We have heard a lot of the international agencies like ICAO, EASA, FAA, and IATA. But most of us have no idea what are those. Let us dissect those and figure out. What are they and why are they important to the people. There are agencies who governed the world, whereas there are some which take care of particular country or continent. CAAN of Nepal handles Nepalese aviation matters, DGCA of India handles Indian aviation, CAAP handles Philippines sky, EASA handles European, and FAA handles USA etc.
ICAO
Talking about International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), it is an UN specialized agency, created in 1944 after signing the Convention on International Civil Aviation (Chicago Convention). ICAO works with the Convention’s 191 Member States and global aviation organizations to develop international Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) which States reference when developing their legally enforceable national civil aviation regulations. There are currently over 10,000 SARPs reflected in the 19 Annexes to the Chicago Convention which ICAO oversees, and it is through these provisions, as well as ICAO’s complementary policy, auditing and capacity-building efforts, that today’s global air transport network is able to operate close to 100,000 daily flights, safely, efficiently and securely in every region of the world. After the world governing body let us see some of the local but yet powerful agencies that handle the aviation related matter for their area of jurisdiction as well for the others.
EASA
EASA stands for European Aviation Safety Agency, a European Union Authority in aviation safety. The main activities of this organization include the strategy and safety management, the certification of aviation products and the oversight of approved organizations and EU Member States. Established in 2002, the agency’s staffs are composed of more than 700 aviation experts and administrators from all EU Member States. The headquarters is in Cologne (Germany) with 3 international permanent representations in the Washington (USA), Montreal (Canada) and Beijing (China). EASA enjoys technical, financial and legal autonomy to ensure the highest common level of safety protection for EU citizens within the EU and worldwide, to ensure the highest common level of environmental protection, to avoid duplication in the regulatory and certification processes among Member States and to facilitate the creation of an internal EU aviation market. EASA plays a leading role within the EU External Aviation Policy: the Agency is a strong counterpart of other Aviation Authorities outside the EU (e.g. USA, Canada, Brazil) and a major contributor to the export of the EU aviation standards worldwide, in order to promote the movement of EU aeronautical products, professionals and services throughout the world. EASA’s objective is to become the aviation authority of Europe by modernizing and updating the EASA’s safety remit, extending the EASA’s remit beyond safety and optimizing the use of available resources. We must have heard a lot about CAAN and EASA regulation. Initially CAAN has its own licensing system and procedure but now CAAN has upgraded its standard and quality to be at par with International counterpart agencies has adopted EASA standards. The format, planning, execution, licensing everything is now in tandem with EASA’s instructions.
FAA
FAA Apart from EASA we have FAA, Federal Aviation Administration which is an agency of the United States Department of Transportation with authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S. (National Airworthiness Authority). The Federal Aviation Act of 1958 created the group under the name “Federal Aviation Agency”, and adopted its current name in 1967 when it became a part of the United States Department of Transportation. The Federal Aviation Administration’s major roles include: Regulating U.S. commercial space transportation, Regulating air navigation facilities’ geometry and Flight inspection standards, Encouraging and developing civil aeronautics, including new aviation technology ,Issuing, suspending, or revoking pilot certificates Regulating civil aviation to promote safety, especially through local offices called Flight Standards District Offices Developing and operating a system of air traffic control and navigation for both civil and military aircraft Researching and developing the National Airspace System and civil aeronautics Developing and carrying out programs to control aircraft noise and other environmental effects of civil aviation.
JAA
JAA Apart from EASA and FAA we have another agency The Joint Aviation Authorities (JAA) which was an associated body of the European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC) representing the civil aviation regulatory authorities of a number of European States who had agreed to co-operate in developing and implementing common safety regulatory standards and procedures. This cooperation was intended to provide high and consistent standards of safety and a “level playing field” for competition in Europe. Much emphasis was placed on harmonizing the JAA regulations with those of the USA. The JAA Membership was based on signing the “JAA Arrangements” document originally signed by the then current Member States in Cyprus in 1990. Based on these Arrangements and related commitments, the JAA’s objectives and functions may be summarized as follows: Aviation safety (through Aviation Safety Agency “EASA”), business effectiveness (contribution to an efficient civil aviation industry), consolidation of common standards, and international cooperation.
IATA
Air transport is one of the most dynamic industries in the world. International Air Transport Association – IATA is its global trade organization founded in Havana, Cuba in April 1945. IATA is an independent body sponsored by and designed to serve and represent the airline travel industry. It has become an important body for raising standards in the industry through agreements, training and information. Over more than 65 years, IATA has developed the commercial standards that built a global industry. Today, IATA mission is to represent, lead and serve the airline industry. Its members comprise over 230 airlines including the world’s leading passenger and cargo airlines and representing about 93% of scheduled international air traffic. IATA is the prime vehicle for inter-airline cooperation in promoting safe, reliable, secure and economical air services for the benefit of the world’s consumers. IATA’s aim is to help airlines help themselves by simplifying processes and increasing passenger convenience while reducing costs and improving efficiency. Moreover, safety is IATA’s number one priority, and IATAs goal is to continually improve safety standards, notably through IATA’s Operational Safety Audit (IOSA). Another main concern is to minimize the impact of air transport on environment. IATA ensures that people and goods can move around the global airline network as easily as if they were on a single airline in a single country. In addition, it provides essential professional support to all industry stakeholders with a wide range of products and expert services, such as publications, training and consulting. IATAs financial systems also help carriers and the travel industry maximize revenues.
Next issue we will be discussing the Aviation Licensing process in Nepal, the relation between CAAN and EASA and the examination rules. Highly recommended for the aviation wannabe professional and who are looking to understand and actually get the license.
