ANAC hosts meetings of international working groups to address civil aviation issues

This November, the National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC) hosted meetings of working groups to discuss strategic themes for the sector at an international level. The most recent event, held on the 17th and 18th, was the meeting of the Air Transport Regulation Panel (ATRP), with the participation of 24 representatives from 14 countries for a discussion on the liberalization of international transport of cargo by air.

The panel discussed the role of cargo transport as an inducer of development, especially in the context of the covid-19 pandemic, as well as the possibilities that the adoption of more flexible rules for cargo transport can bring to the sector.

In this sense, the need for a specific international agreement on greater freedom to provide air cargo services was addressed. In addition, the implications of such an agreement on the areas of safety, security and facilitation were evaluated, as well as possible impacts on labor issues in the aviation sector.

The discussions are part of the ATRP planning for the years 2023 and 2024, along with discussions by two other working groups: liberalization of airline ownership and control clauses, as well as economic regulation of international drone activity.

Safety Management Panel in São Paulo

Another event hosted by ANAC to deal with the sector at an international level was the meeting of the Safety Management Panel (SMP) of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), held in São Paulo, between the 8th and 10th of November.

Created by ICAO, SMP is a group of experts that works on the development and revision of international standards, recommended practices and support material related to the management of operational safety on the grounds of Annex 19 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation.

Among the topics addressed at the meeting is the review work for the future publication of the fifth edition of DOC 9859 - Safety Management Manual. Published by ICAO, the document details guidelines for the implementation and development of State Operational Security Programs. The manual also provides guidelines for the implementation of Operational Safety Management Systems aimed at air operators and other civil aviation service providers.

The meeting had more than 40 countries represented, such as Australia, Canada, Dominican Republic, France, Germany, Nigeria, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Togo, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and The United States.

Meeting with civil aviation authorities and industry representatives

ANAC is also organizing another meeting with the Maintenance Management Team (MMT) working group. The event, which will be held in São Paulo, between December 5th and 9th, will bring together representatives of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), from the United States, of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and of Transport Canada (TCCA), as well as the international civil aviation industry.