INTERNATIONAL CIVIL AVIATION ORGANIZATION AFI PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION REGIONAL GROUP (APIRG) REPORT OF THE TENTH MEETING OF THE METEOROLOGY SUB-GROUP (MET/SG/10) (Dakar, Senegal, 29 June to 1 July 2011) Prepared by the Secretary of MET/SG MET/SG/10 – Report 2011 Report of the Tenth meeting of the meteorology Sub-Group (MET/SG/10) The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of ICAO concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. Report of the Tenth meeting of the meteorology Sub-Group (MET/SG/10) ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Table of Contents .........................................................................................................................................................ii List of Conclusions .......................................................................................................................................................iii LIST of Decisions .......................................................................................................................................................iv PART 1 - HISTORY OF THE MEETING ....................................................................................................................... 1 1.1. Date and Venue of the Meeting ..................................................................................................... 1 1.2. Officers and Secretariat ................................................................................................................. 1 1.3. Attendance .................................................................................................................................... 1 1.4. Working Languages ...................................................................................................................... 1 1.5. Agenda .......................................................................................................................................... 2 1.6. Draft Conclusions and Decisions .................................................................................................. 2 PART II REPORT ON AGENDA ITEM S ............................................................................................... 3 AGENDA ITEM 1 : Election of Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Subgroup ......................................................... 3 AGENDA ITEM 2 : Review of APIRG Conclusions and Decisions ............................................................................. 4 AGENDA ITEM 3 : WAFS in the AFI Region .............................................................................................................. 5 AGENDA ITEM 4: Review of the Recommendations of AFI OPMET Management Task Force Second and Third Meetings (MTF/2 and MTF/3).................................................................................................................................... 8 AGENDA ITEM 5 : Provision of SIGMET, tropical cyclone and volcanic ash advisories for the AFI Region ......... 14 AGENDA ITEM 6: Deficiencies in the MET field ..................................................................................................... 16 AGENDA ITEM 8: Regional meteorological procedures ........................................................................................... 19 AGENDA ITEM 9: Terms of reference, work programme and composition of the MET/SG .................................... 20 AGENDA ITEM 10 : Any Other Busyness ........................................................................................................................ 21 APPENDIX Appendix A: List of participants ................................................................................................................................ A-1 Appendix B : Status of Implementation of APIRG Conclusions and Decisions ........................................................B-1 Appendix C: Amendment to AMBEX Handbook ..................................................................................................... C-1 Appendix D: AFI OPMET Draft Data Catalogue ...................................................................................................... D-1 Appendix E: Africa and Indian Ocean (AFI) Regional SIGMET Guide .................................................................. E-1 Appendix F: Proposed Amendments to OPMET Information ................................................................................. F-1 Appendix G : Amendment to OPMET Information From Non-AOP Aerodromes.....................................................G-1 Appendix H : Summary of Operational Shortcomings and deficiencies identifies .....................................................H-1 Appendix I : Deficiencies in the Meteorology Field ………………………………………………………….……..I-1 Appendix j : Terms of Reference of the AFI ATM/MET Task Force ………………………………………………J-1 Appendix K : Volcanic Ash Contingency Plan AFI Region ………………………………………………………...K-1 Appendix L : Draft Regional Provision in the ANP/FASID ......................................................................................L-1 Appendix M : Terms of Reference, Work programme and composition of (MET/SG)……………………………...M-1 MET/SG/10 – Report 2011 Report of the Tenth meeting of the meteorology Sub-Group (MET/SG/10) iii LIST OF CONCLUSIONS Number Title Page 10/1 Receiving WAFS Products and related OPMET information through SADIS 4 10/3 Implementation of the WAFS in the AFI region 6 10/4 Schedule of the AFI OPMET Monitoring 8 10/7 Implementation of an AFTN circuit between Dakar and Pretoria RODBs to support back-up contingency capabilities 9 10/9 SIGMET monitoring and OPMET routing 10 10/11 Implementation of AFI OPMET data catalogue 11 10/12 Provision of SIGMET advisory information by Pretoria RODB during AFI SIGMET tests 11 10/14 Measures to improve the issuance of SIGMET in the AFI region 12 10/15 Revision of OPMET Data Requirements 12 10/16 Improvement of OPMET availability from AFI States Aerodromes 13 10/18 Issuance and Dissemination of SIGMET 14 10/19 Removing operational shortcomings in SIGMET provision 14 10/21 Establishment of the AFI Volcanic Ash Contingency Plan 18 MET/SG/10 – Report 2011 Report of the Tenth meeting of the meteorology Sub-Group (MET/SG/10) iv LIST OF DECISIONS Number Title Page 10/2 SADIS Strategic Assessment Tables for the AFI Region 5 10/5 Adaptation of the EUR OPMET DMG Time Validation Criteria for application in the AFI Region 9 10/6 Development of backup procedures for the AFI RODBs 9 10/8 Amendment to the AMBEX Handbook .9 10/10 Finalization of AFI OPMET Data Catalogue 11 10/13 Amendment to the AFI Regional SIGMET Guide 11 10/17 Preparation of AFI XML Transition Plan 13 10/20 Establishment of the AFI MET/ATM Task Force 17 10/22 Updating AFI Volcanic Ash Contingency Plan 18 10/23 WAFS-related meteorological regional procedures 19 10/24 Future work programme of the MET/SG 20 10/25 Composition of the MET/SG 20 MET/SG/10 – Report 2011 Report of the Tenth meeting of the meteorology Sub-Group (MET/SG/10) 1 PART 1 - HISTORY OF THE MEETING 1.1. Date and Venue of the Meeting 1.1.1 The Tenth Meeting of the APIRG Meteorology Sub-group (MET/SG/10) was held at the new premises of the ICAO Western and Central African (WACAF) Office, Dakar, Senegal, from 29 June to 1 July 2011. 1.2. Officers and Secretariat 1.2.1 The MET/SG/10 meeting was held back to back with the Third Meeting of the AFI OPMET Management Task Force (MTF/3) and Mr. Gnang Evalou, Acting ICAO Regional Director, WACAF Office, Dakar, opened both meetings. He welcomed the participants on behalf of the Dakar Regional Director Mr. Jallow Mame Sait, for the MTF/3 and the MET/SG/10 meetings. He expressed his appreciation to the participants attending the tenth meeting of the MET/SG, and highlighted the tasks to be accomplished during the meeting. 1.2.2 Mr. Gnang Evalou recalled that the Seventeenth Meeting of the AFI Planning and Implementation Regional Group (APIRG/17) held in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, in August 2011, reviewed and established the terms of reference and work programme of the MET/SG. He emphasised on the objectives of the Tenth Meeting that was going to discuss, among others, the status of implementation in the AFI Region of the World Area Forecast System (WAFS), in particular the Satellite Distribution Systems relating to information for air navigation (SADIS) provided by the United Kingdom as an integral part of the ICAO aeronautical fixed service (AFS). The main challenge of the Tenth Meeting was the establishment of the Volcanic Ash Contingency Plan in the AFI region which would reinforce the ability of the Region to prevent aircraft from flying inside hazardous air space contaminated by volcanic ash, he said. 1.2.3 He further stated that he was convinced that the MET/SG/10 meeting would develop and provide the next APIRG/18 meeting with substantial draft Decisions and Conclusions while keeping in mind, the main objective of improving meteorological services in the region. 1.2.4 The MET/SG/10 meeting was chaired by Mrs. G.E. Khambule, Senior Manager, Aviation Weather Centre, South African Weather Service and one session was chaired by the Vice Chairperson Mr. Seedy Jobe, Aviation MET Coordinator of the GCAA, The Gambia. Mr. A. B. Okossi, Regional Officer, Aeronautical Meteorology of the ICAO Western and Central African Office, Dakar, Senegal