|

SINGAPORE PARTNERS WITH ICAO ON AVIATION SECURITY LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT SEMINAR

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

To promote sharing of aviation security knowledge and expertise globally, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) have inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to establish the ICAO-Singapore Aviation Security Leadership and Management Seminar (LAMS). Mr. Raymond Benjamin, Secretary-General, ICAO, and Mr. Yap Ong Heng, Director-General, CAAS, signed the MOU today.

This high-level Seminar will be developed with ICAO and run by the Singapore Aviation Academy (SAA), the training arm of CAAS. It aims to equip senior management of the civil aviation authorities and industry with the knowledge and expertise on aviation security to enable them to effectively carry out their responsibilities as decision-makers. The Seminar also aims to enhance States’ and industry players’ understanding of ICAO aviation security objectives and priorities, international aviation security developments and international best practices.

The Seminar is targeted at the senior management of governmental aviation organizations, airport authorities, airlines, other relevant aviation industry organizations, and international aviation organizations. The Seminar will be conducted at SAA, and facilitated by aviation security instructors from ICAO and Singapore. The Seminar is scheduled to have its inaugural run in the third quarter of 2011.

Mr. Benjamin, who is in Singapore under the CAAS Distinguished Visitors Programme (DVP), emphasised the need for such high-level Seminars to enhance global understanding and cooperation in protecting civil aviation from security threats. “Civil aviation threats such as terrorism are global problems that require global solutions. Security measures must therefore be uniform and consistently enforced in all countries to be effective. This can only be achieved with the full cooperation of States, in collaboration with key stakeholders, including industry partners”.

“Singapore is honoured to partner ICAO in establishing the Aviation Security Leadership and Management Seminar. This Seminar is timely in the light of the evolving security threats and the developments in aviation security globally. It will significantly contribute to States enhancing their aviation security preparedness and capabilities”, said Mr. Yap.

About the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)
A specialized agency of the United Nations, ICAO was created in 1944 to promote the safe and orderly development of international civil aviation throughout the world. It sets standards and regulations necessary for aviation safety, security, efficiency and regularity, as well as for aviation environmental protection. The Organization serves as the forum for cooperation in all fields of civil aviation among its 190 Contracting States.

ICAO and Recent Developments in Civil Aviation Security

At the recent 37th Session of the ICAO Assembly held in Montréal in September/October 2010, Member States endorsed a Declaration on Aviation Security and adopted a proactive Comprehensive Aviation Security Strategy. More recently, the Council of ICAO adopted the 12th amendment of Annex 17 (Security) to the Convention on International Civil Aviation, improvements specifically aimed at strengthening air cargo security measures. In September, a diplomatic conference held in Beijing, under the auspices of ICAO, adopted two treaties to further criminalise acts of unlawful interference against civil aviation.

Website: www.icao.int

About the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS)
The mission of the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) is to “Grow a safe, vibrant air hub and civil aviation system, making a key contribution to Singapore’s success”. CAAS’ roles are to oversee and promote safety in the aviation industry, develop the air hub and aviation industry, provide air navigation services, develop Singapore as a centre for aviation knowledge and training, and contribute to the development of international aviation.
Website: www.caas.gov.sg

Founded in 1958, the Singapore Aviation Academy (SAA) is the training arm of CAAS. Over the past 50 years, SAA has established itself as a renowned centre of learning in aviation. It continuously introduces new programmes to address the needs of aviation professionals at all stages of their careers.
In 2000, SAA was conferred the prestigious Edward Warner Award by the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) for its eminent contribution as a centre of excellence in international civil aviation training. To date, SAA has trained more than 52,000 participants from 190 countries. SAA has currently four specialised schools – School of Aviation Management, School of Civil Aviation Safety and Security, School of Air Traffic Services and School of Airport Emergency

Services.
Website : www.saa.com.sg

About the CAAS Distinguished Visitors Programme (DVP)
The CAAS Distinguished Visitors Programme (DVP) was established in 2000 to honour outstanding leaders and experts in international civil aviation. The DVP is customised for the invited personality and serves as a unique opportunity for the personality to gain a first-hand understanding of Singapore’s civil aviation landscape, and exchange views with senior transport officials and industry players in Singapore.

To include the featured image in your Twitter Card, please tap or click their icon a second time.

Similar Posts

  • |

    NTSB TO MEET ON 2008 CONTINENTAL AIRLINES FLIGHT 1404 ACCIDENT AT DENVER AIRPORT

    National Transportation Safety Board
    Washington, DC 20594

    July 8, 2010

    The National Transportation Safety Board will hold a Board meeting on Tuesday, July 13, 2010, at 9:30 a.m. in its Board Room and Conference Center, 429 L’Enfant Plaza, S.W., Washington, D.C. There is one item on the agenda.

    On December 20, 2008, Continental Airlines flight 1404 departed the left side of runway 34R at Denver International Airport during takeoff. There was a post-crash fire. The captain and five of the 110 passengers were seriously injured.

    A live and archived webcast of the proceedings will be available on the Board’s website at http://www.ntsb.gov/events/Boardmeeting.htm.

    Technical support details are available under “Board Meetings” on the NTSB website. To report any problems, please call 703-993- 3100 and ask for Webcast Technical Support.

    A summary of the Board’s final report, which will include findings, probable cause, and safety recommendations, will appear on the website shortly after the conclusion of the meeting. The entire report will appear on the website several weeks later.

    To include the featured image in your Twitter Card, please tap or click their icon a second time.

  • Northwest Pilot Decision

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 18, 2010
    SB-10-08

    NTSB SAYS NORTHWEST PILOTS’ DISTRACTION LED TO OVERFLIGHT OF MINNEAPOLIS, NOTES ATC SHORTCOMINGS; ISSUES RECOMMENDATIONS ON ATC PROCEDURES

    Washington, DC – The National Transportation Safety Board has determined that Northwest Airlines flight 188 overflew its destination airport of Minneapolis by more than 100 miles and failed to maintain radio communications because the pilots became distracted by a conversation unrelated to the operation of the aircraft. The NTSB’s accident brief, released today, also note air traffic control shortcomings during the event, and the Board issued two safety recommendations to address those shortcomings.

    On October 21, 2009, Northwest Airlines flight 188, an Airbus A320 (N374NW) operating as a scheduled flight between San Diego and Minneapolis, did not communicate with air traffic control for approximately one hour 17 minutes. While in this NORDO (no radio communications) state, it flew past its intended destination at a cruise altitude of 37,000 feet. The crew subsequently re-established radio communications and landed without further incident. There were no injuries.

    The NTSB said that the pilots continued to fly through several air traffic control sectors without replying to any radio commands. The investigation found that the pilots had become engaged in a conversation dealing with the process by which pilots request flight schedules and during the conversation each was using his personal laptop computer, contrary to company policy. The pilots were not aware of the repeated attempts by air traffic controllers’ and the airline to contact them until a flight attendant used the intercom to inquire about the progress of the flight.

    The NTSB also found that the lack of national requirements for recording ATC instructions when using automated flight tracking systems, such as directing an aircraft to switch frequencies or to indicate that an aircraft has checked in on an assigned frequency, was a factor in the controllers delay in performing necessary actions and notifications required by lost communications procedures. In addition, because NORDO events of a short duration are not uncommon, the Safety Board found that controllers and managers may have become complacent in completing necessary NORDO actions and required notifications in a timely manner.

    As a result of deficiencies in ATC communications procedures revealed in this investigation and an accident involving a Pilatus PC-12/45 that crashed in Butte, Montana on March 22, 2009, the Safety Board is making recommendations to the FAA to address the following issues:

    The lack of standard procedures for identifying flight crew-ATC communications in ATC facilities that use automated flight tracking systems.
    The lack of standard phraseology for identifying the emergency nature of emergency ATC radio transmissions.
    The Safety Board’s probable cause finding, with factual narrative, can be accessed at the following link on the Board’s website: http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=20091022X00120&key=1

    The Safety Recommendation letter can also be found on the Board’s website at: http://www.ntsb.gov/Recs/letters/2010/A10_42_43.pdf.

    Previously, the Safety Board has addressed the potential hazards created by the use of personal electronic devices by transportation operators. Last month, following the Board’s investigation of the Colgan Air 3407 accident near Buffalo, NY, the Board issued a safety recommendation to the FAA to require all Part 121, 135, and 91K operators to incorporate explicit guidance to pilots, including checklist reminders as appropriate, prohibiting the use of personal portable electronic devices on the flight deck. Details of Safety Recommendation A-10-30 can be accessed at: http://www.ntsb.gov/Recs/letters/2010/A10_10_34.pdf.

    Recent accidents and incidents such as the midair collision over the Hudson River last August, Colgan Air flight 3407, and the Northwest pilot’s overflight of the Minnesota airport have demonstrated the clear hazards to aviation safety when pilots and air traffic controllers depart from standard operating procedures and established best practices.

    The Safety Board will convene a 3-day public forum on professionalism in aviation to address methods for ensuring excellence in pilot and air traffic controller performance. The forum is intended to raise awareness by promoting an open discussion between the Safety Board and invited panelists drawn from industry, labor, academia, and government on the importance of developing and reinforcing professionalism in the aviation industry. The forum is scheduled for May 18-20, 2010. More information regarding the forum will be announced in the coming weeks.

    – 30 –

    To include the featured image in your Twitter Card, please tap or click their icon a second time.
  • | | | | |

    LAO Airlines Crash Update

    At last the flight data recorder from the crash of a Lao Airlines turboprop ATR-72 has been recovered from the Mekong river. The cockpit voice recorder has been located also but has not yet been retrieved due to the strong currents and muddy water of the Mekong.

    The flight data recorder tracks technical data: altitude, speed and route.

    A cockpit voice recorder records cockpit conversation. The cockpit voice recorder has not been retrieved, though news releases to the contrary have been circulated.

    Lao Airlines most recent press release:

    Read more:

    Lao Airlines Victims Recovered in Mekong River

    LAO Airlines Crash Update: Victims Named

    Painful Search Continues in Laos

    To include the featured image in your Twitter Card, please tap or click their icon a second time.
  • | |

    Washington Headquarters Press Release: Mexico

    For Immediate Release
    July 30, 2010
    Contact: Sasha Johnson or Laura Brown
    Phone: sasha.j.johnson@faa.gov or laura.j.brown@faa.gov

    FAA Finds Mexico Does Not Meet ICAO Safety Standards

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) today announced that Mexico is not in compliance with international safety standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), following an assessment of the country’s civil aviation authority. As a result, the United States is downgrading Mexico from a Category 1 to Category 2 rating.

    As part of the FAA’s International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) program, the agency assesses the civil aviation authorities of all countries with air carriers that operate or have applied to fly to the United States and makes that information available to the public. The assessments determine whether or not foreign civil aviation authorities are meeting ICAO safety standards, not FAA regulations. With the IASA Category 2 rating, Mexican air carriers cannot establish new service to the United States, although they are allowed to maintain existing service.

    While Mexico has been responsive to the FAA’s findings and has made significant improvements in recent months, it was unable to fully comply with all of the international safety standards. However, under the leadership of Director General Hector Gonzalez Weeks, Mexico continues to make progress. The FAA is committed to working closely with the Mexican government and providing technical assistance to help Mexico regain its Category 1 rating.

    A Category 1 rating means the country’s civil aviation authority complies with ICAO standards. A Category 2 rating means a country either lacks laws or regulations necessary to oversee air carriers in accordance with international standards, or that its civil aviation authority – equivalent to the FAA for aviation safety matters – is deficient in one or more areas, such as technical expertise, trained personnel, record-keeping or inspection procedures.

    Countries with air carriers that fly to the United States must adhere to the safety standards of ICAO, the United Nations’ technical agency for aviation that establishes international standards and recommended practices for aircraft operations and maintenance.

    To include the featured image in your Twitter Card, please tap or click their icon a second time.
  • | | | |

    Puma Gearbox Metal Shavings Conflict

    The gearbox is a center of controversy in the investigation of the accident where the Bond Super Puma crashed off Peterhead, killing 16 men including two crew: Capt Paul Burnham, 31, of Methlick, Aberdeenshire, and co-pilot Richard Menzies, 24, of Droitwich Spa, who worked for Bond Offshore Helicopters, KCA Deutag employees Brian Barkley, 30, of Aberdeen; Vernon Elrick, 41, of Aberdeen; Leslie Taylor, 41, of Kintore, Aberdeenshire; Nairn Ferrier, 40, of Dundee; Gareth Hughes, 53, of Angus; David Rae, 63, of Dumfries; Raymond Doyle, 57, of Cumbernauld; James John Edwards, 33, of Liverpool; Nolan Goble, 34, of Norwich, and Mihails Zuravskis, 39, of Latvia; and non employees James Costello, 24, of Aberdeen, who was contracted to Production Services Network (PSN); Alex Dallas, 62, of Aberdeen, who worked for Sparrows Offshore Services; Warren Mitchell, 38, of Oldmeldrum, Aberdeenshire, who worked for Weatherford UK; and Stuart Wood, 27, of Aberdeen, who worked for Expro North Sea Ltd.

    The inquiry blames the crash on gearbox failure, but for Bond and French company Eurocopter the question remains exactly where metal particles (evidence!) were found in the gearbox.

    To include the featured image in your Twitter Card, please tap or click their icon a second time.
  • |

    Boeing Achieves Power On for New 747-8 Intercontinental

    EVERETT, Wash., Nov. 5, 2010 /PRNewswire/ — Boeing (NYSE: BA) has completed the power on sequence for the new 747-8 Intercontinental. This milestone enables the program to begin functional tests on the airplane.

    “This is a critical step in the assembly process for the new 747-8 Intercontinental,” said Elizabeth Lund, 747 deputy program manager, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “The airplane’s systems are now live. This milestone is a reflection of the focus and hard work of our engineers, mechanics and suppliers.”

    Power on is a complex series of tasks that methodically energize and activate the airplane’s systems. In this critical stage of the assembly process, the electrical, hydraulic and pneumatic systems are brought on line.

    Mechanics connected the 747-8 to an external power cart to energize the flight-deck display and maintenance systems. The electricity coursing through the airplane’s 133 miles (214 km) of wire will be as high as 105 kilovoltampere (kVa).

    The program also activated the airplane’s hydraulic and pneumatic systems. Pressurized to 3,000 pounds per square inch (psi), the hydraulics power the flight control surfaces, landing gear, brakes and steering systems. The 160 psi applied to the pneumatic system enables the airplane to operate the environmental control systems and the leading-edge flaps.

    “We are very methodical in ensuring the integrity of the airplane’s systems,” said Todd Zarfos, vice president of 747 engineering, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “This accomplishment is a key milestone in validating the design, installation and functionality of the electrical, hydraulic and pneumatic systems.”

    A video that gives you an inside look at the power on sequence is available at http://bit.ly/dlXgym.

    The program is expected to complete assembly of the 747-8 Intercontinental in the first quarter of 2011. The airplane is scheduled to enter service in late 2011 following the flight test program.

    The 747-8, which includes the 747-8 Intercontinental and the 747-8 Freighter, was launched in November 2005. Boeing has 109 orders for the 747-8 — 33 for the 747-8 Intercontinental and 76 for the 747-8 Freighter. The first 747-8 Intercontinental is scheduled to deliver in late 2011.

    The new 747-8 Intercontinental offers the lowest operating costs and best economics of any large passenger airplane, while providing enhanced environmental performance. The 747-8 provides new revenue opportunities that allow airlines to maximize profits. Eighteen feet longer than the 747-400, the 747-8 has 51 additional seats to accommodate 467 passengers in a typical three-class configuration, and it also offers 26 percent more cargo volume.

    To include the featured image in your Twitter Card, please tap or click their icon a second time.