ICAO EUR/NAT REGIONS PROVIDER STATES AND REGULAR OBSERVERS, SUPPLEMENTED BY OTHER STAKEHOLDERS, TO MEET ON MAY 12, 2010 IN PARIS TO REVIEW VOLCANIC ASH CONTINGENCY PLANS Paris (France), 30 April 2010 – In light of the contingency plans enforced by States as a result of the eruption of the Eyjafjallajökull Volcano in Iceland, the Regional Director of the Paris-based EUR/NAT Office convened a new task force composed of representatives from the European and North Atlantic Provider States, as well as stakeholders, to review the plans. The so-called European and North Atlantic Task Force (EUR/NAT VATF) will hold its first meeting at the EUR/NAT Office premises on 12 May 2010 and is expected to develop, as appropriate, its proposals for amendment of the Volcanic Ash Contingency Plan –EUR Region (EUR Doc 019) and the North Atlantic Volcanic Ash Contingency Plan (NAT Doc 006 Part 2) to the relevant regional planning groups not later than 14 June 2010. EUR/NAT VATF will work in close cooperation with the International Volcanic Ash Task Force set up by ICAO Headquarters to address such issues at a multiregional level. As anticipated, such tasks will be performed by delegates from provider States in the European and North Atlantic Regions supplemented by other stakeholders such as CANSO, Eurocontrol, the European Commission, IATA, IBAC, ICCAIA, IFALPA, IFACTA and the World Meteorological Organization. The convening of such a task force was ultimely decided by the Chairmen of both the European and North Atlantic regional planning groups (i.e. EANPG and NAT SPG) following the relevant proposal by the ICAO EUR/NAT Office for the urgent reactivation of a regional Volcanic Ash Task Force. The previous task force convened for the last time in 2005 (after the eruption of the Icelandic Grimsvötn Volcano in 2004) which completed the assigned task related to the setting up of the relevant EUR ATM contingency plans which proved successful in ensuring safety during the last volcanic event. In fact, as a result of the recent eruption event, many States amongst those affected enacted volcanic ash contingency procedures for the management of air traffic, following the guidance contained in the related ICAO documents. In addition to this, the International Airways Volcano Watch (IAVW) System, set up by ICAO in 1987 in coordination with the WMO, to detect and track the movement of volcanic ash in the atmosphere, ensured the timely and effective dissemination of the necessary aeronautical meteorological advisories and warnings for international civil aviation. During the first EUR/NAT VATF meeting, the Secretariat, supported by the Eurocontrol Central Flow Management Unit and NAT Region Air Navigation Service Providers, will brief the Task Force on operational ATM measures taken in reaction to the eruption. Following discussion, the Task Force will decide on the work to be performed and assign agreed tasks. EUR/NAT VATF: ICAO State Letter by the EUR/NAT Regional Director convening First meeting of the new EUR/NAT VATF EUR/NAT VATF Terms of Reference EUR/NAT VATF Agenda ICAO Volcanic Ash Guidance Material: Manual on Volcanic Ash, Radioactive Material and Toxic Chemical Clouds (Doc 9691) Volcanic Ash Contingency Plan – EUR Region (EUR Doc 019) North Atlantic Volcanic Ash Contingency Plan (NAT Doc 006, Part 2) Additional reference material can be also found in Annexes 3, 11, 15 as well as in the Handbook on the international Airways Volcano Watch (IAVW) Operational Procedures Manual (Doc 9766) Attachment to letter of 28 April 2010, ref. EUR/NAT 10-0376.TEC European and North Atlantic Volcanic Ash Task Force (EUR/NAT VATF) TERMS OF REFERENCE Deliverables The EUR/NAT VATF shall develop proposals for amendment of the Volcanic Ash Contingency Plan – EUR Region (EUR Doc 019), and the North Atlantic Volcanic Ash Contingency Plan (NAT Doc 006, Part 2) for presentation to the Provider States of the EUR and NAT Regions not later than 14 June 2010. Background material When developing the amendment proposals, the EUR/NAT VATF shall take into account: 1. ATM/ATFM response to the recent eruption of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano, Iceland, starting on 14 April 2010, on the basis of the guidance contained in the current editions of the EUR and NAT Volcanic Ash Contingency Plans, and the Volcanic Ash Advisories, SIGMETs and NOTAMs issued in accordance with ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices; 2. The decision by some EUR Provider States to define, on the basis of revised threshold values for ash particle concentration and effective 20 April 2010 at 06:00 UTC: a. “no fly zones” (including buffer zones) of airspaces closed to civil aviation; b. “low contaminated” airspaces where the forecast volcanic ash particle concentrations were deemed low enough to allow civil aviation to operate, under certain conditions; and c. “non-contaminated” airspaces (i.e. airspaces with no restrictions applied); 3. The decision by NAT Provider States to allow civil aircraft to operate, under certain conditions, above airspaces within which the presence of ash particles was forecast and to publish Organized Track Systems (OTS) above such airspaces. Composition The EUR/NAT VATF shall be composed of representatives from the EUR and the NAT Provider States as well as CANSO, EUROCONTROL, European Commission, IATA, IBAC, ICCAIA, IFALPA, IFATCA and the World Meteorological Organization. The EUR/NAT VATF will be moderated by the Secretary of the EANPG and the NAT SPG, and the EUR/NAT Office of ICAO will serve as its Secretariat. Working methods To avoid overlap and duplication, the EUR/NAT VATF shall keep in mind the Terms of Reference of the International Volcanic Ash Task Force (IVATF) and shall, through its Secretariat, inform the IVATF about progress of the work. The EUR/NAT VATF will be expected to carry out its work via correspondence and/or teleconferences to the extent possible, limiting the need for physical meetings. EUR/NAT VATF/1 – WP/1 27/04/2010 EUROPEAN AND NORTH ATLANTIC VOLCANIC ASH TASK FORCE (EUR/NAT VATF) - FIRST MEETING (Paris, 12 May 2010) DRAFT PROVISONAL AGENDA (Presented by the Secretariat Agenda Item 1: Approval of the Agenda The Task Force will adopt the Agenda for the meeting and decide upon its working methods. Agenda Item 2: Review of Terms of Reference for the IVATF and the EUR/NAT VATF The Secretariat will brief the Task Force on the Terms of Reference for the International Volcanic Ash Task Force (IVATF) and for the EUR/NAT VATF and the expected relationship between their work programmes and deliverables. Agenda Item 3: Review of the current contingency plans for the EUR and the NAT Regions The Secretariat will present the current editions of the Volcanic Ash Contingency Plan – EUR Region (EUR Doc 019), the North Atlantic Volcanic Ash Contingency Plan (NAT Doc 006, Part 2) and supporting documentation. Agenda Item 4: Review of events The Secretariat, supported by the the EUROCONTROL Central Flow Management Unit (CFMU) and NAT Region Air Navigation Service Providers, will brief the Task Force on operational ATM measures taken in reaction to the eruption. Agenda Item 5: Review of decisions taken to accommodate civil aircraft operations The Chairmen of the EANPG and the NAT SPG will brief the Task Force on decisions taken in order to accommodate operations by civil aircraft in the airspace forecast contaminated by ash particles. Agenda Item 6: Work Programme of the EUR/NAT VATF The Task Force will decide on the work to be performed and assign agreed tasks. Agenda Item 7: Any other business Under this agenda item the Task Force will, inter alia, be invited to confirm the tentative arrangements for its next meeting on 8-10 June 2010. (1 page) Provisional Agenda.doc Doc 9691 AN/954 Manual on Volcanic Ash, Radioactive Material and Toxic Chemical Clouds Approved by the Secretary General and published under his authority Second Edition — 2007 International Civil Aviation Organization Doc 9691 AN/954 Manual on Volcanic Ash, Radioactive Material and Toxic Chemical Clouds Approved by the Secretary General and published under his authority Second Edition — 2007 International Civil Aviation Organization AMENDMENTS Amendments are announced in the supplements to the Catalogue of ICAO Publications; the Catalogue and its supplements are available on the ICAO website at www.icao.int. The space below is provided to keep a record of such amendments. RECORD OF AMENDMENTS AND CORRIGENDA AMENDMENTS CORRIGENDA No. Date Entered by No. Date Entered by 1 14/12/07 ICAO 1 31/5/07 ICAO 2 31/3/08 ICAO (ii) FOREWORD On 24 June 1982, the aviation community and much of the world learned of the drama involving a British Airways B747 aircraft which lost power on all four engines while flying at 11 300 m (37 000 ft) from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to Perth, Australia. During the ensuing sixteen minutes, the aircraft descended without power from 11 300 m to 3 650 m (37 000 ft to 12 000 ft), at which point the pilot was able to restart three of the engines and make a successful emergency landing at Jakarta, Indonesia. Over the next few days the civil aviation authorities, engine manufacturers and the airline company involved mounted an urgent investigation into the cause of the four-engine flame-out. On-site inspection of the airframe and engines revealed a general “sand-blasted” appearance to the leading edges of the wing and engine inlet surfaces, the radome and the cockpit windows. Borescope inspection of the engines revealed no apparent mechanical damage and no fuel problem, but heavy deposits of an unknown material were found on the concave surfaces of the high-pressure turbine and nozzle guide vanes. The report of the incident by the pilot indicated that an acrid electrical smell had been noticed in the cockpit at the time and what appeared to be very fine dust or smoke entered the cockpit.