Joint meeting of the ACI World Safety Technical Standing Committee and the ACI World Operational Safety Subcommittee – Johannesburg South Africa, February 21, 2007

Attendance:

1.  Julieanne Alroe – STSC Chairman (Sydney)

2.  Andrew Badham – OSSC Chairman (BAA)

3.  Bryan Thompson – STSC Vice-Chair (ACSA)

4.  Paul Van den Eynden – OSSC Vice-chair (Calgary)

5.  Jean-Marie Chevallier (Aéroports de Paris)

6.  Oyvind Hallquist (Avinor)

7.  Daniel Bircher (Unique - Zurich)

8.  Dirk Geukens (Brussels)

9.  William Martin (Cincinnati)

10.  Martin Lenke (Fraport)

11.  Ger van Riemsdijk (Schiphol)

12.  C.K. Ng (Hong Kong)

13.  Dong Sik Hong – (KAC – Korea)

14.  Xavier Wohlschlag (Geneva)

15.  Hesham Tehemar – (Egyptian Airport Company)

16.  Yves Leichtnam (Aéroports de Paris)

17.  Thomas Torsten-Meyer (Munich)

18.  Gerhard Gruber (Vienna)

19.  Knut Walther (Fraport)

20.  Ali Tounsi (Tunisia/OACA)

21.  Alan Levey (Dublin)

22.  Hanne Buis (Schiphol)

23.  Changmok Jung (KAC – Korea)

24.  Karl Schleinzer (Vienna)

25.  Yair Gannot (Israel Airports Authority)

26.  A. Nasir Razak (Malaysia Airports Holding)

27.  Alan Skennerton (Dubai)

28.  Karl Hitschmann (Qinetiq – guest presenter)

29.  David Gamper – TSSC Secretary (ACI-HQ)

30.  Thomas Romig – OSSC Secretary (ACI-HQ)

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Joint meeting of the ACI World Safety Technical Standing Committee and the ACI World Operational Safety Subcommittee – Johannesburg South Africa, February 21, 2007

Agenda Item / Action
1. /

Opening of meeting

The meeting was opened by the joint chairs Andrew Badham and Julieanne Alroe with a round table of introductions. Thanks were given to Bryan Thompson from ACSA for inviting the two committees and hosting the meeting in Johannesburg.
2. / ACI Safety Training Initiatives
A presentation was given on the safety training that ACI is currently providing to members. It was noted that this training is part of an overall certificate programme that, in the near future, will allow members completing the training courses to be accredited/certified by ACI. ACI is working with ICAO to ensure that the accreditation will be recognised world wide.
The training that ACI is providing to its members is divided into regional training hubs that will be bring the courses to the members as opposed to having to make the trip to a central ACI training centre. This collaboration is being done with some of the existing training academies.
It was also noted that ACI is currently developing a web enabled platform to provide members with e-training. This will consist of a variety of modules online that will also go towards the ACI accreditation.
More information on all ACI training initiatives can be found on the Global Training Hub website: www.gth.aero
3. / ACI Safety Initiatives
A presentation was made on the various safety initiatives ACI is currently developing or involved in. These included, the Global Safety Network Website (www.aci-safetynetwork.aero), the Risk Assessment and Safety Auditing tools being developed by ACI, as well as the new Flight Safety Foundation Runway Safety Initiative (FSF-RSI) (See point 10 below).
It was noted that the Safety Network Website was not being used enough by committee members and needed more attention. This is a repository of useful safety information that needs to be further developed. All committee members were asked to visit the site and make use of it when possible.
Action: Post and develop more safety information on the Global Safety Network to provide more information to the community. / ALL Members
4. /

Work Programme of the OSSC

The OSSC Terms of Reference was reviewed by both committees. It was agreed that the OSSC should review the ToR and submit them to the STSC the following day (split meetings). The revised Terms of Reference as submitted to the STSC on 22.02.07 are shown as Annex 1 to this report.
In addition, it was agreed that the OSSC should develop some new guidance material for airports on Safety Auditing, SMS, Aerodrome Certification, Safety Targets, and Risk Assessments. The OSSC was tasked with developing a work plan for the creation of this document and to report back to the STSC with more information at the next meeting.
Action: Develop new guidance material for airports on Risk Assessments and SMS/Safety Auditing. / OSSC
5. /

ACI Apron Safety Survey

A report was made on the 2005 Apron Safety Survey. It was noted that the 2005 survey results had not yet been developed into a full report since the figures were deemed to be not accurate due to the low numbers of respondents.
A question was asked on the value of the Apron Safety Survey and it was agreed that there was little to no direct value to ACI’s airport members. However, the association does use the figures for industry trend studies in particular in the area of Safety.
A presentation was given on some options for the future of the safety survey These included the redevelopment of the data collection process to start comparing “apples with apples”. One of the major problems with the survey in the past years has been the variation in reporting members – the same airports very rarely reported year on year. It was noted that statistically this would not give accurate trends.
It was agreed by both committees that the report should continue and a new format and report method should be developed. The report forms themselves will be kept the same. The OSSC Secretary was tasked with developing and implementing a plan to improve the Apron Safety Survey – this is to be achieved as soon as possible so as to ensure constant reporting year on year. The plan will be developed and shared with the OSSC and in the future shared with the STSC also.
Action: develop and implement a new structure for the Apron Safety Survey. / Romig
6. /

ACI Resolutions on Safety and Technical Standards/Recommended Practices

Two of the resolutions approved by the ACI Assembly in November 2006, on Safety at Airports, and on ACI Technical Standard-setting, i.e. the development by ACI of technical standards and recommended practices, were distributed to the members of the committee.
Regarding the first resolution, this states that safety is the highest priority of airports (with security) and that airports should be consulted on new regulatory measures by States. ACI should promote procedural and training improvements, exchange of safety information as well as use of new technologies to improve safety, and work with ICAO to implement such measures worldwide, in line with the Global Aviation Safety Roadmap, in which ACI is a partner. It also states that ICAO USOAP safety audits should identify any deficiencies in airport safety supervision, which should not require individual states or groups to states to pursue separate initiatives such as blacklists.
Regarding the second resolution, it was noted that ACI would be working closely with the committees to develop new recommended practices and or technical standards whenever gaps in were found that should be filled by an ACI document (in line with standards produced by other parts of the industry), or where airports had a significant interest in the practical application of such standards, and ACI could therefore lend weight to them.
7. / ICAO Global Aviation Safety Roadmap
The document “Implementing the Global Aviation Safety Roadmap” was presented (posted on the committee website), which was prepared for ICAO by an industry coalition consisting of ACI, CANSO, FSF, IATA, IFALPA, Airbus and Boeing, and delivered in December 2006 to ICAO’s Air Navigation Commission.. This commits the partners to the safety roadmap process, and is described in the article posted on the committee website. /
8. / ICAO Aerodromes Panel
A presentation was shown to the members (posted on the committee website) prepared by the Chair of the Aerodromes Panel (Ton Franssen, CAA Netherlands), to give an informal briefing to the ICAO Air Navigation Commission (ANC), immediately after the Panel meeting. This went through all the main proposed changes to Annex 14 and other work of the Panel, as well as its work programme.
Some highlights of the Panel’s recommendations were:
- Code F specifications – after much debate, the only changes recommended by the Aerodromes Panel (AP) were to reduce the minimum separation Taxiway- parallel taxiway by 2.5 metres to 95 metres, and taxiway- object minimum separation also by 2.5 metres to 55 metres. ACI and a majority of the Aerodrome Design Working Group (ADWG), had argued for a 5.5 metre reduction, on the basis of much available deviation and excursion data, The ADWG was asked to continue to try to reach full consensus, which may lead to a further reduction.
- RESAs – ACI and most AP members agreed that upgrading of ICAO RESA specifications is desirable, though not necessarily by making the present RP into a Standard. This was sent back to the ADWG for further work, e.g. on available methods of mitigation, where it is not possible to incorporate a longer RESA.
- the “remission factor” for RFF - the AP agreed with its removal (currently, it is considered acceptable to cater for one RFF Category below the prescribed level, if the number of movements of the aircraft needing that RFF category is less than 700 in the busiest three months of the year). The term “normally using” was proposed to be replaced by “planned to use”. ACI agreed with this, on the basis that it had always been foreseen that the remission factor would eventually be removed.
- many new Visual Aids specifications, including: new aids to avoid runway incursions (new taxiway markings and lighting before a holding point, to warn that a runway is ahead, larger “no entry” signs): markings and lighting for Land and Hold Short Operations; specifications for advanced visual docking guidance systems. Markings and lighting for wind turbine farms were also recommended for inclusion in ICAO Annex 14.
- Alpha Factor for 6 and 4 wheel main landing gears: putting an end to a long debate in ICAO Working Groups, the AP recommended that the “alpha factor” used for Aircraft Classification Numbers on flexible pavements should be reduced from 0.788 to 0.720 (the interim figure) for 6 wheel main gears, and from 0.825 to 0.800 for 4 wheel main landing gears. ACI agreed with the majority, on the basis that airport operators will not be required to adjust their Pavement Classification Numbers, and may also use pavement concession procedures if they are concerned about overload.
- Heliport specifications - the Panel agreed to a major revision to heliport specifications,
- Aerodrome operational safety: new guidance on acceptable standards of evenness on runways before repairs are required, and the opening of a task to harmonize runway surface friction measurement and reporting.
- the future work programme of the AP should include a review of the dimensions and specifications for all Aerodrome Reference Codes Letters A to F - at that time, in line with changes to other Codes, Code F could be changed again.
The ANC’s Working Group on Panels would commence its review of the Panel’s recommendations on 28 February (Secretary’s note: it did not have time to advance far, and will re-commence this work after the Easter break). ACI will be present and support airport views throughout the ICAO process, which will lead to a State Letter on Annex 14 changes.
Action: Members agreed to support ACI in following up on the AP’s recommendations, and the ICAO decision process and resulting State consultation which will lead to changes to Annex 14. ACI should stay fully involved in the AP’s future work, which is of vital importance to airports. / STSC members and other volunteers involved in AP and its WGs
9. / New Large Aircraft
A briefing was given to the committee on new aircraft developments – A380, B747-8, B787 and A350XWB, using presentations given to the International Industry Working Group’s meeting January in Sydney. These presentations are available on the ACI committee website.
10. / Runway Safety
A paper was distributed on the Flight Safety Foundation Runway Safety Initiative (FSF RSI). It was noted that this is a cross industry initiative lead by the FSF to try to reduce the number of incidents and accidents caused by runway incursions, excursions and confusion.
The RSI will look at methods for reducing and mitigating runway incursions, excursions and confusion and will also look to improve overall runway safety. The OSSC was tasked by the STSC to follow up on the FSF RSI and support ACI’s involvement in any way possible.
Action: Members to support ACI’s involvement in the FSF RSI and ensure proper representation as well as expertise in the domain.
It was agreed that this initiative should focus on all the issues across the industry and not solely on those of the airport industry. It was noted that the participation in the group (as shown on the meeting report distributed) was cross industry, including among others ACI, IATA, IFALPA, and FSF. / OSSC and STSC
11. / FSF Airport Safety Award
It was noted that the ACI was awarded the Flight Safety Foundation “Airport Safety Award” in 2006 for the Airside Safety Handbook and the Wildlife Hazard Management Handbook developed by the OSSC. The committee was congratulated for its hard work.
12. / Presentation by ACSA on Safety at ACSA Airports
A presentation was give by Bryan Thompson from ACSA on the various projects taking place at Johannesburg Airport. The presentation gave a very good overview of the master plan for the airport and the significant modifications that are to be made to the airport in the next few years.
13. / Any Other Business
No other business was proposed for discussion.


Annex 1: Revised OSSC Terms of Reference as submitted to STSC on 22 February 2007

ACI OPERATIONAL SAFETY SUB-COMMITTEE

TERMS OF REFERENCE

1. These Terms of Reference should be read in conjunction with the Work Program of the Safety Technical Standing Committee and its Mission Statement.

2. The Operational Safety Subcommittee is a group of specialists providing ACI with expert advice and guidance on all aspects of operational safety at aerodromes. The Operational Safety Subcommittee will work with the Safety Technical Standing Committee to determine its work program. The Subcommittee will assist the ACI World Headquarters to plan and run seminars and conferences on subjects within its competence.