“Climate change will be at the top of the Assembly’s agenda. We will be looking to states to make decisions that will enable the industry to meet its ambitious commitment to stabilizing its emissions from 2020 via carbon-neutral growth (CNG2020). It is important that governments keep firmly focused on reaching agreement on a global solution. Environment is a global challenge. Aviation is a global industry. And we need a global way forward. National or regional schemes are politically charged distractions. We must not allow such discussions to get in the way of important progress that needs to be made,” said Tony Tyler, IATA’s Director General and CEO.
Governments and industry share a target for aviation to achieve CNG2020. There is also a common understanding that this will be accomplished through a four-pillar strategy of improved technology, more efficient infrastructure, and better operations. The fourth pillar, market based measures (MBMs), will also be needed to fill the gap until the other elements of the strategy achieve their full potential.
While all four pillars of the strategy are important, finding a global approach to market based measures is expected to continue to be the main focus of discussion among governments.
At IATA’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) in June, its member airlines overwhelmingly endorsed a resolutioncalling on governments to agree to a mandatory global carbon offset scheme as the single MBM to be applied worldwide. This has been reflected in a united working paper presented to the Assembly by the Airports Council International (ACI), the Civil Air Navigation Services Organization (CANSO), the International Coordinating Committee of Aerospace Industry Associations (ICCAIA), the International Business Aviation Council (IBAC) and IATA.
These five organizations urge the Assembly to
· Agree a
roadmap for development of a single global MBM for aviation to be implemented
from 2020 that can be adopted at the next ICAO Assembly in 2016.
· Agree the
principles for development of a global MBM, including the goal of CNG2020; that
aviation emissions should only be accounted for once; that a global MBM should
take account of the different operating circumstances of operators around the
world.
· Ask ICAO
to develop, in the meantime, several milestones that could help build the
foundation for a single global MBM, including an ICAO standard for monitoring,
reporting and verifying emissions from aviation; and a mechanism to define the
quality of verified offset types that could be used in a global MBM for
aviation.
Passenger Rights and Consumer Protection
The industry is also keen to see governments endorse a globally coordinated approach to consumer protection. IATA submitted a passenger rights working paper calling on governments to agree a set of high level core principles on consumer protection to combat the proliferation of uncoordinated national and regional passenger rights regimes. Taking into consideration the consequences to the consumer of such regulatory fragmentation, the Sixth Worldwide Air Transport Conference urged the development of core principles for consumer protection. IATA’s 2013 AGM unanimously approved a resolution outlining such core principles. IATA is asking the Assembly to utilize these principles as ICAO seeks to develop a common approach among governments and to urge states to incorporate the IATA resolution’s principles into existing and future passenger rights regimes.
The industry is also keen to see governments endorse a globally coordinated approach to consumer protection. IATA submitted a passenger rights working paper calling on governments to agree a set of high level core principles on consumer protection to combat the proliferation of uncoordinated national and regional passenger rights regimes. Taking into consideration the consequences to the consumer of such regulatory fragmentation, the Sixth Worldwide Air Transport Conference urged the development of core principles for consumer protection. IATA’s 2013 AGM unanimously approved a resolution outlining such core principles. IATA is asking the Assembly to utilize these principles as ICAO seeks to develop a common approach among governments and to urge states to incorporate the IATA resolution’s principles into existing and future passenger rights regimes.
In a related
working paper , IATA
encouraged states to adopt the Montreal Convention 1999 (MC99). While MC99
established a modern, fair and effective regime to govern liability to
passengers and shippers on international flights, to date only 103 ICAO Member
States (54%) are parties to it. Universal acceptance of MC99 will mean that
governments can truly ensure that a modern and fair liability regime would
apply to passenger and cargo claims, whatever the route or destination
involved. Likewise, since MC99 facilitates the use of the electronic Air
Waybill (E-AWB), universal acceptance means governments can be sure their
industry stakeholders that rely on air cargo connectivity can avail themselves
of faster shipment times, and lower costs on a global scale.
A Full Agenda
In addition to addressing the topics of climate change and passenger rights, the industry has submitted six other working papers on a broad range of topics.
A Full Agenda
In addition to addressing the topics of climate change and passenger rights, the industry has submitted six other working papers on a broad range of topics.
· Enhanced
IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA): Safety is the top priority
for both industry and governments. IOSA is a tool for airlines to
assess conformity with global best practices in safety management including
conformity to ICAO standards. Since IOSA became a condition for IATA
membership, a clear trend has developed. IOSA registered airlines have a
consistently better safety performance than airlines that have not gone through
the audit process. The audit is being made even more robust with the
progressive introduction of an Enhanced-IOSA program which includes continuous
conformity measures through self-auditing by airlines. IATA is asking states to
recognize and support the success of the Enhanced-IOSA program.
· Passenger
Data and Border Control: A growing number of States are
requesting that airlines transmit passenger
data such as Advance
Passenger Information (API) and Passenger Name Record (PNR) electronically for
the purposes of border control and security. Often, these requests do not
follow the standards and guidelines established by ICAO and the World Customs
Organization. Non-standard requirements affect not only States, but also
airline operations and the travel experience of passengers. IATA is asking ICAO
to raise awareness of ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices on passenger
data and to enhance measures to increase compliance.
· Global
Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) : GNSS is a key technology of
communications, navigation and surveillance infrastructure. The GNSS systems
that are in use today are GPS (USA) and GLONASS (Russia China
· Operations: There
has been an increase in the documentation required by States to authorize
operations by airlines that are registered in other States. To comply with
these procedures airlines need to submit multiple documents that have no
relevance to flight safety. And managing such documentation comes with costs
and an administrative burden. IATA is asking states to adhere to standardized
content and format for the issuance of Air
Operators’ Certificates (AOCs)
and associated operations specifications. And it is asking states to recognize
as valid AOCs and associated operations specifications by other states so long
as they comply with Annex 6 of the Chicago Convention.
In a related working paper, IATA urges all states to join
the ICAO electronic AOC Registry which will reduce or eliminate the need for
burdensome paperwork which adds nothing to flight safety.
· Noise: IATA
supports the recommendation by the ICAO Committee on Aviation Environmental
Protection (CAEP) that States should refrain from imposing operating
restrictions on aircraft that comply with the current noise certification standard (Annex 16,
Volume I, Chapter 4 and/or 14) or introducing measures that would lead to the
phase-out of aircraft that are in compliance with existing noise standards.
· Training: IATA is
also urging states to comply with an internationally agreed standard for
approval of flight simulators. Such compliance would reduce millions of dollars
of cost to the airline industry without any compromise in flight safety.
The ICAO Assembly is a triennial event that opens on 24
September 2013 in
Montreal
