Air Safety in Antarctica
The Representatives,
Recalling Recommendation XV-20 (1989);
Noting, with appreciation, the Report of the Meeting of Experts on Air Safety in Antarctica, held in Paris from 2 to 5 May 1989;
Recognising the importance of ensuring safe air operations in the Antarctic, and that the principal body of knowledge and experience of Antarctic air operations, and its current challenges, lies with the operators of national Antarctic programmes;
Desiring to contribute to air safety in Antarctica through updated recommendations;
Recommend that:
1. for the purpose of ensuring that measures for improved air safety apply to all flights in Antarctica, measures to improve air safety set out in paragraphs 2-8 below should be elaborated on the basis of ICAO criteria, taking due account of the specific features of Antarctica as well as of existing practices and services.
2. for the purpose of ensuring the safety of air operations in the Antarctic Treaty area, Parties should exchange, preferably by 1 September and no later than 15 November each year, information about their planned air operations in accordance with the standardized format of the Electronic Information Exchange System (EIES).
3. for the purpose of improving air safety in Antarctica, national Antarctic programmes operating aircraft in Antarctica and their aircrews should be provided with a continuously updated compendium produced by the Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs (COMNAP) and now known as the COMNAP Antarctic Flight Information Manual (AFIM) describing ground facilities, aircraft (including helicopters) and aircraft operating procedures and associated communications facilities operated by each national Antarctic programme (out of the use of which questions of liability will not arise) and, therefore, they should:
(a) facilitate the ongoing revision of AFIM by their national Antarctic programme operators by collective action through COMNAP;
(b) adopt a format in which information provided by each national operator is kept in a manner that facilitates updating of information;
(c) request their national Antarctic operators to provide information for the purpose of maintaining the AFIM.
4. for the purpose of ensuring mutual awareness of current air operations and exchanging information about them, Parties should designate:
(a) Primary Air Information Stations (PAIS) which coordinate their own air information and information from their Secondary Air Information Stations (if any) for the purpose of notifying current air operations to other PAIS. These PAIS should have adequate communication facilities able to transmit "hard copy" information by appropriate and agreed means; and
(b) Secondary Air Information Stations (SAIS) which comprise stations/bases (including field bases and ships) which provide air information to their parent coordinating PAIS.
5. for the purpose of avoiding air incidents in areas beyond the range of VHF radio coverage of primary and secondary stations, aircraft outside the areas covered by primary and secondary stations should use a specific radio frequency to apply the "TIBA" procedure laid down in Annex 11 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation.
6. so as to ensure compliance with Article VII, paragraph 5 of the Antarctic Treaty and also Recommendation X-8, Part IV, Parties should keep one another informed about non-governmental flights and a reminder about the AFIM should be given to all pilots filing a flight plan for flights to Antarctica.
7. so as to provide for the improved collection from, and for the exchange within Antarctica of meteorological data and information of significance to the safety of Antarctic air operations, Parties should:
(a) encourage the World Meteorological Organisation in its work towards this end;
(b) take steps to improve meteorological services available in Antarctica, specifically to meet aviation requirements; and
(c) take account of The International Antarctic Weather Forecasting Handbook.
8. for the purpose of ensuring effective communications between PAIS, the Parties should ensure that their PAIS have adequate facilities for communicating with other PAIS,
9. Parties consider Recommendation XV-20 (1989) as no longer current.
The Representatives,
Recalling Recommendation XV-20 (1989);
Noting, with appreciation, the Report of the Meeting of Experts on Air Safety in Antarctica, held in Paris from 2 to 5 May 1989;
Recognising the importance of ensuring safe air operations in the Antarctic, and that the principal body of knowledge and experience of Antarctic air operations, and its current challenges, lies with the operators of national Antarctic programmes;
Desiring to contribute to air safety in Antarctica through updated recommendations;
Recommend that:
1. for the purpose of ensuring that measures for improved air safety apply to all flights in Antarctica, measures to improve air safety set out in paragraphs 2-8 below should be elaborated on the basis of ICAO criteria, taking due account of the specific features of Antarctica as well as of existing practices and services.
2. for the purpose of ensuring the safety of air operations in the Antarctic Treaty area, Parties should exchange, preferably by 1 September and no later than 15 November each year, information about their planned air operations in accordance with the standardized format of the Electronic Information Exchange System (EIES).
3. for the purpose of improving air safety in Antarctica, national Antarctic programmes operating aircraft in Antarctica and their aircrews should be provided with a continuously updated compendium produced by the Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs (COMNAP) and now known as the COMNAP Antarctic Flight Information Manual (AFIM) describing ground facilities, aircraft (including helicopters) and aircraft operating procedures and associated communications facilities operated by each national Antarctic programme (out of the use of which questions of liability will not arise) and, therefore, they should:
(a) facilitate the ongoing revision of AFIM by their national Antarctic programme operators by collective action through COMNAP;
(b) adopt a format in which information provided by each national operator is kept in a manner that facilitates updating of information;
(c) request their national Antarctic operators to provide information for the purpose of maintaining the AFIM.
4. for the purpose of ensuring mutual awareness of current air operations and exchanging information about them, Parties should designate:
(a) Primary Air Information Stations (PAIS) which coordinate their own air information and information from their Secondary Air Information Stations (if any) for the purpose of notifying current air operations to other PAIS. These PAIS should have adequate communication facilities able to transmit "hard copy" information by appropriate and agreed means; and
(b) Secondary Air Information Stations (SAIS) which comprise stations/bases (including field bases and ships) which provide air information to their parent coordinating PAIS.
5. for the purpose of avoiding air incidents in areas beyond the range of VHF radio coverage of primary and secondary stations, aircraft outside the areas covered by primary and secondary stations should use a specific radio frequency to apply the "TIBA" procedure laid down in Annex 11 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation.
6. so as to ensure compliance with Article VII, paragraph 5 of the Antarctic Treaty and also Recommendation X-8, Part IV, Parties should keep one another informed about non-governmental flights and a reminder about the AFIM should be given to all pilots filing a flight plan for flights to Antarctica.
7. so as to provide for the improved collection from, and for the exchange within Antarctica of meteorological data and information of significance to the safety of Antarctic air operations, Parties should:
(a) encourage the World Meteorological Organisation in its work towards this end;
(b) take steps to improve meteorological services available in Antarctica, specifically to meet aviation requirements; and
(c) take account of The International Antarctic Weather Forecasting Handbook.
8. for the purpose of ensuring effective communications between PAIS, the Parties should ensure that their PAIS have adequate facilities for communicating with other PAIS,
9. Parties consider Recommendation XV-20 (1989) as no longer current.
