ICAO aims at aligning national and regional Covid-19 responses

Image courtesy ICAO

The UN specialised agency for civil aviation began conducting a series of GIR preview webinars at the end of July with Directors General of Civil Aviation (DGCAs) from all world regions, explaining its priorities and describing the important monitoring and reporting platform, and ‘Implementation Packages’ (iPack) resources, which ICAO has established to support it.

In addressing the DGCAs from Africa, the Americas and the North Atlantic and Europe during three separate webinars at the end of last month, ICAO Secretary General Dr. Fang Liu noted that the GIR “encompasses ICAO’s priority activities and initiatives in an outcome-driven format. It has been a significant team effort, involving all of ICAO’s Bureaus and Regional Offices, and also underwent a detailed consultation with our UN colleagues at the WHO, IMO, and IOM, industry groups such as IATA, ACI, CANSO, the ICCAIA, IBAC, and TIACA, as well as regional aviation organisations and commissions.”

Dr Liu noted that the activities and initiatives identified in the GIR provide required support for countries as they begin to apply the Covid-19 pandemic restart and recovery measures recommended in the CART Report, which in turn are to be guided at every stage by the latest and best public health advice relevant to the local COVID-19 status States are facing: “Recognising that a 'one size fits all' solution may not respond to States’ individual and collective efforts in light of local, national and regional needs, the GIR positions itself to support and complement States and industry actions, where necessary and in respect of appropriate responsibilities.”

Global and regional GIR initiatives will be aligned, documented and updated and these initiatives, along with the associated timelines, will be compiled in the GIR’s Online Roadmap. ICAO conducted a series of earlier webinars to present the content and functionalities of ICAO’s Covid-19 Response and Recovery Implementation Centre (CRRIC), in particular its gap analysis tool and database of risk mitigation measures.

“The Online Roadmap will enhance transparency, allow flexibility in regional implementation and facilitate partnerships with all stakeholders,” Dr Liu emphasised.

A related and essential component of ICAO’s CART Report implementation support activities are the tailored ‘iPacks’ ICAO is making available on a cost-recovery basis, and which bundle together specific guidance materials, training, tools, and expert assistance.

The agency also announced to its DGCA audiences that it is working on an interactive dashboard for COVID-19 Operational Impacts on Air Transport, which ICAO is now monitoring worldwide.

Dr Liu said: “Accounting for aviation’s instrumental role in the post-crisis recovery, and its value and benefits towards the realization of national, regional and global priorities, your continuous firm engagement and commitment to the CART recommendations and guidance, through the GIR activities and tools, will be pivotal to how we navigate aviation through the course of restart and recovery.

“I would like to reaffirm ICAO’s highest commitment to fulfilling our important multilateral role during this crisis, and to actively providing support as required and outlined in the GIR to tackle the imminent issues and challenges arising from the evolving Covid-19 pandemic.”