INTERNATIONAL VOLCANIC ASH TASK FORCE (IVATF) - ICAO

(2 pages)
IVATF.1.DP.003.3.en.doc
INTERNATIONAL VOLCANIC ASH TASK FORCE (IVATF)
FIRST MEETING
Montréal, 27 to 30 July 2010
Agenda Item 3: Results of the EUR/NAT VATF Meeting (Plenary)
3.1: Evaluation of the Eyjafjallajökull eruption and lesson learned
3.2 Revision of existing guidance on volcanic ash contingency plans
3.3 EUR/NAT VATF 1st Meeting Report
3.4 EUR/NAT VATF 2nd Meeting Report
(Presented by the Secretariat)
IVATF/1-DP/3
29/7/10
1.1.1 The IVATF took note of the actions undertaken by the European and North Atlantic
(EUR/NAT) Office in response to the eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in April 2010. In particular, it was
noted that a EUR/NAT Volcanic Ash Task Force (EUR/NAT VATF) had convened during May and June
2010 with the principle task to prepare proposals for amendment to regional EUR/NAT volcanic ash
contingency plans and prepare recommendations for consideration by the IVATF, based on the lessons
learned and experiences gained amongst service provider and users within the EUR and NAT Regions.
1.1.2 The IVATF noted that as a result of actions undertaken by the EUR/NAT VATF, a
comprehensive proposal for amendment to a common Volcanic Ash Contingency Plan for the EUR and
NAT Regions had been endorsed by the members of the EANPG and NAT SPG in July 2010. The
updated Volcanic Ash Contingency Plan for the EUR and NAT Regions (EUR Doc 019/NAT Doc 006,
Part II refers) was an ATM contingency plan for volcanic ash which included its interfaces with
supporting services, such as aeronautical information service (AIS) and meteorology (MET); it also took
into consideration the establishment of Danger Areas based on the availability of ash concentration
guidance products, and highlighted the two different regulatory roles of a Contracting State, i.e. as a
“Provider State” and/or as a “State of Registry/State of the Operator”. In the context of the latter role, the
IVATF noted that the updated EUR/NAT Volcanic Ash Contingency Plan included recommended actions
to be undertaken by States with regards to aircraft operations in airspace contaminated by volcanic ash,
such as requiring operators to carry out a safety risk assessment prior to conducting such operations.
The IVATF acknowledged that the Volcanic Ash Contingency Plan for the EUR and NAT Regions was a
“living document” that would be subject to further review and revision, as necessary, based on
experiences gained from any future volcanic ash incidents or exercises in the EUR/NAT Regions.

IVATF/1-DP/3
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Agenda Item 3: Results of the EUR/NAT VATF Meeting (Plenary)
3.5: Follow-up action including recommendations
1.1.3 The IVATF reviewed a number of recommendations to emerge from the EUR/NAT
VATF based on the lessons learned and experiences gained amongst EUR and NAT service providers and
users. For example, in view of decision by some States to permit operations in airspace with tolerable
levels of volcanic ash contamination (provided that appropriate enhanced safety procedures were in
place), the EUR/NAT VATF had recommended that the IVATF should re-evaluate the Procedures for Air
Navigation Services — Air Traffic Management (PANS-ATM, Doc 4444) which presently indicated that
“...Controllers should take extreme caution to ensure that aircraft do not enter volcanic ash clouds”
(PANS-ATM, 15.8.3 refers).
1.1.4 The IVATF noted that the EUR/NAT VATF recommendations encompassed several
disciplines, such as air traffic management (ATM) and airworthiness, and had consequently been aligned,
to the extent possible, to the appropriate contributory sub-groups of the IVATF. The meeting agreed that
in order to address the recommendations efficiently, they would all form part of the future work
programme of the IVATF – principally, the work activities of the appropriate IVATF sub-groups during
the next 12-months, in order for the results to be presented to the IVATF/2 Meeting. Accordingly, the
EUR/NAT VATF recommendations are included under Agenda Item 7 dealing with the future work
programme.
1.1.5 The IVATF was apprised of a national perspective outlining what was required to
improve service in order to mitigate the hazards posed to aviation by volcanic ash. The objective of such
activities was to allow for less flight disruptions during a volcanic ash event whilst maintaining the
highest levels of safety. The IVATF acknowledged that improvements were required in a number of
areas, e.g. there was a need to improve the exchange of information between MET and air traffic
management (ATM) service providers and users through collaborative decision making processes, the
need to improve volcanic ash dispersion modelling and its forecast output (including better identification
of levels of uncertainty in forecasts), the need to better define eruption source parameters (through
enhanced observation and reporting) and the need to further evaluate engine tolerances to volcanic ash.
It was acknowledged that such issues had been included in the deliverables of the sub-groups of the
IVATF and would be considered by them, as appropriate.
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