ICAO’s support to aviation’s recovery efforts following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic – ICAO’s regional responses to COVID-19 – Regional Cooperation through RSOO Cooperative Platform (RSOO-CP)

 

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, all ROs have been actively involved in various activities to support States under their accreditation at regional and national levels, in collaboration with relevant international and regional organizations and in liaison with ICAO Headquarters. The activities undertaken covered aspects, including but not limited to: regular communication and coordination with States and all concerned stakeholders through virtual meetings (including Director General of Civil Aviation - DGCA meetings); webinars and regional coordination groups; facilitation to the CAPSCA programme implementation, in close cooperation with WHO; identifying and addressing States’ needs and operational challenges, supporting urgent needs for the global supply chain; humanitarian flights and repatriation flights in line with UN regional coordination mechanisms; coordinating exchange of information and experience between States, representing ICAO, as required:, and, supporting the planning for the post COVID-19 pandemic recovery and the restart of aviation operations.

Following the adoption by the Council of the Council Aviation Recovery Task Force (CART) Report and the attached “Take-off” Guidance Document (TOGD) in June 2020, ROs have continuously endeavoured to seek political commitment from the States to implement the CART recommendations and guidance through various means. In addition, since the launch of the Global Implementation Roadmap (GIR) of the Secretariat in July 2020, ROs have been providing significant assistance to States to input information into the “Gap Analysis tool”, as well as the “Public Health Risk Mitigation Measures tool”, in order to enhance the reporting by States on the implementation of the CART recommendations and the adoption of the CART guidance. Furthermore, ROs have been closely involved in the development of the “Implementation Package” (iPack) initiative together with ATB, ANB and the Technical Cooperation Bureau (TCB). In coordination with ATB and ANB, ROs played a key role in selecting the first States to receive iPacks, and are following their deployment to ensure alignment with the guidance issued at regional or national level.

Following the adoption by the Council (in November 2020) of a new High-Level Cover Document (HLCD) of the Phase II of CART, with a Second Edition of the TOGD (introducing additional recommendations and guidance in light of the latest developments of the COVID-19 crisis, including testing and risk management), ROs are intensifying their support, coordination and harmonization efforts involving not only the aviation authorities and the industry, but also regional and national public health authorities.

ROs have also been closely monitoring the situation in their respective regions and reporting on the status of their Business Continuity Plan (BCP) implementation and the latest developments on COVID-19, on a weekly basis.

The shift of resources and reprioritization of activities towards the management and mitigation of the COVID-19 crisis along with the travelling constraints imposed by the crisis has inevitably impacted the capacity of ROs to fully carry out some of the key activities originally part of their 2020 Operating Plans, such as the implementation of the USOAP and USAP activities. The technical assistance regarding USOAP, USAP, SSP, air navigation and other specific technical subjects had to be conducted virtually, limiting the effective impact. In many cases, the actual technical support to States had to be redesigned for webinars or other ways of virtual/online support. Under this scenario, it took longer to prepare the events (number and frequency); the working groups of experts had to be adjusted to smaller groups to work for a specific target, with more virtual conferences on the short-term progress to compensate the lack of face-to-face meetings. Other specific activities such as the coordination and implementation of assistance on Trust Framework had to be postponed.