
IATA Objectives: promoting the development of safe, regular and economical air transport, encouraging the commercial activities of airlines, supporting activities aimed at improving the economic performance of their activities and studying related problems, developing measures to develop cooperation between airlines directly or indirectly involved in international air services , development of cooperation with ICAO and other international organizations.
IATA members are divided into two categories: full and associate.
Any commercial airline that carries out regular international air transportation under the flag of a state that has the right to membership in ICAO (which has recognized the Chicago Convention) can become a full member of IATA.
Airlines operating scheduled domestic services may join IATA as associate members, who have advisory voting rights.
To join ICAO, an application fee must be paid by the airline.
Currently, more than 200 airlines are members of IATA.
The highest body of IATA is the General Assembly (General Assembly). It consists of all IATA members. Regular and special sessions of the General Meeting are held. The next meeting meets annually.
The General Meeting elects the IATA President, members of the Executive Committee, discusses and approves the reports of the executive and standing committees, approves the budget, the composition of standing committees, creates new committees, etc. The Executive Committee provides leadership to IATA in the period between general meetings. The IATA President is elected for a term of 1 year.
The Executive Committee meets at least twice a year, usually before and after the General Meeting.
Currently, IATA has 6 standing committees:
Advisory on transportation, technical to combat aircraft hijacking and theft of luggage and cargo, legal, financial, special to study the market situation, medical.
As a non-governmental organization, IATA is primarily concerned with the commercial aspects of airline operations. IATA develops recommendations on the level, structure and rules for the application of tariffs, approves uniform rules for air transportation of passengers, baggage and cargo, regulates the procedure for using benefits and discounts from tariffs, develops general standards for passenger service, works to generalize and disseminate economic and technical experience in operating airlines, and also, through its settlement authority (the Clearing House), carries out financial settlements between member airlines.
IATA's global travel business aims to help airlines minimize costs and maximize customer service through the development and implementation of passenger and customer service standards and airport procedures. Information about these standards is disseminated in more than 50 IATA publications, as well as through
networks of computers. These IATA standards are used throughout the world by airline personnel, service agents and other personnel involved in air transport.
IATA pays special attention to multilateral transport agreements, the so-called agreements.
To help airlines reduce losses from lost or stolen air tickets, IATA is developing a multilateral agreement to share responsibility for such tickets.
Another issue that the airline community is working on within IATA is the issue of baggage security. In accordance with ICAO requirements, IATA has developed procedures to ensure that baggage carried on board an aircraft is subject to control.
IATA pays great attention to ensuring aviation security in its activities. IATA has developed minimum security requirements at international airports.
I didn’t know where to attach the next topic and decided to post it on this page. The topic concerns SAFA. Read on.
What should you be prepared for when flying abroad? What is SAFA?
Here is some information that I found. Read carefully, because there is a lot of useful information. There is such a European flight safety inspection - SAFA. It checks all foreign ships flying to Europe. This is a serious structure, there are about three thousand specialists in all countries. Each country, including Russia, has the right and opportunity to conduct an inspection under the direction of SAFA. Russian aviation operates under Federal Aviation Regulations. They are approximately 90 percent identical to SAFA quality standards. But 10% are differences, including in the design of the aircraft. Therefore, some misunderstanding between SAFA and Russian rules leads to a lot of comments being written to Russian air carriers. The remarks are very peculiar. For example. On the Tu-154 plane, next to the toilet there are two side chairs where flight attendants sit during takeoff and landing. SAFA requires that a flight attendant strapped into this seat must be able to reach the life jacket with his hand. But in the Tu-154 there is no design provision for where to put this vest so that you can reach it with your hand. Well, there is no such place in all of Tu! And this is a remark of the third category, the most severe. In the end, of course, they came up with: before takeoff, a special container in which this vest will be attached is attached to this seat with Velcro (“father-mother”). And there are many such things. For example, Russian planes have never had a luminous path that leads to emergency exits. This is not in the design of any Russian plane, even the latest ones, Tu-204, Il-96. And SAFA demands this.
Where did this misfortune come from?
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SAFA Checklist |
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A.Flight Deck
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Ramp checks were introduced into practice by European aviation authorities not this year. Their appearance is preceded by the entire history of the creation and first decades of operation of the ICAO. Following the signing of the Chicago Convention and its 18 annexes governing all aspects of commercial carrier operations, member states were expected to base their national aviation legislation on ICAO standards and recommended practices. However, the lack of a mechanism for influencing national aviation administrations and verifying the implementation of ICAO decisions led to the fact that in the late 80s. The United States has developed the International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA). Based on the results of aircraft ramp checks foreign airlines The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) makes a determination about the compliance or non-compliance of ICAO standards by a particular state. The obtained data is published in the public domain. European states introduced a similar practice only in 1996, and in April 2004, the SAFA program was transferred directly to the European Commission. Inspections continue to be carried out by the national aviation authorities of 42 European States (including member countries of the European Civil Aviation Conference and contracting countries). The functions of program management, analysis of audit results and database maintenance remained with the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).
It is officially stated that the purpose of ramp checks under the SAFA program is to study the compliance of carriers and national aviation authorities of third countries with the requirements of three annexes to the Chicago Convention: Annex 1 (licensing of aviation personnel), Annex 6 (flight operation) and Annex 8 (maintaining the airworthiness of aircraft). Meanwhile, the control chart also contains items related to radio navigation and safe transportation of goods. Inspections reveal compliance with ICAO standards not only of individual operators, but also of the quality of supervisory activities of national aviation authorities, and in case of violations, comments are made to the airline and to the executive authorities of the operating country.
SAFA's focus is on non-EU carriers, although mutual audits of European companies also take place according to internal documents. As a rule, the choice of aircraft to be inspected is random. Each state determines how many inspections must be carried out annually. The choice of aircraft remains at the discretion of the inspectors, who, having familiarized themselves with the flight schedule and preparation times for return flights, most often determine four aircraft intended for inspection during the day. But a number of factors have a significant influence on their choice. First, many inspectors believe that as a result of inspecting a Soviet-made aircraft, they will find more reasons for criticism than when inspecting a new Boeing aircraft of an American airline. And if an inspector sees an aircraft on the schedule whose inspection has revealed deficiencies, he will most likely select that particular aircraft again. Secondly, in some cases the order to carry out an inspection comes from national aviation authorities. If, as a result of previous inspections, the carrier or a specific aircraft received serious criticism or there are certain complaints against a particular type of aircraft or to the supervisory authorities of a particular country, then this information will serve as a reason for conducting an inspection. "Problematic" aircraft are tracked through the Eurocontrol database, and as soon as a flight plan is submitted, a corresponding signal is sent to the national aviation administration of the destination country.
The number of inspections is growing steadily. Thus, the UK increased the number of annual checks from 200 to 820. Currently, ramp checks also apply to business aviation operators.
Procedure for performing a ramp test.
The inspection is carried out in accordance with the SAFA Detailed Inspector's Guide.The instructions followed by SAFA inspectors state that inconvenience caused during the inspection should be kept to a minimum. This means that it is prohibited to delay the departure of an aircraft without a serious reason (a threat to flight safety). Contact with passengers is not allowed. The inspection time is strictly limited by the preparation time for the return flight. If time does not permit, the list of 53 questions (see box) should be shortened. As a rule, the inspection is carried out by two inspectors, one of whom interviews the flight crew, and the second assesses the condition of the aircraft outside, in the cabin and in the luggage compartment. Once all questions are clarified, the inspectors leave the board. Please note that the longer the period of time between flights, the more thoroughly the check will be carried out. The second conclusion is that the presence of an airline representative on board during the inspection greatly simplifies the process, since the representatives, as a rule, speak the language. Finally, the flight crew's knowledge of the answers to the questions contained in the checklist will significantly reduce the inspection time. Experience shows that pilots of Russian companies often find it difficult to answer.
SAFA inspectors must not only be knowledgeable about the flight and technical operation of aircraft, but also know the ICAO requirements contained in Annexes 1, 6 and 8. However, if technical training problems do not arise, then knowledge of ICAO documents is far from always impeccable. As a rule, inspectors are familiar with the aviation legislation of their country and, in case of conflict, will appeal to Part 25 of the JAR. The second problem concerns the assessment of the condition of the aircraft, which must be carried out in accordance with the Flight Operation Manual and the manufacturer's documentation. Therefore, if breakdowns or leaks are detected, a lot of time is spent searching for a description of this problem in the aircraft documentation. If the documentation exists only in Russian, the problem gets worse.
All deviations from ICAO norms and standards noted during the inspection, depending on the severity possible influence for flight safety are divided into three categories. Each category corresponds to a number of measures taken. All comments are entered into the database.
Observations classified as Category I (low impact on flight safety) will not entail any action other than notifying the aircraft commander of the deficiencies found. And therein lies a certain difficulty, since inspectors have repeatedly encountered indifferent or negative reactions from Russian pilots. The standard response from commanders is often: “Don’t tell me, it’s not my problem. Report to your superiors.” However, in such cases, the company management is not notified, and only the ship’s commander knows about the inspection carried out and the comments received. The airline's management may not even be aware of what has been accumulated in the database. a large number of comments. But even if these are Category I comments, their number matters.
If category II violations are detected (which may have serious consequences for flight safety), the aircraft commander is notified orally; in addition, a corresponding letter is sent to the airline and the supervisory authorities of the operating country. Moreover, the rules allow you not to report the results of the first inspection by letter, but to accumulate several comments. Here, too, a disagreement arises if the aircraft flies under foreign registration. So, if violations are noticed on an aircraft with Bermuda registration, which is included in the Russian air operator certificate, a letter is sent to the Russian supervisory authorities.
Bermuda aviation authorities are unaware of the inspection that took place. But if the remark concerns the airworthiness of the aircraft, then this is the responsibility of the Bermudian authorities and only indirectly of the Russian ones. If a carrier has accumulated a large number of category II comments that are not processed or corrected, the inspector may decide to assign the violation category III.
Category III violations represent a significant threat to flight safety. If such violations are detected, the consequences for the carrier can be very serious: from a ban on aircraft departure to the introduction of restrictions on flights to Europe. Such measures are taken extremely rarely, and in situations requiring immediate action. Understanding all the consequences of such measures, inspectors are extremely reluctant to do so. A flight ban and subsequent clearance require a number of approvals and the clearance is only issued by the inspector who issued the ban. Strict regulation of inspectors' actions in such situations ensures that no inspector will assume such responsibility unless absolutely necessary.
Here are some examples of typical comments:
· There is no confirmation that the Flight Manual has been approved by the aviation authorities of the operating country.
· EGPWS equipment is not installed.
· The "Exit" signs and light paths in the cabin do not light up, there are obstacles on the way to the emergency exits.
· The flight attendant seats do not recline back into the folded position, and the harness system does not meet ICAO standards.
· There is no confirmation of permission to operate flights using reduced vertical separation minima (RVSM), using area navigation methods (BRNAV), etc. This question arises constantly. According to Russian rules, this permission is indicated in the annex to the operator's certificate. But aircraft commanders do not know this and cannot prove that they have permission to operate RVSM flights. The problem is that even if it is proven after the fact that the remark was made unlawfully, it is impossible to remove it from the database.
For example, if an inspector finds that tire wear exceeds permissible limits, then it is necessary to prove that on Soviet-made aircraft the permissible limits are different. Otherwise, a remark will be issued. The same applies to leaks of fuel, water, hydraulic fluid, etc.
Questions often arise regarding cargo securing and the condition of containers and pallets.
A separate issue is the level of crew proficiency English language. Faced with the fact that the crew does not understand the questions being asked, the inspector notes this fact, and it is included in the database as a violation. The same violation would be forms in Russian, although nowhere in the ICAO standards is it stated in what language the forms and technical documentation should be.
All comments are entered into the EASA database. They are available only to the national aviation authorities of the 42 countries participating in the program. The situation is currently being corrected: all ICAO member states should have the opportunity to familiarize themselves with data on their carriers.
The data is analyzed both by airline and by aircraft type. And in the event of an aviation accident, regardless of whether it occurred on European territory or not, the first step is to look up the carrier’s file in the database and draw the appropriate conclusions.
Black list.
Based on the results of the data analysis, a proposal may be made to include the carrier on the blacklist. Such a proposal may be made by the national aviation administration of any EU member state, the European Commission or EASA. Regardless of the source, all such allegations are reviewed by the Air Safety Committee; the data is studied, after which a corresponding recommendation is issued to the European Commission. The committee is made up of seven safety experts, so even if there was some political motivation behind the initial blacklisting proposal, the final decision is based on the safety record of the carrier in question. So far there have been no cases where the committee's decision was challenged.
The reasons for the decision to blacklist, as a rule, include the presence of clear and proven violations of safety standards on the part of the carrier, its inability to promptly eliminate these violations, as well as the lack of cooperation on the part of the supervisory authorities of the operating country. The latter usually means that when contacting the country's national aviation authorities, an adequate response was not received.
So what's now.
What actions should the carrier take if comments are received as a result of the SAFA ramp check? First of all you need to have full information regarding the inspection itself and its results. In most cases, such information is available only to the aircraft commander, who must be aware of his responsibility for communicating the results of the audit to company management. He should also ask the inspector for a business card (or contact information) and, if possible, a copy of the inspection card. If it is not possible to make a copy, it must be requested at a later date. A description of all actions to eliminate the violations found, as well as the justification for the illegality of the comments, is sent to the inspector who conducted the inspection. The carrier should promptly investigate the problems noted by the inspector, and the results of the investigation should be as detailed as possible. The return letter to the national aviation authority that carried out the inspection should also indicate how similar problems were corrected on aircraft of the same type operated by the carrier.
Thus, eliminating comments and communicating with the inspectorate require systematic work. It is logical that within the airline structure a designated employee would be responsible for this work. The procedure for handling comments must be established and known to management, the quality control department, the flight operations department, etc.
As for preparation for inspections, the main task here is to teach the flight crew and cabin crew to answer questions from inspectors. All questions are standard, and with a certain level of preparedness, answering them will not be difficult. So, if the senior flight attendant finds it difficult to indicate the location of the life-saving equipment, the correct answer may be to refer to the relevant sections of the Flight Manual.
One of the most important aspects is knowledge of how the national standards of the operating country differ from the ICAO standards. The Chicago Convention allows for discrepancies if the country provides a reasonable explanation for the reasons (Article 38). A professional response with reference to documents will help refute unlawful comments. In any case, the results of SAFA's ramp tests deserve to be taken seriously.
The most common non-conformities found by SAFA inspectors are:
1. Cockpit.
1.1. General condition of the cabin: - the cargo cabin is dirty;
There are traces of repair of individual parts without fixation in
documents (logbook).
1.2. Emergency exits:
In the area of emergency exits, personal belongings of the crew and
passengers' luggage;
Additional passenger seats are installed, which
may be an obstacle to the rapid evacuation of people in emergency situations
cases;
No “emergency exit” stencils;
Lack of lighted emergency escape route
airplane.
1.3. Equipment:
The aircraft are equipped with the SSOS system instead of QPWS;
Absence shoulder straps workplace safety
flight and cabin crew members;
Lack of stencils for the purpose of office premises;
Lack of emergency flashlights for crew members;
Lack of life jackets by number of passengers
armchairs;
Insufficient safety instructions for
passengers;
Lack of fire extinguishers in each individual passenger
salon;
Fire cylinders do not comply with international standards
standard;
Pressure gauges are missing or dates for checking fire cylinders for compliance are not indicated.
Lack of instructions for fire extinguishing in flight attendant positions according to the emergency schedule;
There is no list of aircraft emergency equipment or it is not
corresponds to the quantity and location;
The aircraft is not equipped with mooring equipment in accordance with
list;
Some oxygen cylinders are empty;
Stocks of medical supplies for first aid.
- First aid kits and medical kits are not
correspond to Appendix B of Appendix No. 6;
2. Documentation.
2.1. Ship and flight documentation:
There are no originals of the Certificate of State Registration of the Aircraft, the Certificate of Airworthiness of the Aircraft, or the Air Operator's Certificate, and copies are presented instead;
The aircraft's logbook does not fully comply with the standard and
ICAO recommendations;
Use of outdated radio navigation systems by aircraft crews
kart;
In Jeppesen Collectionsthe latest additions have not been made;
Lack of license to use radio station or license
signed by the airline management;
The flight plan is not signed by the PIC (navigator);
The alignment chart is signed by the co-pilot;
In Part B of the “operational specifications” in the column “Approved for
flights" is not reflected at what minimum the aircraft is admitted, absent
graph maximum weight with zero fuel, but with
maximum load.
2.2. Flight manual:
There is no confirmation from the Civil Aviation Authority about the reliability of the Flight Manual (reconciliation with the control copy);
MEL missing or MEL not approved by the GA authority.
2.3. Flight Operations Manual:
The responsibilities of each crew member are not clearly defined
emergency;
There are no emergency equipment inspection sheets
and actions of crew members in an emergency;
The situation in which it is constantly listening is not reflected
emergency frequency 121.5 MHz;
Aircraft inspection checklist missing
(inspection of aircraft when searching for an explosive device);
There are no requirements for the PIC to ensure the safety of all
related to a given flight, flight recorder records in the event
aircraft accident or incident;
There are no instructions on what to do in unexpected situations
circumstances;
The technical requirements for the operational flight plan are not specified;
There is no information (instructions) on the actions of crew members in
in the event of an incident during the transportation of dangerous goods;
Actions to be taken in cases where
when it is impossible to establish communication with the air traffic control unit or when this communication is
interrupted for any reason (meaning the action of the aircraft crew like this
requires AIPhost country);
there is no corresponding authorization from the authority allowing for precision systems approaches under ICAO Category 2;
The forms of pre-flight preparation are not defined and there are no instructions in
regarding control over the weight and balance of the aircraft;
There are no calculations for flights of aircraft with two gas turbine engines.
engines during extended range flights;
There is no list of visual signals (visual signal code) for
use of intercepting and intercepted aircraft and order
PIC actions in these situations;
There are no special instructions for calculating quantities
fuels and oils related to flight situations, including the failure of one or
more engines in flight;
There are no instructions or requirements for crew training for
preventing the aircraft from entering a no-fly area.
3. Safety (cabin).
3.1. Cargo aircraft:
In the flight deck, the navigator's and flight engineer's seats are not
equipped with shoulder straps.
In the escort cabin, some of the seats do not have lap belts.
seat belts.
3.2. Passenger aircraft:
The ambulance kit is not equipped. None
recommendations for the use of medications, some
Medicines within their expiration date cannot be used. Quantity
medicines do not correspond to the number of passengers transported;
Manual fire extinguishers: notes on quantity, condition and date
expiration of deadlines;
Aircraft are not equipped with a stationary oxygen supply system
passengers. The number of oxygen masks is not enough for those transported
passengers;
Access to emergency (emergency) exits is not provided;
Storable on free chairs hand luggage(baggage)
passengers;
Passengers are transported in flight attendant seats (number
there are more passengers than seats intended for transportation
passengers).
4. Aircraft condition.
There are traces of soot and burnt oil on the fuselage and
individual parts of the airframe;
There are no screws for fastening the removable panels of the SChK (VS An-12);
There are traces of fuel leakage from the wing tanks around
fuel sediment drain valve;
There are traces of corrosion on the chassis elements;
The inscriptions on the hatches are unreadable;
There are undocumented traces of a collision with
birds (dents, blood, feathers);
Metallization is damaged, static drains are missing
electricity;
The technical compartments (hydraulics) contain luggage;
Traces of leakage (water leakage) from toilets;
Tire wear is more than acceptable; - -- - there are hydraulic and oil leaks;
General condition of the cargo compartment, cargo compartments (trunks)
unsatisfactory;
There is a damaged interior, faulty light bulbs;
The pallets are broken. Mooring points are not secured, barrier
the mooring net is torn.
ICAO is a specialized agency of the UN, the protocol of recognition of which was signed on October 1, 1947 and entered into force on May 13, 1948. ICAO is an international governmental organization. Initially, after the signing of the Chicago Convention, there was a Provisional International Civil Aviation Organization (PICAO). After the entry into force of the Chicago Convention on April 4, 1947 at the 1st session Assembly held in Montreal in May 1947, PICAO was renamed ICAO. At the proposal of the Government of Canada, Montreal was chosen as the location of the ICAO Headquarters.
1947
The main objectives of the ICAO, in accordance with the provisions of the Chicago Convention, are issues of global importance for international civil aviation:
- development of principles and methods of international air navigation;
- promoting the planning and development of international air transport in order to ensure the safe and orderly development of international civil aviation;
- encouraging the art of designing and operating aircraft for peaceful purposes;
- encouraging the development of airways, aerodromes and air navigation facilities for international civil aviation;
- meeting the needs of the peoples of the world for safe, regular, efficient and economical air transport;
- preventing economic losses caused by unreasonable competition;
- ensuring full respect for the rights of states and fair opportunities for each of them to use airlines engaged in international air traffic;
- avoiding discrimination in relations between states;
- ensuring flight safety in international air navigation;
- promoting the development of international civil aeronautics in all its aspects.
The composition and status of ICAO bodies are determined by the provisions of the Chicago Convention, which, in essence, is the ICAO charter. In accordance with the Chicago Convention, the ICAO consists of an Assembly, a Council (with its subordinate bodies) and a Secretariat. The Council and the Secretariat are headed respectively by the President of the Council and the Secretary General, who are the chief officers of the ICAO.
The ICAO Assembly is composed of representatives of all Contracting States and is the sovereign supreme body of ICAO. The Assembly is convened every three years (unless there is a need for an extraordinary convocation). At the sessions of the Assembly, the work of the ICAO is reviewed in detail, policies are developed for the coming years and the budget for the three-year period of activity is approved by vote. Each Contracting State is entitled to one vote. Decisions of the Assembly are taken by a majority vote (except for cases provided for by the Chicago Convention).
The ICAO Assembly elects the Council, which consists of representatives of 33 Contracting States and is the governing executive body of ICAO, constantly guiding its work between Assemblies. Elections to the ICAO Council are carried out taking into account the rotation requirements provided for by the Chicago Convention and on the basis of adequate representation of three groups of states, namely: those playing a leading role in air transport; not otherwise included in the Council but making the greatest contribution to the provision of services for international civil air navigation; not otherwise included in the Council, but whose election ensures that all major geographical regions of the world are represented on the ICAO Council.
The Chicago Convention provides for the cooperation of Contracting States in ensuring the greatest possible degree of uniformity in the adoption of national Aviation Regulations. To achieve this, the ICAO Council is vested with regulatory powers that similar governing bodies in other international organizations do not have.
The ICAO Council elects its President, who has no voting rights and can be re-elected, for a term of three years. The responsibilities of the President are as follows:
- convene meetings of the ICAO Council, Air Transport Committee and Air Navigation Commission;
- act as a representative of the Council; perform on behalf of the Council the functions assigned to him by the Council.
The functions of the ICAO Council include (Article 54 of the Chicago Convention):
- appointment and determination of responsibilities of the Air Transport Committee, which is formed from among representatives of the members of the Council and is responsible to it;
- establishment of the Air Navigation Commission; appointment of the chief executive officer - the Secretary General;
- adoption of SARPs, which are formalized as Annexes to the Chicago Convention;
- consideration of recommendations of the Air Navigation Commission on changing SARPs and taking appropriate measures in this regard, provided for by the Chicago Convention, etc.
The ICAO Council has the power to convene ICAO Assemblies.
Each ICAO Committee or specialized body has a corresponding unit of the ICAO Secretariat, staffed by personnel selected for technical competence in the relevant field. The personnel of the units are called upon to provide technical and administrative assistance to government representatives constituting the ICAO Council, Committees and specialized bodies.
The ICAO Secretariat, headed by Secretary General, consists of five main divisions: Air Navigation Bureau, Air Transport Bureau, Technical Cooperation Bureau, Legal Bureau and Bureau of Administration and Services. The staff of the Secretariat is recruited on a broad geographical basis, ensuring international representation in its activities.
ICAO works closely with other members of the UN community - governmental organizations, which are: World Meteorological Organization, International Telecommunication Union, International Telecommunication Union, Universal Postal Union Union), World Health Organization, International Labor Organization and International Maritime Organization. Non-governmental organizations also take part in events held by ICAO: International Air Transport Association (IATA), Airports Council International (ICA), International Federation of Air Line Pilots Associations , World Tourism Organization and other international organizations.
International Standards (SARPs) are called Chicago Annexes for ease of reference. For the safety and regularity of international air navigation, it is recognized that it is necessary to apply uniformly the requirements included by Contracting States in International Standards. Under Article 38 of the Chicago Convention, in the event of non-compliance with any International Standard, Contracting States are required to notify the ICAO Council of the differences between their national aviation regulations, the practices of that State and the provisions of the International Standard.
Uniform application of the requirements included in Recommended Practices is considered desirable in the interests of the safety, regularity and efficiency of international air navigation. Although the Chicago Convention does not contain any obligations regarding Recommended Practices, the ICAO Council has requested Contracting States to notify differences not only from International Standards, but also from Recommended Practices.
ICAO produces series of technical publications, as well as special publications that are not included in any of the series of technical publications (for example, the ICAO Aeronautical Chart Catalog or Meteorological Tables).
The Procedures of Air Navigation Service (PANS) are approved by the ICAO Council. Intended for worldwide application, they contain operating procedures that have not yet been designated as SARPs, as well as material of a more permanent nature that is considered too detailed to be included in an Annex, or is subject to frequent changes and additions, and for which the process provided for by the Chicago Convention would be too difficult. There are currently four main PANS documents: Doc 4444 Flight and Maintenance Procedures air traffic"; Doc 8168 Aircraft Operations (Volume 1 Flight Procedures and Volume 2 Construction of Visual and Instrument Flight Procedures); Doc 8400 ICAO Abbreviations and Codes; Doc 7030 Regional Supplementary Rules.
The ICAO Council divided the entire territory of the globe into nine air navigation regions:
- 1. Africa and Indian Ocean (AIF);
- 2. Southeast Asia (SEA);
- 3. European (EUR);
- 4. North Atlantic (NAT);
- 5. North American (NAM);
- 6. South African (SAM);
- 7. Caribbean (CAR);
- 8. Near and Middle East (MID);
- 9. Pacific (PAC).
Supplementary Procedures (SUPPS) have the same status as PANS, but apply only in their respective regions. They are developed in consolidated form, since some of them apply to adjacent regions or are the same in two or more regions.
Technical Manuals, which are prepared under the authority of the ICAO Secretary General, provide guidance and information material that develops and complements the International Standards, Recommended Practices and PANS, and serve to assist in their application.
Air navigation plans are also prepared with the approval of the ICAO Secretary General based on the recommendations of regional air navigation meetings and the decisions of the ICAO Council adopted on them. They specify the requirements for international air navigation facilities and services in the relevant ICAO air navigation regions. Air Navigation Plans are amended periodically to reflect changes in requirements and provisions associated with the implementation of recommended facilities and services.
ICAO Circulars, which are also prepared under the authority of the ICAO Secretary General, contain specific information of interest to Contracting States, including studies on technical issues.
Globally, civil aviation (CA) activities are regulated by international intergovernmental (and non-governmental), universal or regional aviation organizations. Our article describes the most influential of them. The bulk of international aviation organizations were created during the period of rapid development of civil aviation (1944-1962), which was due to the need to standardize and unify rules, documents, procedures, requirements and recommendations in the field of implementation and flight support, as well as the development of unified approaches to flight safety.
Of course, the main such organization is ICAO— International Civil Aviation Organization (International Civil Aviation Organization), whose goal is the development of global civil aviation, the development and implementation of unified rules for the operation and maintenance of flights in order to increase the level of safety and regularity of air transportation. ICAO was created as a special agency of the United Nations on December 7, 1947 on the basis of the provisions of the Chicago Convention with headquarters -an apartment in Montreal (Canada). Members of ICAO are states. Structurally, the Organization consists of an Assembly, a Council, an Air Navigation Commission, seven committees and a secretariat. The Assembly is the highest body of ICAO. A regular session of the Assembly meets at least once every three years, and an emergency session can be held if necessary. The permanent body of the ICAO, the Council, headed by the President, consists of representatives of 36 Contracting States, elected by the Assembly every three years.
ICAO's activities are focused on the following main areas: technical (development, implementation and improvement of standards and recommended practices - SARP), economic (study of trends in the development of air transport, on the basis of which recommendations are made on the values of charges for the use of airports and air navigation services, as well as procedures setting tariffs and simplifying formalities for transportation; providing ongoing technical assistance to developing countries at the expense of developed ones), in legal matters (development of draft new conventions on international air law).
Another example of a universal organization is the International Air Transport Association (IATA, International Air Transport Association), which was created in 1945 and is headquartered in Montreal. Unlike ICAO, IATA members are legal entities— airlines, and the main goals of the organization are the development of safe, regular and economical air transport, as well as ensuring the development of cooperation between airlines. The supreme body is the General Meeting, and the permanent working body is the Executive Committee.
IATA generalizes and disseminates experience in the economic and technical operation of air transport, organizes the coordination of flight schedules between carriers and their work with sales agents, as well as mutual settlements between airlines. Another important function of IATA is conducting an airline safety audit (IOSA, IATA Operational Safety Audit) - a strict check of the carrier’s activities according to 872 parameters, without which the company cannot join either IATA or any of the alliances such as Star Alliance, Skyteam or One World. Obtaining an IOSA certificate increases the status of the airline and expands opportunities for international cooperation.
There are also international organizations that represent and protect the interests of individuals, as well as enhancing their role in the development of a safe and regular air services system, cooperation and unity of action: pilots - International Federation of Airline Pilots' Associations (IFALPA - International Federation of Airline Pilots' Associations) and dispatchers - International Federation of Air Traffic Controllers Associations (IFATCA - International Federation of Air Traffic Controllers Associations). Both organizations function to improve and maintain the professional level of their members, social partnership, expansion of cultural and industry international relations, and exchange of experience.
Regional international aviation organizations are represented by: the European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC), the African Civil Aviation Commission, the Latin American Civil Aviation Commission and the Arab Civil Aviation Council. states (ACAC - Arab Civil Aviation Commission). The goals of each of these organizations are similar: promoting cooperation between member states in the field of air transport for its more efficient and orderly development, ensuring systematization and standardization of general technical requirements for new aviation equipment, including communication systems, navigation and surveillance, flight safety issues, collection of statistical data. data on aviation accidents and incidents.
There is also a special organization operating in the CIS - Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC) - executive agency in the field of civil aviation and airspace use, common to 11 countries former USSR(except Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Georgia).
IAC is involved in the certification of aircraft, airfields and airlines, as well as the investigation of aviation accidents. However, as independent experts note, the combination of these functions in a number of cases raises suspicions of a conflict of interest, bias in investigations and conclusions of commissions.
In the field of air navigation, the largest organization is the European Organization for the Safety of Air Navigation - EUROCONTROL. It was created in 1960 with the aim of ensuring air navigation and flight safety, managing and coordinating air traffic in the upper airspace over the territory of 40 member countries, developing uniform rules for flight operations and the activities of air navigation services. EUROCONTROL's highest decision-making body is the Standing Commission, which works with heads of state, air traffic services providers, airspace users, airports and other organizations. Among the main functions of the organization is planning and managing aircraft flows. As you know, European ATS centers handle on average 5-6 times more flights per year than Russian ones (in the busiest Center - Maastricht - the air traffic intensity exceeds 5000 aircraft per day!), so EUROCONTROL introduced a system of hard slots (time windows ) for each of the flights received by management.
