ASDWire distribution date: Wed, 24 May 2006 10:10:00 GMT +0100

EUROCONTROL launches new air-ground communications safety actions

Brussels, Belgium, 24 May 2006 --[ASDWire.com]--EUROCONTROL, the European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation, together with stakeholders from across the aviation industry, has recently launched a series of new air-ground safety initiatives as a result of the air-ground communications safety initiative.

The actions that have been launched address a range of communications issues that contribute to hazardous situations. These include runway incursions, level bust, call-sign confusion, undetected simultaneous transmissions, radio interference, use of standard phraseology and prolonged loss of communications.

Key actions that will be put in place over the coming months include the national authorities ensuring that the regular flight crew proficiency checks cover air-ground communications safety issues, increasing the reliability of the frequency change process by the aircraft operators and air navigation service providers, as well as adherence to ICAO standard phraseology, procedures and best practices for flight crews and air traffic controllers. Implementation will be spread over the coming year and a half, and all safety improvements should be in place by the end of 2007.

The initiatives were launched with a group of stakeholders including the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the European Cockpit Association (ECA), the Flight Safety Foundation (FSF), the International Federation of Air Traffic Controllers’ Associations (IFATCA) and the European Regional Airlines Association (ERA).

“Air-ground communications issues are among the key safety risk areas in air traffic management and for this reason we are committed to advocating the swift implementation of these actions,” said Tzvetomir Blajev, Safety Expert at EUROCONTROL. “They are all designed for immediate safety improvements as plug-ins to the current aircraft and air traffic control operations.”

The safety actions are available at www.eurocontrol.int/safety

Note to Editors:
EUROCONTROL, the European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation, has as its primary objective to develop a seamless, pan-European air traffic management (ATM) system that meets the growth in air traffic, while maintaining a high level of safety, reducing costs and respecting the environment.

EUROCONTROL has 36 Member States: Albania, Armenia, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine and the United Kingdom.

On 8 October 2002, the Member States and the European Community signed a Protocol on the Accession of the European Community to the revised EUROCONTROL Convention. Pending its entry into force after ratification by all Parties, certain provisions of the Protocol are already being provisionally applied.

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