Interim Report - Introduction - EASA

INTERIM REPORT – OPTIONS FOR CHANGE
EASA.2009.OP.21
4.3 Options to improve communication and coordination –
de-icing / anti-icing subject-matter experts
During the Study, it became apparent that one of the key difficulties in obtaining feedback
from NAAs and operators was identifying a single post-holder within each of these
organisations who could identify their own lines of responsibility and understand all the
issues concerning de-icing / anti-icing relevant to their whole organisation. For example,
within operators’ organisations day-to-day decision-making often lays within flight operations,
training programmes often fall under the remit of post-holder training, the knowledge-base
may reside within the maintenance department, long-term strategy for contract provision may
sit elsewhere, and yet the responsible post-holder is often ground operations. Similarly,
within NAAs several departments are responsible for different aspects of de-icing / anti-icing
of aircraft on the ground. This situation was pre-empted by the Study Team and
questionnaires were developed as follows:
− NAAs:
− Operators:
o General Data and Safety
o Oversight of Operators – flight operations
o Oversight of Operators - continuing airworthiness
o Oversight of Aerodromes
o Oversight of Service Providers
o Flight Operations
o Maintenance and Quality
Despite this, it was often difficult for the person nominated by the Director and contacted by
the Team, to coordinate responses between these different departments and gather all the
associated data. Often, the same questionnaire was completed by different people within an
organisation and their answers were different; and where similar questions were posed in
different questionnaires the answers also frequently contradicted each other.
Coordination, communication and clear channels of responsibility are all areas highlighted by
existing documentation and safety data, as weaknesses in the system.
The options available to improve coordination between different organisations, and within
organisations are:
SME1. EASA to appoint its own subject-matter expert for internal and external
communication and coordination of de-icing / anti-icing issues.
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