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The Director-General of Civil Aviation, Mr Norman Lo, in his capacity as the Chairman of the Asia Pacific Air Navigation Planning and Implementation Regional Group (APANPIRG), chairs the 24th meeting of APANPIRG from June 24 to 26 held at the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Asia and Pacific Regional Office in Bangkok, Thailand.
The APANPIRG's mandates are to ensure the effective implementation of the ICAO Air Navigation Plan in the Asia-Pacific region. This year, more than 120 representatives from 22 states, two Special Administrative Regions of China and four international aviation organisations attended this annual high-level regional meeting.
Under the leadership of Mr Lo, APANPIRG made remarkable progress in various areas, especially in the key items which it agreed to pursue. One of the most significant achievements is the endorsement of the Asia/Pacific Seamless Air Traffic Management (ATM) Plan. The Plan is a high-level regional air navigation policy document incorporating the Aviation System Block Upgrades methodology - the latest ICAO initiative in ensuring global interoperability of air navigation systems. It also provides strategies, guidelines and timelines to ensure that air navigation plans of individual Asia-Pacific states/administrations are formulated in a harmonised and interoperable manner. Another important accomplishment is the successful transition into the ICAO New Flight Plan Format as scheduled. In addition, the implementation progress of Performance-Based Navigation and Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast technologies by member states/administrations has also been promising.
Since the Asia-Pacific region is expected to maintain its significant contribution to the global economy, Mr Lo urged APANPIRG to continue to provide guidance to its member states/administrations to gear up for meeting the increasing air traffic demand, and develop enhancement measures to further optimise airspace utilisation efficiency and air traffic handling capability. To this end, APANPIRG will focus on the implementation of high-priority items in the coming year, such as Digital Aeronautical Information Management and Air Traffic Flow Management.
In closing, Mr Lo encouraged states/administrations to make reference to the Seamless ATM Plan and advance ATM development. "With your collaborative efforts, we shall achieve a modernised, seamless and interoperable ATM environment, which in turn will enable us to improve the overall safety level of air navigation service, as well as contribute to a more efficient and greener air transport system in the region," Mr Lo said.
After serving as the Chairman for APANPIRG for three years since 2010, Mr Lo had satisfactorily completed his term and was re-elected with overwhelming support from states/administrations to continue to serve as the Chairman. In his term for the next three years, Mr Lo will continue to lead the region towards further advancement in air navigation planning and implementation.
Ends/Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Issued at HKT 18:31
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