DRAFT REPORT THE 4TH BANGLADESH INDIA MYANMAR THAILAND ATM COORDINATION GROUP MEETING (BIMT/4)

Transcription

1 DRAFT REPORT THE 4 TH BANGLADESH INDIA MYANMAR THAILAND ATM COORDINATION GROUP MEETING () August 2016, Thailand Introduction 1 The Fourth Bangladesh India Myanmar Thailand ATM Coordination Group Meeting () was held on August 2016 at the Aetas Lumpini Hotel, Bangkok, Thailand. The meeting was attended by 41 participants from ANSPs, regulators, airspace users, as well as IATA and ICAO. The participant list along with their organizations can be found in Attachment 1. 2 Mrs. Sirikes Niemloy, Vice President Air Traffic Management, Aeronautical Radio of Thailand, Ltd (AEROTHAI) presided as the chairperson for the meeting. She was assisted by Mr. Suvichan Sthitgitpichead, Director of Network Operations ATM Centre, AEROTHAI as moderator and acting chairperson when needed. In the opening speech, Mrs. Sirikes welcomed all delegates to Bangkok and remarked that this multi-state coordination is a key platform to discuss various pressing air traffic management issues in the sub-region and is an important contribution toward the seamless and harmonized Asia-Pacific sky as envisioned in the APAC Seamless ATM Plan. The topics to be discussed, ranging from route structure design to ATM enhancement initiatives, are beneficial to the improvement of ATM operations among the States present. Mrs. Sirikes thus wished the meeting to be a fruitful one and hoped that this level of coordination between States will be continued for the years to come. 3 This summarizes key points agreed at the meeting and forms the basis for further coordination to move forward with the implementation effort. Relevant documents referred are attached to this report. Other related documents and presentations can be downloaded at

2 2 Table of Contents Introduction... 1 List of Attachments... 2 List of Conclusions... 3 List of Action Items... 4 Agenda Item 1: Adoption of Agenda... 5 Agenda Item 2: Review of BIMT/3 Action Items... 5 Agenda Item 3: Air Traffic Situation Update... 5 Agenda Item 4: BIMT Collaborative Route Design... 7 Agenda Item 5: ATM Matters...10 Agenda Item 6: Bi-Lateral Meetings...19 Agenda Item 7: Future Direction...23 Agenda Item 8: Any Other Business...23 Closing of the Meeting...24 List of Attachments Attachment Number Attachment 1 Attachment 2 Attachment 3 Attachment 4 Attachment 5 Attachment 6 Attachment 7 Attachment 8 Detail List of Participants Table of Action Items Revised BOBCAT AIP/AIP Supplement Template Outcome of Multi-Lateral Meeting between MAAR, Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, IATA and ICAO, Outcomes of Bi-Lateral Meeting between Bangladesh India, and Tri-Lateral Meeting between Bangladesh India - Myanmar Outcome of Bi-Lateral Meeting between India Myanmar Draft AIP Supplement on Operating Procedures for RNP10 Operations on ATS Routes L507, P646, N895, L524 and L301 Rocket Launch Coordination Points of Contact

3 3 List of Conclusions Conclusion -1 Air Traffic Situation Update for BIMT Meeting The meeting agreed that air traffic situation updates shall be added to the list of Agenda Items to be discussed at all subsequent BIMT meetings. This will ensure that Member States are kept aware of the air traffic demand situation in the sub-region and can collaboratively discuss initiatives to handle the growing air traffic demand appropriately. Conclusion -2 Standard Operating Procedure for Diversion Management The meeting agreed to jointly develop Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) on crossborder Diversion Management to ensure safe and effective handling of aircraft diversions, particularly those that transcends across FIR borders. This will be added to the list of Agenda Items to be discussed at BIMT/5. Conclusion -3 BOBCAT Terminology Standardization The meeting agreed on the proposed change of BOBCAT terminologies to match those of global ATFM standards, particularly introducing the use of Calculated Take-Off Time (CTOT) in place of the existing Allocated Wheels-Up Time (AWUT) along with other related terminologies. The meeting agreed to use either December 2016 or January 2017 AIRAC cycle as an effective date for the change. Conclusion -4 BIMT Surveillance Data Sharing The meeting agreed to focus more efforts on improving surveillance coverage in the North Bay of Bengal through surveillance data sharing. As the first steps to that, the following has been agreed: India and Myanmar shall expedite their process of ADS-B data sharing; and Bangladesh, India, Myanmar would consider surveillance data sharing between them Conclusion -5 Large Height Deviation (LHD) Online Reporting The meeting agreed with MAAR s proposed online LHD reporting system, which will also ensure LHD reports are automatically sent, at the time of submission, to all relevant ATS units as well as MAAR and BOBASMA. The online reporting system is in the testing and finetuning phase and should be ready by October * Note: Bangkok ACC has a separate reporting coordination with MAAR, though the reports will still be entered into the system Conclusion -6 Large Height Deviation (LHD) Coordination Bangladesh, India, Myanmar agreed on an immediate coordination between the point of contact and/or the watch supervisor on-duty, which shall be within 3 days from the date of occurrence. Upon initial contact by the unit where the LHD occurred, the contacted unit shall respond within 7 days to discuss the matter. Once an agreement is reached among the relevant units, a formal LHD report will be submitted. Conclusion -7 Periodic Teleconferences on Resolving LHDs and Other ATS Issues Bangladesh, India, Myanmar agreed to hold periodic bi or tri-lateral teleconferences between ATS authorities to discuss LHD occurrences and mitigation measures along with other ATS issues.

4 4 Conclusion -8 BIMT Route Structure Development, Phase 1 The meeting agreed on the implementation new RNAV ATS routes L524, M506 and L877 route structures as shown in Figure 4 and Table 4 during Phase 1 of BIMT Route Structure Development initiative. The target implementation date of these routes is 8 December Associated work plan (Table 5) for this implementation has been discussed and will be followed accordingly. Conclusion -9 BIMT Route Structure Development, Phase 2 The meeting agreed on the implementation of routes structures as shown in Figure 5 during Phase 2 of BIMT Route Structure Development initiative. Detail regarding these routes and work plan will be discussed at the next BIMT meeting (BIMT/5). List of Action Items Action Item -1 Air Traffic Situation Update BIMT Member States will take the task of evaluating air traffic demand situation within their respective FIRs and prepare the information to be presented at BIMT/5 meeting. Action Item -2 Development of Standard Operating Procedure for Diversion Management BIMT Member States and IATA will take the task of further assessing the occurrences of crossborder diversions and prepare input to the discussion on this Agenda Item during BIMT/5 meeting. Action Item -3 BOBCAT Terminology Standardization Thailand will take the task of coordinating with other States in the region involved with BOBCAT ATFM operations to explore agreement to the terminology standardization and the timeframe of December 2016 or January 2017 AIRAC cycle for such changes. Action Item -4 Bangladesh, India, Myanmar Surveillance Data Sharing Process Bangladesh, India, Myanmar will initiate the process of surveillance data sharing and update the status at BIMT/5 meeting. Action Item -5 LHD Online Reporting Instructional Package MAAR, upon completion of system tuning and testing, will send Member States an instructional package on the new LHD Online Reporting System to help States familiarize themselves with the platform, including a link to access the system for States to try out the system. Action Item -6 LHD Coordination Template India will provide a reporting template for the initial exchange between ATS units regarding LHD occurrences.

5 5 Agenda Item 1: Adoption of Agenda 1.1 The meeting reviewed and adopted the provisional agenda prepared by AEROTHAI. Key discussions include air traffic situation update, collaborative route design, ATM system implementation, ATS coordination, air traffic flow management (ATFM), AIDC, surveillance data sharing, and safety reporting. There were also bi-lateral meetings organized between State-pairs to discuss in-depth bi-lateral issues; outcomes from these side meetings are also included in this report. Agenda Item 2: Review of BIMT/3 Action Items 2.1 The meeting reviewed the 4 conclusions from the previous meeting (BIMT/3). These conclusions are captured in BIMT/3 meeting report and also shown in this meeting s main presentation; both documents are downloadable from the link shown in the Introduction above. The conclusions include matters related to PBN route structure design, longitudinal separation at transfer of control points, airspace closure notification, and Large Height Deviations (LHD) reporting. The meeting had no further feedback on conclusions captured. 2.2 The meeting also reviewed the 6 action items from the previous meeting (BIMT/3). These action items, along with additional ones generated from this meeting, are captured in the Table of Action Items attached to this report (Attachment 2). As the 6 BIMT/3 action items are related to the various Agenda Items discussed at this meeting, they were deliberated and concluded during their relevant discussions. The attached Table of Action Items presents latest status of all Action Items following this meeting. Agenda Item 3: Air Traffic Situation Update Thailand Air Traffic Situation Update 3.1 Thailand presented an update on air traffic demand within Bangkok FIR, which has been seeing a steady growth over the years and a forecasted 7% average annual growth rate for the next decade (FY ). Majority of the growth is from a surge of traffic between destinations in Thailand and China; however, traffic in other directions has also been rising consistently. Of concern to the BIMT group is the western traffic which saw a 6% international traffic growth over the past year. 3.2 With the steadily-rising air traffic demand, airspace sectors in Bangkok FIR are beginning to face serious demand-capacity imbalance challenges. Similarly, major airports such as VTBS, VTBD, VTCC, and VTSP are also seeing the same trend with ATS units at those airports operating at or near maximum capacity during peak hours of the days. This prompts AEROTHAI to initiate and engage in various capacity enhancement and traffic demand management efforts including ATM system modernization and cross-border air traffic flow management (ATFM) project. 3.3 Details of the traffic situation in Bangkok FIR can be found in the presentation downloadable from the web link mentioned above.

6 6 Myanmar Air Traffic Situation Update 3.4 Myanmar informed the meeting of the consistent growth in air traffic demand no different from that seen by other Member States in the Asia-Pacific region. Within Yangon FIR, military operations continue to present challenges to enhancing airspace capacity and the Myanmar government is in the process of alleviating this problem. 3.5 Myanmar also informed the meeting of the plan to establish a new Yangon International Airport (?) located approximately 60 kilometers north of the existing one. The construction of this new airport is planned to commence by the end of 2016 and is planned to be in operations by 2022, barring any unforeseen delays due to safety assessment process. It is envisioned that the new airport will be used primarily for international traffic, while the domestic traffic will continue to use the existing one. India Air Traffic Situation Update 3.6 India presented an update on the PBN route structures in India, which currently sees 43 international RNP10 routes along with a number of domestic PBN routes with specifications ranging from RNP10 to RNAV5 as well as RNP2. Additionally, India also informed the meeting of the newly finalized National Civil Aviation Policy 2016 (NCAP 2016) which aims to establish an integrated aviation eco-system leading to significant civil aviation growth that can contribute to economic prosperity. The different focus areas in the NCAP 2016 are detailed in the associated presentation. 3.7 Additionally, India has also been upgrading airspace around airports with hourly traffic of 20 aircrafts or more to be Class C Airspace equipped with both primary and secondary surveillance radar. Trial operation for this has been ongoing since 15 August 2016 at Chennai, Hyderabad and Cochin TMAs. 3.8 India also informed the meeting of an agreement with Bangladesh to establish 5 new ATS routes between Kolkata and Dhaka FIRs. This is elaborated in detail in the Agenda Item Details of the update provided can be found in the presentation downloadable from the web link mentioned above. Traffic Situation Update for Future Meetings 3.10 To enhance situational awareness on traffic demand within the sub-region, the meeting moderator requested that air traffic demand situation update be given by each Member State in the future BIMT meetings. The request was accepted by the meeting and is captured here as Conclusion -1 and Action Item -1 Conclusion -1 Air Traffic Situation Update for BIMT Meeting The meeting agreed that air traffic situation updates shall be added to the list of Agenda Items to be discussed at all subsequent BIMT meetings. This will ensure that Member States are kept aware of the air traffic demand situation in the sub-region and can collaboratively discuss initiatives to handle the growing air traffic demand appropriately.

7 7 Action Item -1 Air Traffic Situation Update BIMT Member States will take the task of evaluating air traffic demand situation within their respective FIRs and prepare the information to be presented at BIMT/5 meeting. Agenda Item 4: BIMT Collaborative Route Design Bangladesh Discussion Paper on Collaborative Route Design 4.1 Bangladesh presented a discussion paper on collaborative route design between Bangladesh and India as a follow up on Action Item BIMT/3-1. Through bi-lateral coordination, 5 new route structures over Dhaka FIR have been agreed and shown as follows: Figure 1 - Route Structures Agreed by Bangladesh and India 4.2 Details of these routes will be discussed in the bi-lateral meeting between Bangladesh and India during their bi-lateral meeting Bangladesh also informed the meeting that, to support the collaborative establishment of North Bay of Bengal ATS routes L507N (L507), L507S (M509), and P646, CAA Bangladesh has coordinated with the military authority to realign the danger areas VGD- 31, VGD-32, VGD-33, VGD-34, and VGD-35 to ensure proper spacing between the areas and ATS routes. The proposed areas and route structures are shown below: Figure 2 - Proposed Realigned Danger Areas Bangladesh

8 8 4.4 Due to the realignment of these danger areas, Bangladesh requested the meeting to consider shifting a segment of the planned L507S (M509) and P646 to the south to ensure separation from AREA-3, AREA-4, AREA-5 and AREA-6 shown in the figure. This would be discussed further in their bi-lateral meeting. 4.5 The discussion paper with more information can be downloaded from the web link mentioned above. India Information on Bangladesh Danger Area Activities in Kolkata FIR 4.6 India presented information from NOTAM A0173/16 issued by Bangladesh regarding the Bangladesh Navy s firing activities within the areas VGD-31, 32, 34 between and UTC in August The activities could present safety risk to aircraft operating on ATS routes near those areas, as shown in the figure below: Figure 3 - Danger Areas affected by Bangladesh Navy Activities 4.7 In light of these activities, India noted the importance of appropriate coordination procedure with respect to activation, deactivation, and suspension of the activities and the danger areas between relevant authorities, e.g. in the case of Bangladesh Navy the coordination procedure between Bangladesh Navy and Kolkata ACC should be in place. In addition, proper vertical segregation of the danger areas should also be provided in lieu of blanket airspace closures. 4.8 India also proposed for the establishment of L507N (L507), L507S (M509), and P646 to remain pending subjecting to proper development of danger area coordination procedures aforementioned. Myanmar Route Structure in the North Bay of Bengal: BIMT Route Structure 4.9 Myanmar presented information on the historical progress for implementation of new BIMT route structures spanning Bangkok, Yangon, Kolkata, and Dhaka FIRs including establishment of new RNAV ATS routes L524 and M509. M509 was pending after safety assessment while L524 was agreed to be implemented. PfA to BANP of L524 was sent to ICAO APAC by AAI. (to be elaborated by Thailand in subsequent section).

9 Myanmar informed that, due to the recent transition from 2-sector to 4-sector operations in May 2016 (to be discussed during Agenda Item 5.1), Myanmar is facing challenges in changing route structures and will thus need to adopt phased approach to route structure implementation. The proposal called for implementation of L524, M506, and L877 first before implementing other routes such as L507S (M509) subsequently. For the first phase of implementation, Myanmar proposed AIRAC cycle of 8 December 2016 as effective date Detailed information provided by Myanmar can be found in the presentation downloadable from the web link mentioned above. Additionally, Myanmar would conduct bilateral meeting with Thailand to discuss other issues pertaining to route development and operating procedures. Thailand Route Structure in the North Bay of Bengal: BIMT Route Structure 4.12 Following the discussion and agreement in BIMT/3 and taking into account readiness of Member States; Thailand proposed a phased implementation for the different route structures, with a focus on L524, M506, and L877 in the first phase as shown below: Figure 4 - L524, M506, L877 Routes 4.13 For these flights, the proposed directions are as follows: Routes Waypoints Conditions

10 10 L524 NAGPUR - Eastbound traffic (east of KAMKO) KAMKO BKK - Bi-directional (west of KAMKO) M506 DWI KAMKO Westbound traffic to join L524 after KAMKO L877 DWI MIGAR Eastbound traffic on L301, P762, M502 with VTBD, VTBS as destination Table 1 - Thailand's Proposal for Route Structure 4.14 In agreement to Myanmar s proposal of 8 December 2016 as effective date for the first phase of implementation, Thailand also proposed a revised work plan as detailed in the presentation Following the implementation of L524, M506, L877 in the first phase, the second phase of BIMT route structure development can focus on realignment L507, P646 and N895 and implementation of M509 appropriately. Conclusion on BIMT Route Structure Development 4.16 Due to the various issues surrounding route structure development, the discussions were taken forward to be conducted between various Member States during Agenda Item 6 Bi-Lateral Meetings. The conclusions on BIMT Route Structure Development are recorded under that Agenda Item. Agenda Item 5: ATM Matters Agenda Item 5.1 ATM System Implementation VHF and Surveillance Redundancy in Kolkata FIR 5.1 India presented information on the surveillance coverage within Kolkata FIR provided by 9 RADAR and 8 ADS-B stations. The system comes with 3 redundant layers as described in the given presentation to ensure coverage for 7 ACC sectors and part of 1 Oceanic sector. 5.2 India also presented information on the VHF communication coverage and redundancy systems within Kolkata FIR, with 23 frequencies in service. Technical description of the system in included in the given presentation. 5.3 Details of the information can be found in the presentation downloadable from the web link mentioned above. Re-Sectorization of Yangon FIR 5.4 Myanmar presented information on Yangon ACC re-sectorization to handle increasing traffic demand and heavy ATC workload especially during peak hours. Prior to May 2016, Yangon ACC had been operating in a 2-sector configuration which proved inadequate for the traffic demand. Thus Myanmar embarked on a project to introduce 4-sector operation along with the ATM system upgrade, with the help from ICAO Asia-Pacific Regional Sub- Office (ICAO RSO).

11 Since 26 May 2016, Yangon ACC transitioned to the 4-sector operation with the upgraded TopSky ATM System as the backbone. The transition helped ease ATC s workload significantly which in turn aid in the reduction of Large Height Deviations (LHDs) due to coordination errors. 5.6 The remaining issue, however, is the needs for more ATCs to staff the new positions. Myanmar is in the process of recruiting and training new ATCs, while transferring some ATCs from domestic towers to ACC sectors. The training of new ATCs has been done in-house using a simulator to ensure ATCs are familiar with the new sector configurations. 5.7 Details of the new sector information can be found in the presentation downloadable from the web link mentioned above. Thailand Modernization CNS/ATM System (TMCS) Project 5.8 Thailand presented progress update from the Thailand Modernization CNS/ATM System (TMCS) project, a project to transition the ATM system country-wide to the upgraded TopSky ATM System in order to improve the quality of service and ensure capability to handle the ever-increasing air traffic demand. The new ATM system will introduce several new features and operational concept to Thailand s air traffic service provision. These new features include, inter alia: Integration with air traffic flow management provision; Stripless operations in the ACCs and electronic strip operations in the TWRs; AIDC; Enhanced safety net and improved conflict detection and alert Electronic pre-departure clearance (PDC) delivery; and Multi-Surveillance Sensor Processing capability 5.9 The transition process is planned for timeframe and is divided into 3 phases Shadowing, Ghosting, and Monitoring with detail as follows: Transition Phase Description Planned Timeframe Shadowing New system is used in the background while current system is used in traffic Beginning April 2017 service provision Ghosting New system is used in traffic service provision while current system remains on standby and ready for operations if October 2017 August 2018 needed Monitoring New system is fully used in traffic service provision nationwide while being monitored to ensure smooth operations Mid-2018 onward Table 2 - Thailand TMCS Transition Phases 5.10 Details of this transition plan can be found in the presentation downloadable from the web link mentioned above.

12 12 Agenda Item 5.2 ATS Coordination Ground Ground Communication Difficulty 5.11 Thailand informed the meeting of ATS coordination challenge faced during the early days of Myanmar s transition to 4-sector operations in Yangon FIR. Specifically, Bangkok ACC had difficulty establishing ground-ground voice connection with the new Yangon Sector 3 at the transfer of control point BETNO, resulting in coordination workload and delay. The issue has since been resolved through coordination between Thailand and Myanmar accordingly. Diversion Management 5.12 Another issue faced recently was that of aircraft diversion, whereby; on 7 August 2016, 1 of 2 flights destined for VYYY had diverted to VTCC due to adverse weather without prior coordination between Yangon ACC and Bangkok ACC. This resulted in ATC confusion and needs to handle unplanned traffic. On this matter, Myanmar informed that 7 August 2016 saw a large thunderstorm cell over Yangon FIR resulting in several airport closures and heavy ATC workload that could lead to a lapse in proper ATC-ATC coordination. In any case, Myanmar agreed to investigate the case further and to put in place proper mitigation measure On a similar note, Bangladesh also informed the meeting of an occurrence where 6 aircrafts had diverted from Kolkata FIR into Dhaka FIR to avoid adverse weather without prior coordination between the ACCs The meeting moderator also cautioned the meeting to note that a lapse in proper coordination such as the cases discussed could result in air defense response and an unfortunate case such as that faced by Malaysia Airlines MH17. It is therefore of utmost importance that a proper coordination procedure be put in place to prevent such incidents To mitigate such occurrences, IATA requested that BIMT takes on the task of developing joint Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) regarding Diversion Management. The meeting agreed to the request and planned to discuss in-depth as another Agenda Item at the next BIMT meeting. In the meantime, Member States would assess the cases discussed further and prepared information or proposal to discuss at the next meeting appropriately. This has been captured as Conclusion -4 and associated Action Item -2. Conclusion -2 Standard Operating Procedure for Diversion Management The meeting agreed to jointly develop Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) on cross-border Diversion Management to ensure safe and effective handling of aircraft diversions, particularly those that transcends across FIR borders. This will be added to the list of Agenda Items to be discussed at BIMT/5. Action Item -2 Development of Standard Operating Procedure for Diversion Management

13 13 BIMT Member States and IATA will take the task of further assessing the occurrences of cross-border diversions and prepare input to the discussion on this Agenda Item during BIMT/5 meeting. Agenda Item 5.3 Air Traffic Flow Management (ATFM) BOBCAT Terminology Standardization and Operational Revision 5.16 Thailand presented a proposal to standardize ATFM terminologies used for BOBCAT ATFM operations so as to ensure alignment with global ATFM standards. The issue was initially raised during the 6 th ICAO ATFM Steering Group Meeting (ATFM/SG/6), whereby the meeting agreed that terminologies used in ATFM operations and initiatives within Asia-Pacific should follow those defined in the Asia-Pacific Regional Framework for Collaborative ATFM and ICAO Manual on Collaborative ATFM (Doc 9971). This will ensure that all relevant personnel have the same understanding of terminologies regardless of the origin of ATFM programs In this regard, Thailand had taken on a task to standardize terminologies used for BOBCAT ATFM operations, specifically the introduction the following: New Terminology Old Terminology Definition CTOT AWUT Calculated Take-Off Time CTO ETO Calculated Time-Over (Waypoint) Allocated slot parameters including: - CTOT Kabul FIR Slot Allocation - CTO at Kabul FIR entry waypoint - Allocated FL - Allocated ATS route Table 3 - New BOBCAT Terminologies 5.18 To affect the change accordingly, Thailand proposed the joint revision of AIP or AIP Supplement relevant to BOBCAT operations. The proposed revised template is attached to this meeting report as Attachment 3. Accordingly, Thailand requested the meeting to consider appropriate AIRAC cycle for which the revised AIP / AIP Supplement shall be made effective and operations with revised terminologies commenced. The meeting agreed on using either the December 2016 (8 December 2016) or January 2017 (5 January 2017) AIRAC cycle to allow time for all relevant States to process their AIP revisions accordingly. Thailand agreed to take the decision of the meeting and coordinate further with other States involved to ensure the timing is acceptable. This is captured in Conclusion -5 and associated Action Item -3 Conclusion -3 BOBCAT Terminology Standardization The meeting agreed on the proposed change of BOBCAT terminologies to match those of global ATFM standards, particularly introducing the use of Calculated Take-Off Time (CTOT) in place of the existing Allocated Wheels-Up Time (AWUT) along with other related

14 14 terminologies. The meeting agreed to use either December 2016 or January 2017 AIRAC cycle as an effective date for the change. Action Item -3 BOBCAT Terminology Standardization Thailand will take the task of coordinating with other States in the region involved with BOBCAT ATFM operations to explore agreement to the terminology standardization and the timeframe of December 2016 or January 2017 AIRAC cycle for such changes In addition to standardization of terminologies, Thailand also proposed the meeting to consider adjusting CTOT compliance window to allow for greater flexibility on the part of departure ATS units and airspace users, taking into account aircraft s ability to adjust speed and time while enroute to ensure compliance with CTO at Kabul FIR entry waypoint. The meeting was in agreement with the concept and Thailand would take the discussion further with other relevant States in the region to explore this change Details of Thailand s proposal, including proposed table of variable CTOT compliance window, can be found in the presentation downloadable from the web link mentioned above. Collaborative Air Traffic Flow Management Over SAMAR (CATOS) 5.21 India presented information on the newly developed Collaborative ATFM Over SAMAR (CATOS), an ATFM system to regulate westbound flights overflying SAMAR waypoint at the Delhi Lahore FIR boundary between UTC. SAMAR waypoint is a point of congestion for India because of (1) transfer flight level restriction with Pakistan (FL300 or above) for flights on N644, (2) converging traffic on A466 and M890, and (3) aircraft s climb performance particular those departing from Delhi Airport (VIDP). This congestion occurs mostly between UTC of each day, outside of BOBCAT ATFM operations window, and prompted India to begin the development of CATOS CATOS works similarly to BOBCAT by assigning SAMAR slots Calculated Time Over SAMAR (CTO SAMAR) and assigned FL to flights intending to overfly the waypoint during the affected period. These slots will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis and airspace users have the ability to request to reserve preferred slots up to 4 hours prior to their Estimated Time Over SAMAR Details of CATOS, including its features and sample screenshots, can be found in the presentation downloadable from the web link mentioned above IATA remarked that any ATFM initiatives to be introduced in the region should incorporate airspace users and relevant ANSPs input and feedback. Additionally, all initiatives should be aligned with the regional direction of cross-border ATFM and proper discussions between stakeholders should be ensured at appropriate meetings. Distributed Multi-Nodal ATFM Operational Trial Project Progress 5.25 Thailand, as a core project member in the initiative, presented updates from the Distributed Multi-Nodal ATFM Operational Trial project; a collaborative project among

15 15 several States / Administrations in Asia-Pacific to trial and implement a new concept of crossborder ATFM in the region. The project stemmed from the needs to handle fast-growing demand of air traffic within Asia-Pacific and the geopolitical landscape that requires the region to implement cross-border ATFM in the absence of a central ATFM authority. The concept explored and subsequently endorsed was that of a Distributed Multi-Nodal ATFM Network, which accords flexibility and freedom to States in managing their own demand-capacity balance while ensuring that they are guided by the same ATFM principles and operational procedures, supported by region-wide interconnected network of information-sharing protocols. This concept has since been endorsed as a viable solution for cross-border ATFM in Asia-Pacific and included in the Asia-Pacific Regional Framework for Collaborative ATFM by APANPIRG The Operational Trial project to develop and validate the operational procedure for the concept has been ongoing since June 2015, with the first phase focusing on addressing demand-capacity balancing at constrained arrival airports through departure Ground Delay Program (GDP) with provision of CTOT. Details of the work in this phase were provided to the meeting in the given presentation The project is now at the last stage in the first phase (Stage 3 Limited-Scope Operational Service) with a focus on methodically introducing the procedures in operational environment with capacity-limiting situations, beginning with planned events such as special airspace closure and planned subsequent expansion to include unplanned events. The first of such events was the Singapore National Day Parade 2016 (NDP16) where CTOTs were issued to international flights to regulate traffic flow into WSSS while the airport and airspace closure was in effect due to aerial activities for the occasion The activities during Singapore NDP16 went smoothly, and post-operations analysis will be conducted among core project members in the upcoming meeting late August Lessons learned will be used in the continuation of the project and will be updated to States / Administrations in the region periodically at various occasions including BIMT meetings Details of the project concept and progress can be found in the presentation downloadable from the web link mentioned above IATA remarked again that ATFM initiatives in the region should ensure involvement of stakeholders including airspace users and should also be aligned and harmonized throughout the region. IATA also suggested that BIMT States explore viability of embarking on cross-border ATFM similar to that of the Distributed Multi-Nodal ATFM Operational Trial. To this point, Thailand remarked that the Multi-Nodal ATFM Network concept is scalable and the project has plan to widen the scope to include other States in Asia- Pacific progressively, and in-depth discussion in ATFM should be taken up at appropriate meetings such as the ICAO ATFM/SG India also informed the meeting of the C-ATFM project which is an initiative to introduce centralized ATFM operations in Indian airspace. The project is progressing in a similar manner to that of the Multi-Nodal and has plans to ensure alignment and harmonization in the future.

16 16 Agenda Item 5.4 AIDC Operationalization Thailand AIDC Implementation Update 5.32 Thailand presented updates from the ATS Inter-Facility Data Communication (AIDC) Implementation initiative. The initiative arose from the needs to handle ever-increasing traffic demand in and out of Bangkok FIR through reduction of longitudinal separation between consecutive aircrafts at the transfer of control points with neighboring FIRs. This requires efficient, preferably automated, flight information coordination with adjacent ACCs. In this regard, Thailand has initiated a plan to implement AIDC message exchange with all 4 neighboring ACCs (Vientiane, Yangon, Phnom Penh, and Kuala Lumpur) with target completion timeframe of 2018, prior to country-wide transition to the new ATM system Currently, Thailand is in the first phase of the implementation plan the connection test with adjacent units. Of concern to BIMT is the planned connection test between Bangkok ACC and Yangon ACC (Thailand and Myanmar) due to start in September Following successful completion of the connection test, interoperability test which includes defining and testing different message sets will be commenced. This step has been ongoing between Thailand Cambodia and Thailand Lao PDR Subsequent to the first 2 phases, pre-operation testing and operational trial will be conducted throughout 2017 with target completion and LOA review planned for the first quarter of Details of Thailand AIDC Implementation Plan along with the timeline can be found in the presentation downloadable from the web link mentioned above India cautioned that attention should be paid to potential problems arising from route truncation by the flight plan processor, which may be difficult to detect during the interoperability test as India also faced the same problem. Additionally, India also requested that Thailand provide detailed analysis of the interoperability test cases at the next opportunity. Thailand noted the request and informed that the interoperability test is still ongoing with more data to be gathered in the upcoming months. Agenda Item 5.5 ADS-B Data Sharing Myanmar ADS-B Implementation Status 5.37 Myanmar presented the progress of ADS-B implementation within Yangon FIR. The project has been ongoing since 2013 with 5 ADS-B ground stations installed in Sittwe, Co Co Island, Yangon, Mandalay, and Myeik. Data from these stations, except that from Co Co Island, have been integrated into the Controller Working Positions with the upgraded TopSky ATM System since April Integration with data from Co Co Island station is still in progress due to unreliability of electrical power on the island which renders the data unstable ADS-B data sharing agreement between Myanmar and India has also been signed in May 2015 and can proceed, subjecting to availability of infrastructure.

17 Details of Myanmar ADS-B implementation status can be found in the presentation downloadable from the web link mentioned above. Bangladesh ADS-B Implementation Status 5.40 Bangladesh informed the meeting that there are still issues relating to CNS systems in the country and thus delaying the process of ADS-B implementation. However, the installation is planned to begin in 3 4 months, with a period of months required for completion India suggested that ADS-B data sharing agreement process between India and Bangladesh should be initiated now to ensure that when ADS-B stations are fully installed in Bangladesh, the data sharing can proceed immediately. Bangladesh noted the suggestion and agreed to discuss during the bi-lateral side meeting. Surveillance Data Sharing among BIMT States 5.42 Following the updates of ADS-B implementation from different States, India proposed that the meeting adopt a conclusion and an action item to ensure that Member States focus more efforts on improving surveillance coverage in the North Bay of Bengal region through data sharing. The meeting was in agreement and this was captured as Conclusion -6 and Action Item -4. Conclusion -4 BIMT Surveillance Data Sharing The meeting agreed to focus more efforts on improving surveillance coverage in the North Bay of Bengal through surveillance data sharing. As the first steps to that, the following has been agreed: India and Myanmar shall expedite their process of ADS-B data sharing; and Bangladesh, India, Myanmar would consider surveillance data sharing between them Action Item -4 Bangladesh, India, Myanmar Surveillance Data Sharing Process Bangladesh, India, Myanmar will initiate the process of surveillance data sharing and update the status at BIMT/5 meeting. Agenda Item 5.6 Large Height Deviations (LHD) Hotspots, Action Plan and Reporting MAAR Report on LHDs 5.43 Monitoring Agency for Asia Region (MAAR) reported to the meeting on situations of Large Height Deviations (LHDs), defined as a vertical deviation of 90 meters / 300 feet or more from the assigned flight level, near the interface between Kolkata, Yangon, and Dhaka FIRs. LHDs are used by Regional Monitoring Agencies (RMAs) to estimate airspace risk for reporting to RASMAG and APANPIRG The area along Dhaka Kolkata Yangon FIR borders is currently a hot spot in the Asia Pacific region, having the highest number of LHD occurrences; most of which were

18 18 Category E Coordination Error in the ATC-to-ATC transfer of control responsibility as a result of human factor issues. To ensure that there is coordination between the two involving ATS units to uncover the cause and prevent future occurrences, the Cross-Boundary LHD Coordination Procedure was recommended for every LHD occurrence that involved another ATS unit; the procedure was agreed and adopted in BIMT/3. Such recommended practice can be found in the presentation given MAAR also presented the Action Plan, which was a compilation of completed and planned activities, by related States and Agencies, addressing LHD Hotspots near western and eastern boundaries of Indian FIRs. States/ANSPs were invited to review and provide updates to MAAR at any time for reporting to RASMAG and APANPIRG In order to facilitate LHD reporting from States to the Monitoring Agency for Asia Region (MAAR), a prototype of online LHD reporting system was proposed during the meeting for comments and feedback. The online reporting system would automatically, at the time of submission, send the report to all relevant ATS units as well as MAAR and BOBASMA. Upon completion of system tuning and testing, ANSPs may partially or fully participate by submitting an LHD report either through the existing channel or the new online system while all relevant units would receive notification/information through the new system. More information on the system could be found in the given presentation India requested a sharing of experience on low LHD occurrences along Bangkok Yangon FIR border. Myanmar clarified that the area along that border was under full surveillance coverage and Bangkok ACC also normally send inbound estimates 1 2 hours prior to aircrafts reaching the transfer of control points. This was in contrast with Kolkata Yangon FIR border, where the inbound estimates were sent only 30 minutes in advance as per the existing Letter of Agreement. India agreed to discuss this issue further with Myanmar during the bi-lateral side meeting Myanmar remarked that, while reporting was important, mitigation procedure should also be discussed. One way to reduce such LHD occurrences would be immediate coordination between relevant ATS units; a practice that had been put in place between Kolkata and Yangon ACCs using s IATA also remarked on the importance of LHD reporting and the risk posed by such occurrences especially in the northern Bay of Bengal region frequently plagued by inclement weather. To improve coordination and reduce the airspace risk in this area, IATA proposed a more frequent LHD discussion e.g. monthly to ensure enough data could be gathered for discussion, analysis and identification of ways to reduce the occurrences Bangladesh noted the importance of LHD reporting and the high occurrences along Dhaka Kolkata FIR border highlighted by India, and requested further discussion with MAAR on reporting procedure and system during the bi-lateral side meeting. BOBASMA Report on LHDs 5.51 Bay of Bengal Arabian Sea Indian Ocean Safety Monitoring Agency (BOBASMA) presented an analysis of Category E LHD reports filed by Chennai, Kolkata, and Yangon ACCs over the 6-month period from January to June It was found that

19 19 coordination error due to incorrect passing of assigned flight level information accounted for the majority of occurrences. BOBASMA also remarked that the number of occurrences during the 6-month period in 2016 (92) was higher than the number of occurrences recorded during the 10-month period in 2015 (73), despite a new LHD handling procedure being put in place since January In light of the trend, BOBASMA urged States to put greater emphasis on avoiding coordination errors and adhering to LHD reporting procedure, in addition to the implementations of support systems such as AIDC and ADS-B data sharing. BOBASMA also requested that they be copied in the coordination between relevant ATS units on LHD occurrences to ensure that they would be kept up to date Details on the report by BOBASMA could be found in the given Working Paper downloadable from the web link mentioned above. Agenda Item 6: Bi-Lateral Meetings Multi-Lateral Meeting Outcome of Meeting between MAAR, IATA, ICAO, and Bangladesh, India, Myanmar 6.1 MAAR conducted multi-lateral meeting with IATA, ICAO, Bangladesh, India, and Myanmar to further discuss the Large Height Deviation (LHD) reporting and the online LHD reporting system proposed during Agenda Item MAAR demonstrated the actual system to the participants to show the user interface of the new online form in more details. The meeting agreed with the concept of the proposed system and MAAR informed that they would provide an instructional package to help States familiarize with platform. Since this concerned all BIMT Member States, the conclusion and action item had been captured as the meeting s Conclusion -5 and Action Item -5. Conclusion -5 Large Height Deviation (LHD) Online Reporting The meeting agreed with MAAR s proposed online LHD reporting system, which will also ensure LHD reports are automatically sent, at the time of submission, to all relevant ATS units as well as MAAR and BOBASMA. The online reporting system is in the testing and fine-tuning phase and should be ready by October * Note: Bangkok ACC has a separate reporting coordination with MAAR, though the reports will still be entered into the system Action Item -5 LHD Online Reporting Instructional Package MAAR, upon completion of system tuning and testing, will send Member States an instructional package on the new LHD Online Reporting System to help States familiarize themselves with the platform, including a link to access the system for States to try out the system.

20 In order to improve safety and reduce LHD occurrences, Bangladesh, India, and Myanmar also agreed on a more stringent coordination timeframe between the point of contact and/or watch supervisors on-duty. In reference to the Cross-Boundary LHD Coordination Procedure, ACC A shall contact ACC B within 3 days from the date of occurrence, whereby ACC B shall respond within 7 days from the date of notification. After agreeing on the facts of the occurrence, ACC A will submit the LHD report to MAAR using the online system, which will automatically notify all relevant parties. This had been captured as the meeting s Conclusion -6 as well due to its multi-state nature. To facilitate the coordination, India also agreed to provide a reporting template for the initial exchange between ATS units concerned regarding LHD occurrences, captured as Action Item -6. Conclusion -6 Large Height Deviation (LHD) Coordination Bangladesh, India, Myanmar agreed on an immediate coordination between the point of contact and/or the watch supervisor on-duty, which shall be within 3 days from the date of occurrence. Upon initial contact by the unit where the LHD occurred, the contacted unit shall respond within 7 days to discuss the matter. Once an agreement is reached among relevant units, a formal LHD report will be submitted. Action Item -6 LHD Coordination Template India will provide a reporting template for the initial exchange between ATS units regarding LHD occurrences. 6.4 Additionally, the topic of periodic LHD review teleconferences was also discussed again per IATA suggestion. States agreed with the concept and informed the meeting that bi-lateral phone conversations had been already taking place to discuss ATS issues. The meeting agreed to include conversations regarding LHDs and their mitigating measures into these discussions. This had been captured as the meeting s Conclusion -7. Conclusion -7 Periodic Teleconferences on Resolving LHDs and Other ATS Issues Bangladesh, India, Myanmar agreed to hold periodic bi or tri-lateral teleconferences between ATS authorities to discuss LHD occurrences and mitigation measures along with other ATS issues. 6.5 More information from the multi-lateral meeting between MAAR, IATA, ICAO, Bangladesh, India, and Myanmar could be found in Attachment 4. Bi-Lateral and Tri-Lateral Meetings Outcome of Meeting between Bangladesh India 6.6 Bangladesh and India conducted bi-lateral meeting during the allocated time and discussed issues pertaining to route structure development, flight level allocation, and naming of waypoints. Outcome of the discussion is attached to this report as Attachment One key issue discussed during this bi-lateral meeting was the realignment of Bangladesh danger areas (VGD-31, 32, 33, 34, 35) and the shifting of a segment of the planned L507S (M509). Since the shifting of L507S (M509) segment may render the spacing between the route and the planned P646 to be insufficient for RNP10 route specifications, further

21 21 discussion on this route structure is needed following relevant States surveys of CNS infrastructure in the area and revision of route specifications. Accordingly, the realignment of danger areas will be pending until the decision regarding L507N (L507), L507S (M509), P646 is reached. Outcome of Tri-Lateral Meeting between Bangladesh India Myanmar 6.8 Bangladesh, India, and Myanmar conducted tri-lateral meeting during the allocated time and discussed issues pertaining to Large Height Deviation (LHD) occurrences brought up by MAAR and BOBASMA. Of particular concern are flights overflying CHILA via A599 and APAGO via B465 as these are waypoints located where Dhaka, Kolkata, and Yangon FIRs intersect and create an LHD hotspot. The coordination procedure between Dhaka, Kolkata, and Yangon ACCs has been discussed and recorded as outcome from the tri-lateral meeting. The record can also be found in Attachment 5. Outcome of Bi-Lateral Meeting between India Myanmar 6.9 India and Myanmar conducted bi-lateral meeting during the allocated time and discussed issues pertaining to (1) AIDC implementation between Kolkata and Yangon ACCs, (2) LHD mitigation measures, and (3) 50NM longitudinal separation at transfer of control points. The summary of outcomes can be found in Attachment 6. Outcome of Bi-Lateral Meeting between Myanmar Thailand 6.10 Myanmar and Thailand conducted bi-lateral meeting to discuss the revision of Letter of Agreement (LOA). The draft LOA has been agreed with a tentative signing planned for early October Additionally, the bi-lateral meeting also discussed draft AIP Supplement on Operating Procedures for RNP10 Operations on ATS Routes L507, P646, N895, L524 and L301. This draft AIP Supplement can be found in Attachment 7 for review and comment. Conclusion on BIMT Collaborative Route Development 6.12 Following various side meetings, the meeting agreed to conclude the discussion on BIMT collaborative route structure development with a phased approach to the implementation. This will allow Member States to prepare the process and discuss any remaining issues accordingly The first phase (Phase 1) of the implementation focuses on agreed routes L524, M506, and L877 (shown in Figure 4 above) with summary as follows: Routes Waypoints Conditions States NAGPUR - Eastbound traffic (east of KAMKO) India, Myanmar, L524 KAMKO - BKK - Bi-directional (west of KAMKO) Thailand Transition route for westbound traffic Myanmar, M506 DWI KAMKO on L301 to join L524 after KAMKO Thailand

22 22 L877 DWI MIGAR Transition route for eastbound traffic on L301, P762, M502 with VTBD, VTBS as destination Table 4 - Phase 1 Route Implementation Myanmar, Thailand The target implementation date for these routes will be 8 December With the new implementation plan for Phase 1, a revised work plan was discussed and agreed; shown here as follows: Tasks By Completion Target Remark 1 Approval of route design BIMT/3 17 Dec Approval of work plan 17 Dec Safety assessment BIMT Jan Waypoint and route designator Jan AIP drafting Feb Submit BANP Mar Review work plan BIMT 17 Aug PfA to BANP Approval ICAO 2 Sep 2016 New route designator L524 and M509 received BIMT States submit to AAI Error correction by BIMT States 9 LOA Addendum BIMT Nov 2016 BIMT States 10 ATC Training BIMT Nov 2016 BIMT States 11 AIP Publication (Phase 1) BIMT Sep-Oct 2016 BIMT States 12 Effective Date (Phase 1 8 Dec Post-operations review BIMT TBD Table 5 - Revised Phase 1 Route Implementation Work Plan 6.15 The second phase (Phase 2) of the implementation will focus on longer routes L507N (L507), L507S (M509), P646 and others shown below. Further details of these routes will be discussed at BIMT/5 meeting, following Member States internal analysis and safety assessment as well as CNS infrastructure surveys. Figure 5 - Phase 2 Routes