ICAO Aviation Groups in The Eastern Caribbean

Regional Aviation Groups
at Work In The Eastern Caribbean

Directors of Civil
Aviation of the
Eastern Caribbean

Page updated 18 April 2004

Under the auspices of the International Civil Aviation Organization, the Directors of Civil Aviation of the Eastern Caribbean (ECAR) convene meetings on an annual basis. The Directors (DCAs) meetings determine regional aviation policy, formulate the agendas and give direction to appointed technical sub-committees for their work.

These committees, inter alia, lay the framework for the initiation and implementation of aviation projects and air traffic services procedures and recommend solutions to the DCAs.

The United States and the United Kingdom are also represented at these meetings.

Eighteenth Eastern Caribbean Directors of Civil Aviation Meeting (18th E/CAR DCA), took place in Port of Spain, Trinidad 9th to 12th December 2003. View Information and Working Papers and Final Report.
Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader.

The E/CAR DCAs meeting has established, over time, as implied above, a number of Sub-Committees. The Chart below shows the current working committees.

The remaining text of this page shows main aspects of their terms of reference and some of the major projects being undertaken.

	appointed the...
Meetings of Directors of Civil Aviation of the Eastern Caribbean	Search and Rescue (SAR) Committee	SAR Task Force
	Search and Rescue (SAR) Committee	Mass Casualty Incident Task Force
	Eastern Caribbean (Informal) Working Group	Air Traffic Management Committee
		Aeronautical Information Services Committee
		Radar Data Sharing Task Force
		Working Group to develop an AIS Automation Plan for the ECAR Area

Search and Rescue (SAR) Committee

The SAR Committee was established by the DCAs and comprises the following States and organizations:- Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, France, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela. Organizations also represented include CDERA,, Intercaribbean Aeronautical Communications Limited (IACL), Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) and Pan American Health Organization (PAHO),

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is advisor to the SAR Committee.
United States is an Observer on this Committee.

Terms of Reference include the following:-

-                    to provide a standing regional forum for coordination of administrative and operational SAR matters in the Eastern Caribbean;

-                     to provide an interface with other national and international organizations involved with emergency services;

-                     to oversee the SAR Agreement for the Eastern Caribbean, and develop and maintain a Regional SAR Manual;

-                     to promote effective use of available facilities for SAR;

-                     to serve as a cooperative forum to exchange information and develop positions and policies of interest to more than one Party to the Plan;

-                     to promote close cooperation and coordination between civilian and military authorities and organizations for the provision of effective SAR services;

-                     to improve cooperation among aeronautical, maritime and land SAR communities for the provision of effective SAR services; and

-                     to determine other ways to enhance the overall effectiveness and efficiency of SAR services within the Eastern Caribbean, and to standardize SAR procedures and equipment where practicable.

The Eastern Caribbean
(Informal) Working Group

(ECAR IWG)

The Eastern Caribbean (Informal) Working Group (ECWG) was established by the Directors of Civil Aviation (DCA'S) more than two decades ago. Its purpose is to examine problems affecting airspace organization and utilization in the ECAR Region for States and Territories in the Piarco Flight Information Region and Puerto Rico's airspace.

The ECAR IWG held its 28th meeting in Montserrat from the 26th to 30th April 2004. (View Information and Working Papers) Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader.

View Final Report . Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Among the specific tasks and projects on the ECWG's Work Programme which are not yet completed or which are on-going are the following (Not in order of priority):-

1. Develop an implementation strategy for 10- minute/80 NM RNAV longitudinal separation in the Piarco and San Juan FIRs.

2. Identify, Study and make recommendations to resolve shortcomings and deficiencies in all Air Traffic Services facilities in the ECAR Region

3 Develop Guidance for States in the ECAR Region with respect to the efficient handling of Air Traffic Services incidents.

4. Develop an ECAR Contingency Plan to support ICAO's Regional Contingency Plan.

(Note: The implementation of the Contingency Plan assumes major radio failures at Air Traffic Control Units as may be caused by hurricanes or other national emergencies)

5. Implement the AIS/MAP Automation Plan System and the AIS/MAP Quality Assurance Programme for the E/CAR area. (The AIS in Trinidad and Tobago)

6. Develop and implement National Contingency Plans considering bilateral and/or multilateral agreements with other States/Territories/ International Organizations in case of disruption or potential disruption of Air Traffic Services.

7. Develop and maintain an up-to-date ATM/CNS Implementation Plan for the ECAR region. Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader (CNS/ATM - A Look At What It Means)
8. Monitor the GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) trials in the ECAR, collect and analyze the results.

9. Review and make recommendations to enhance airspace configuration, Air Traffic Control procedures and the ATS Route network in the ECAR area.

10. Develop an implementation strategy for GNSS procedures in the E/CAR area.
11. Develop and implement a Human Resources Training Plan considering the requirements for the next five years, in accordance with RVSM Implementation and the Guidance Manual for the Training of Human Resources on CNS/ATM Systems.
12. Support the development, acquisition and installation of the automation systems necessary to implement future ATM/CNS enhancements.
13. Develop and recommend improvements to the performance in the implementation and maintenance of the new aeronautical communications network in the E/CAR area.
14. Develop and make recommendations on the establishment of a common seamless surveillance image in the E/CAR region through radar data sharing.

(Note. Many of these tasks are assigned to Sub Committees or Task Forces.)

ECAR Air Traffic Management Committee

The ATM Committee was originally established by the ECWG as the ATS Committee in 1994, to make a comprehensive analysis of the Air Traffic Services (ATS) situation in the ECAR area. The Committee is now known as the Air Traffic Management Committee.

Terms of Reference include the following:-

Make a comprehensive analysis of the ATM situation in the E/CAR Area, including but not limited to:
        a) follow up of the implementation of the Contingency Procedures;
        b) review of Airspace Configuration, ATC Procedures and ATS Route Network within the
            Piarco FIR.
        c) permanent monitoring of the related CNS issues in the E/CAR Area, including but not limited to:
                 i) actual implementation of a reliable digital network to satisfy the needs of ATM,and
                 ii) implementation of the tasks assigned to the Radar Data Sharing Task Force.

Aeronautical Information Services Committee.

This Committee was established by the ECWG in May 2000 to make a comprehensive analysis of the AIS situation in the ECAR Region. View AIS Report July 2003. (Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)

Terms of Reference include:-

Identify, study and take action to resolve deficiencies in all AIS/MAP facilities in the E/CAR area.

2 Coordinate common WGS-84 points information with neighboring States for the full implementation of WGS-84 in the E/CAR area and verify that these coordinates are consistent.

3 Take necessary action to develop and assist in the implementation of an E/CAR AIS Automation Plan

4 Develop a standard E/CAR Quality Assurance System using the Draft QA System Manual as a reference and assist States and Territories in its implementation.

5. 5 Determine the appropriate use for e-mail in the AIS.

AIS Automation Working Group To
Develop an AIS Automation Plan
In The E/CAR Area.

Terms of Reference include:-

1.    To promote the development and standardization of the administrative and technical requirements of the AIS data bases for the establishment of the NASC Centres in the E/CAR sub-region.

2.     Promote between the States in the E/CAR sub-region the standardized exchange of electronic aeronautical information/data, based on the Coordinated Plan for the Implementation of National and Regional Data Banks and on the Common Operational Procedure Manual for the CAR/SAM Integrated Automated AIS System.

WORK PROGRAMME

a) Develop technical specification for the standardized application of all the elements of the Integrated Aeronautical Information Documentation, with a view to facilitating its automated processing.

b) Periodic review on the status of implementation of AIS Automated Systems in the E/CAR States.

c) Preparation of guidelines material and/or relevant aids to facilitate the E/CAR States, the implementation of standardized conceptual aeronautical information models.

d) Study and develop reference technical documentation to permit the possible use in the E/CAR Sub-Region of ICAO broadcast (Weather Aeronautical Forecast System/WAF) for AIS information.

e) Give required follow up to the possibility of use of the Internet technology for the aeronautical data exchange in the E/CAR Area that ICAO develops.

Establishment of Task Forces

From time to time it becomes necessary for these Committees or Sub Committees to establish Task Forces to execute specific items of the work programme of the Groups. When this becomes necessary, the States or organizations which have official representation at the DCA's meetings assign experts in the relevant field of study to join these Task Forces.

The following are the current Task Forces:-

ECAR Mass Casualty
Incident (MCI) Task Force

This Task Force    will include in its work, the collection and analysis of all relevant documentation, and development and completion of the MCI response plans

E/CAR Search and Rescue Task Force Major items in Terms of reference of the SAR Task Force include : -

Carry out an audit of existing SAR facilities in the region;

Do an analysis of E/CAR SAR requirements and resources within the Piarco Search and Rescue Region (SRR)
(Note:- The Piarco SRR is essentially the entire Area known as the Piarco Flight Information Region)

Make recommendations on the issue of SAR shortcoming and deficiencies in the eastern portion of the Piarco SRR

Report on the matter of accessing SAR training and matters related thereto.

Radar Data Sharing
Task Force
The plan for Radar Data Sharing

The DCAs have embarked on a plan to integrate all radar heads in the region in order to produce a single seamless air traffic control radar coverage. It would facilitate the provision of radar services to other States without radar facilities through the use of the new digital communications Network now being implemented.

This Radar Data Sharing Task Force has been set up to research and make recommendations for the implementation of the project.
View July 2003 Report. (Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader.)

Major Items in Terms of Reference:-

1 Assess the Regional coverage at levels 3000, 5 000, 10 000, 20 000 feet

2 Collect brand and model number of radar
equipment

3

a) Collect actual formats used: and other format capabilities (especially the EUROCONTROL ASTERIX format)
b) Make an in-depth analysis of the formats

4 Collect States formal agreement for remoting of their radar data

5 Assess cost of end equipment On-going Accordingly to Phased Implementation Programme.

6 Prepare a common seamless surveillance Phased Implementation Programme

7 Finalize draft letter of agreement between each State/Territory/International Organization and France.

a) Technical LoA
b) Operational LoA
c) Technical detailed specifications

8 Collect data about the realized sharing in St. Lucia

9. Training aspects

a) Training Programme
i) Operational training
ii) Technical training
b) Actual States training

Workshops and Training

Apart from the meetings of the various Groups mentioned above, from time to time, Trinidad and Tobago hosts other meetings of ICAO which are also of interest to the Eastern Caribbean in its quest for aviation safety and cooperation.

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