ANC Talks: The development, deployment and impact of iPacks

The Air Navigation Commission shares this series of engaging ANC discussions that bring industry and aviation stakeholders together to discuss different aspects of aviation.

There isn’t an industry around the world that hasn’t been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Travel restrictions and shutdowns will have a profound and lingering effect on air transport; the challenges with moving goods, and ensuring the health of passengers, called for continued relief measures. With so many different aspects to consider – public health-related measures, facilitation and aviation security, aviation safety (e.g. management of temporary regulatory alleviations), risk management, and air transport and economics – ICAO took a coordinated response to support Member States in the recovery phase of the COVID-19 panic. This industry is resilient.

In this edition of the ANC Talks series, ICAO’s ICAO Technical Cooperation Bureau (TCB), together with the Air Navigation Bureau (ANB) and Air Transport Bureau (ATB), provided a presentation on the development, deployment and impact of ICAO Implementation Packages (iPacks). Mr. Jorge Vargas, Director of TCB, opened the session, with presentations made by Mr. Marco Merens, Chief, Implementation Support (ANB) and Mr. Mekki Lahlou, Head, Training Operations, Global Aviation Training (TCB).

These presentations were followed by testimonials from senior officials of Civil Aviation Authorities: Ms. Tracey Forde-Bailey, Director of Civil Aviation, Barbados Civil Aviation Department; Mr. Nari Williams-Singh, Director General, Civil Aviation Authority of Jamaica; and Mr. Rajan Pokhrel, Director General, Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (Nepal). It was closed by Mr. Stephen P. Creamer, Director of ANB and Mr. Mohamed Rahma, Director of ATB. The session was moderated by Mr. Nabil Naoumi, the President of the Air Navigation Commission.

Technical Cooperation Bureau

ICAO’s Technical Cooperation Programme provides advice and assistance in the development and implementation of projects across the full spectrum of civil aviation, to support States in the implementation of ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs). Their efforts are focused on the safety, security, environmental protection and sustainable development of national and international civil aviation. The Programme is conducted under the broad policy guidance of the ICAO Assembly and the Council. As part of ICAO, a non-profit organization, TCB offers services under the most favorable and cost-effective condition and guarantees strict neutrality, objectivity and transparency, since it does not represent any particular national or commercial interest, nor the interest of any donor in general. Its advice is, therefore, governed by objective technical and financial considerations. To date, TCB has assisted in over 115 States and deploys approximately 1200 international and national experts every year.

Air Navigation Bureau

The Air Navigation Bureau manages the Safety and Air Navigation Capacity and Efficiency strategies of ICAO in a partnership with aviation stakeholders. This work is carried out within a framework with the following elements:

1. Policy and Standardization,
2. Safety and Infrastructure Monitoring,
3. Safety and Infrastructure Analysis, and
4. Safety and Infrastructure Implementation.

This Bureau leads ICAO’s crisis and contingency efforts.

Air Transport Bureau

The Air Transport Bureau supports the implementation of the Strategic Objectives of ICAO in particular, Security and Facilitation; Economic Development of Air Transport; and Environmental Protection. This Bureau also contributes towards Safety. The Bureau works under the direction of the Council, Air Transport Committee, the Committee on Unlawful Interference and the Committee on Joint Support of Air Navigation Services. Secretariat support is provided to the Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection (CAEP), which is a Committee of Council.

What is an Implementation Package (iPack)?

In light of the unprecedented impact, COVID-19 is inflicting on the air transport industry, ICAO’s coordinated response in supporting the Member States in their implementation efforts regarding recovery and preparedness for a Public Health Event of International Concern (PHEIC) is critical.

An iPack is a bundle of standardized guidance material, training, tools and expert support which aim to facilitate and guide the implementation of ICAO provisions for State entities (e.g. Governments, Civil Aviation Authorities, National Air Transport Facilitation Committees), aviation service providers, supply chain stakeholders and their personnel.

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iPacks, in essence, represent the support that would have been typically provided to the Member States by the physical deployment of ICAO experts. These services are funded by donor States and Organizations and are also available to be acquired by States. Nepal was one of the first States to be identified as a priority State by the ICAO Bangkok Regional Office and supported by  ICAO Headquarters. This support addresses their needs as they cope with the challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

iPacks are developed and implemented in full alignment with the measures and recommendations contained in the Council Aviation Recovery Task Force (CART) Report and are a key element for their implementation.

The impact of iPacks

ICAO’s role in supporting Member States in their efforts to implement relevant SARPs and up-to-date guidance material is paramount. As such, iPacks are intended to:

• ensure States’ COVID-19 implementation activities are aligned with the measures and recommendations contained in the CART Report and the most up-to-date ICAO provisions leading them to enhance their safety, air navigation, aviation security/facilitation, or economic development actions most seamlessly and efficiently and are in line with international and national requirements and guidance related to public health;
• ensure States’ COVID-19 implementation activities, although flexible, facilitate mutual acceptance by other States; and
• support States in their aviation re-start, recovery, and resilience efforts and their re-engagement with their aviation industry.

Further information on iPacks can be accessed here.  Regional Offices are also available to assist with the identification and deployment of relevant iPacks to Member States.

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