What can we learn from MH17 Disaster? What has changed since? Joe Sultana Director Network Manager 12 th November 2015
Contents The context before July 2014 The immediate reaction after the shooting down The air traffic management consequences Have things changed, can it happen again? 2
3 The Network Manager - Connecting the Network to deliver Improved Performance, even in abnormal circumstances
European Traffic - Jan
5 European Aviation Crisis Coordination Cell (EACCC) Coordinate management of response to the network crisis affecting aviation in Europe Activated when circumstances beyond normal environment of ops are evident Members EACCC … Airlines ANSP Military Airports State focal points
Coordinating Europe’s response in times of crises and disruption to air traffic management 6 Role of EACCC
7 EACCC Regulatory Framework Recovery Sustainability Coordinating Supporting Requirement NM IR EACCC Network level Mitigation Measures Member State level State focal points Contingency Plans
8 Events in Ukraine Feb – Apr 2014 FFeb 14 – indication that closure of Simferopol may be imminent MMar 14 110 - Odessa and Dnepropetrovsk ACCs assume control of Simferopol ACC 228 - Russian Federation (RF) issues several NOTAMs changing location indicators UK UR & announcing start of svc provision by RF as of 3 Apr 229 - NM telecon with ICAO, AOs and ANSPs on latest events including how to deal with NOTAMs issued by RF without jeopardising network safety 22 Apr 14 IICAO issues a State letter drawing attention to possible safety risks in the Simferopol FIR NNM advice on Headline News to AOs to avoid the airspace and circumnavigate Simferopol FIR due to safety concerns NNM telecon with AOs and ANSPs on the situation SSome AOs chose to route North of Black Sea, some route south avoiding Ukraine 33 Apr 14 - EASA issue Safety Information Bulletin (SIB )
9 Events in Ukraine Jun – Jul 2014 JJun 14 55 - Ukraine issue NOTAM closing some routes in Dnepropetrovsk FIR from 06/06/2014 till 01/07/2014 between SFC - FL260 229 – Ukraine issue NOTAM closing routes in Dnepropetrovsk FIR from SFC-FL260 from 01/07/14 till 29/07/14 JJul 14 114 - Ukraine issue NOTAM closing routes in Dnepropetrovsk FIR from FL260 – FL320 (resulting in closing ATS routes from SFC- FL320) 117 Jul – MH17
10 MH17 Crisis – Network Manager’s role 17 July (all times UTC) ~~15.00 request for info on MH17 from KLM UUkSATSE confirmation - flight plot disappeared from radar screens 1 EACCC telecon – dealing with crisis coordination response and political aspects 2 NM Ops Centre (NMOC) telecon with ANSPs and AOs – tackling ops aspects: AAirspace closures RRe-routings via Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania in south / Poland in north
Immediate Network Manager Actions in MH17 Applied the national NOTAMS published by Ukraine Processed the MH17 flight plan against the valid airspace organisation Responded to request from KLM on information about MH17 Gathered info about what might have happened and made assessment as to immediate risk As Chairman of the EACCC activated the Crisis cell Closed Ukrainian airspace as decided by Ukraine Managed the impact of the re-routing of flights with support of Ukraine and neighbouring ANSPs 11
The aftermath Major traffic flow impacts, looking at solutions at network level Address questions from EU Parliament, media, whether Network Manager could have done more beforehand Full participation in ICAO TF on Conflict zones Easy-to-access portlet on airspace closures and warning with H24 ops response service Support to safety case for partial re-opening of 4 routes over the Black Sea Heightened crisis in Lebanon, Syria/Iraq and now Egyptian airspaces 12
Complementing ICAO and European activities on Aviation Risks due Conflict Zones Key areas ensuring sharing of relevant information assessment of risk locally and regionally Network Manager Operational input on context Flight Plan processing Up-to-date situation picture with online Closure and Warnings Map for Europe and beyond Providing AOs with an interpretation of complex network situation Monitoring of network operations Ability to react in real time 13
List of published information through NOTAM, EASA-SIB, ICAO letters and national AIC/AIP…. ….Illustrated on a map. Geographical coverage is NM area + adjacent Data are updated 24/7 NM portal protected area
Daily Flights in European NM Area NE Asia 140 SE Asia 415 1463 Russia C Asia 1460 NM area internal traffic Gulf 590
Impact of crises in 2014 on traffic flows 28 November November 2014
Current situation in the South-Eastern Europe and the Middle East 18 FPL TRAFFIC 07 AUG 2015
19 ICAO Task Force on conflict zones NNM member of Task Force on Risks to civil aviation arising from Conflict Zones (TF RCZ) established by ICAO end Jul 2014 ssafety and security aspects to civilian aircraft operating to, from and over conflict zones hhow relevant info can be effectively collected & disseminated tthree meetings: two in Aug and one in Dec 2014 cconclusions to ICAO High Level Safety Conf (HLSC), Feb 15 HHLSC conclusion – establish a repository of risk assessment info OOperational as of Apr 2015 NNM conflict zones portlet
Aviation risks Threat to airspace usability assessment – security, operational expertise, political awareness Mitigation measures – adequate? Safety risk assessment methodology – still the basis Enough information/access to threat analysis for those who have responsibility to make decision fly/no fly Manage the situation and the consequences in particular impact of re-routings of major flows 20
Managing a « risk » airspace Risk factors monitored, risk mitigation plans updated Ability to react timely to changes at network level – impact beyond region Coordination at right level between ops stakeholders Top-down decisions must be unambiguous Systems can be fooled by « creative » flight planning Support those who have to make judgement calls in a complex environment 21
MH 17 Report of Dutch Safety Board Main Air Traffic Management and Airspace conclusions: Flight routes – none of the parties involved adequately identified the risks to civil aviation brought about by the armed conflict in the eastern part of Ukraine Given the risk, the airspace should have been closed Malaysian Airlines (and others) should not have selected this particular route 22
Dutch Safety Board Recommendations Improvements at 3 Levels: Management of airspace in states dealing with armed conflict in their territory – safety improvement How states and operators assess risks of flying over conflict zones – safety improvement Accountability of operators regarding their choice of whether or not to fly over conflict zones – better risk assessment 23
Obligation of the State States must ensure that the airspace used by flights is safe Any information about risks and threats should result in advice or warnings Recommendation Be prepared to close airspace, coordinate with ANSP, info 3 rd parties What if there is no functioning, no ability to make risk/threat assessment, politics get in the way 24
Obligation of the airline Operators have to do all that is possible to operate the flight safely Airlines rely on states to provide them information about risks and threats to flying Recommendation Operators need to make risk assessment for whole route, gather and share info, timely and structured process in place for info from state, unpredictability of armed conflict is increased risk 25
Recent experiences Missiles from Caspian Sea to Syria Loss of Russian MetroJet over Sinai Potential closure of Afgan airspace Network Manager preparation: Sharing of available info Scenarios prepared with ANSPs in region and others affected Extensive briefings\teleconf with airspace users Await decisions of states/safety risk assessments of airlines 26
Thank you for your attention Happy to take questions Joe Sultana Director Network Manager 12 th November 2015