IPACG/39
IP/11
05/02/14
THE THIRTY-NINTH MEETING OF THE
INFORMAL PACIFIC ATC CO-ORDINATING GROUP
(IPACG/39)
(Fukuoka, Japan, 3- 7 February 2014)
Agenda Item 5: Air Traffic Management (ATM) Issues
Update on the VOLKAM/14 Volcanic Ash Exercise
(Presented by the Federal Aviation Administration and Civil Aviation Bureau, Japan)
1. Introduction
1.1. The volcanic ash exercise in the EUR (EAST) Region called VOLKAM13 was conducted 2100 UTC on 15 January 2013 to 0600 UTC on 16 January 2013. This action is led by the ICAO Volcanic Ash Exercises Steering Group (EUR/NAT VOLCEX/SG) for the (far) Eastern part of the EUR Region (EUR (EAST) VOLCEX/SG) of the European Air Navigation Planning Group Programme Coordinating Group (EANPG COG) and North Atlantic Implementation Management Group (NAT IMG), whose main task is to ensure the conduct of regular volcanic ash exercises in the EUR (EAST) region.
1.2. VOLCEX/SG determined that an exercise be planned annually until 2015. ICAO, states, organizations and airlines concerned in Japan, Russian Federation and the United States of America took part in the first exercise.
1.3. As for a follow-up of the first exercise, the VOLKAM13 Debrief Meeting was held at the ICAO EUR/NAT Regional Office on February 2013. The group reviewed actions in the exercise and decided to conduct a follow on exercise in 2014.
1.4. Members of VOLCEX/SG met in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, the Russian Federation from 20-22 August 2013. Twenty participants from three States (Japan, Russian Federation and the United States) and ICAO attended the meeting. The meeting developed a draft scenario for the VOLKAM/14, including some improvement derived from the lessons learned during the first exercise.
2. The outcome of the EUR(EAST) VOLCEX/SG/3
2.1 Presentations by participants
Presentations were provided by Far Eastern Institute of Volcanology and Seismology Russian Academy of Sciences (Kamchatka Volcanic Eruption Response Team - KVERT), JCAB, Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) (from Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC) Tokyo), and ICAO. The presentations allowed for sharing of information related to observing volcanic ash, issuing advisories, improving teleconferences and sharing information between teleconferences.
2.2 ToRs
The group reviewed the current terms of reference (ToRs) and agreed that the area’s most likely impacted by volcanic ash should be exercised, which means the inclusion of NOPAC routes and retaining trans-east routes. Furthermore, referencing EUR Doc 019, NAT Doc 006, Part II is not applicable to the northern Pacific area since concentration charts are not issued by VAAC Tokyo and a simpler plan should be adopted by EUR, APAC and NAM largely based on the air traffic management volcanic ash contingency plan template developed by the International Volcanic Ash Task Force (IVATF).
2.3 VAACs
VAAC Tokyo provided the group a status on developments associated with VAACs in the context of the International Airways Volcano Watch Operations Group (IAVWOG), which assisted in updating the actions associated with VOLKAM13.
2.4 Update to VOLKAM13 actions
The group reviewed the actions developed by the EUR (EAST) VOLCEX/SG/2 meeting held in Paris on 20 February 2013 and discussed some items proposed by the participants during this meeting.
Fukuoka ATMC proposed that a simulated re-route utilizing a future route involving direct communications between Fukuoka and Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky FIRs be conducted in VOLKAM14. Fukuoka ATMC also proposed that this coordination could be done using a commercial telephone line for transferring control of the simulated aircraft re-route. Transferring of aircraft information including Aircraft ID, its type, route of flight, current position and the other information would be needed before handing over aircraft from one FIR to the other.
It was also noted that if an aircraft requests to fly from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky Flight Information Region (FIR) to Fukuoka FIR, Fukuoka ATMC Oceanic Sector might assign a lower altitude (FL290 or below) to clear the traffic of NOPAC route which have significant crossing traffic.
The group agreed that the numerous actions derived from VOLKAM13 would take time to address and that VOLKAM14 should focus on some of these actions such as visualization of FIR-boundary and air routes on VAG; improving the efficiency of information sharing on teleconference; continued sharing of information through teleconference call in case new information is obtained. The information using a VOLKAM sheet would be shared on a website (to be determined).
2.5 VOLKAM14 draft Exercise Directive
In light of the VOLKAM13 actions and associated progress, the VOLKAM14 aims and objectives were developed and subsequently, the attributes of VOLKAM14 to meet these objectives were also developed.
Attributes of the exercise include the following:
Date and time of exercise: 04 March 2014 at 2100 UTC to 05 March 2014 at 0400 UTC
Volcano: Bezymianny located in Kamchatka at N5568 and E16036. Plume expected to reach FL510.
Objectives of the exercise include:
Demonstrate coordination procedures between all participating parties (ANSPs, ATM Centres, AIS, VO, VAACs, MWO, users);
Demonstrate tactical re-routes;
Demonstrate VAAC Tokyo and VAAC Anchorage handover;
Demonstrate transmission of air-reports on volcanic ash in accordance to Annex 3 (aircraft->ACC->MWO->VAAC); and
Demonstrate information sharing via teleconferences and website
Note: no operational impact expected from test (e.g., dedicated staff for test)
2.6 Future work programme
The group updated the future work programme and agreed that the VOLKAM14 debrief meeting and EUR (EAST) VOLCEX/SG/4 meeting be held from 13 to 14 March 2014 in Paris.
3. The outcome of the Sixteenth Meeting of the CPWG (CPWG/16)
The Sixteenthmeeting of the Cross Polar Trans East Air Traffic Management (ATM) Providers Working Group (CPWG/16), was held at the NAV CANADA Head Office and the Ottawa Convention Centre from 3-6 December 2013. Thirty-nine participants attended, representing the ANSPs from Canada, Iceland, Japan, Mongolia, Norway, Russia, and the United States (US); the International Air Transport Association (IATA); international airlines and operators, and industry. Below are some highlights from the meeting of interest to the IPACG attendees.
3.1 Developing an LOA between PK and Fukuoka to consider opportunities for reroute transitions.
During CPWG/15, the meeting agreed that there was a need to develop an LOA between Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky ACC and Fukuoka ATMC and to consider opportunities for reroute transitions.
JCAB provided information on the temporary LOA that had been developed for VOLKAM14. The LOA included temporary bi-directional routes to be used for avoidance of volcanic ash. State ATM expressed their appreciation to JCAB for their cooperation.
IATA and FAA will provide comments on temporary routes during VOLKAM14 planning meetings. In addition, the airlines requested that consideration be given to making these temporary routes available on a permanent basis, leading to the new Action Item CP16-05. Update will be provided at the next CPWG meeting tentatively scheduled for June 2014.
4. Conclusion
4.1 The meeting is invited to note the information provided.
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