Cebu – Filipina (17/10/2024) Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand will be launching a Regional Aviation Safety Data and Information Sharing Initiative to enhance aviation safety as air travel achieves full recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. In a first-of-its-kind initiative in the Asia-Pacific, the five States will collaborate and share de-identified safety data and safety information to identify safety hazards and trends and develop mitigating measures to better manage safety risks. The initiative was first mooted at the inaugural Asia-Pacific Summit for Aviation Safety held in Singapore in 2023. Since then, the States have worked together to agree on the list of safety data and information to share in the first instance and the principles and protocols that will govern data confidentiality.

On 16 October 2024, Mr. Syamsu Rizal, Director of Air Navigation, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) of Indonesia; Dato’ Captain Norazman Bin Mahmud, Chief Executive Officer, Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM); Captain Manuel

Antonio Lara Tamayo, Director-General, Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP); Mr. Han Kok Juan, Director-General, Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS); and Mr. Suttipong Kongpool, Director-General, The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT), signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to cement the partnership on the sidelines of the 59th Conference of Directors General of Civil Aviation, Asia and Pacific Regions in Cebu, Philippines. The States will work towards launching the initiative by the end of the year.

Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand recognise that the cross-border nature of aviation necessitates close cooperation and collaboration amongst civil aviation authorities to enhance aviation safety and address safety risks. A collective and coordinated approach, involving the sharing of safety data and safety information among relevant parties, will better ensure timely and effective identification, resolution and management.

Under the MOU, the States agree to cooperate and regularly share safety data and safety information from reports of safety occurrences to:

a. Advance the Asia-Pacific Regional Aviation Safety Plan goals to reduce operational risks and enable data-driven regulatory oversight;

b. Support the States’ safety management activities through safety data collection, analysis, and exchange; and

c. Enable the validation of existing safety risks, detection of emerging hazards and risks, and facilitate effective and timely intervention.

The shared data will come from each individual State’s mandatory reporting systems, covering scheduled international and domestic commercial air transport, based on occurrences reported by the States’ service providers, including airlines, air navigation service providers and aerodrome operators.

An initial list of seven categories of safety occurrences has been identified for this initiative:

a. Traffic Collision Avoidance System – Resolution Advisory,

b. Deviations from Air Traffic Controller assigned altitude,

c. Ground Proximity Warning System or Terrain Awareness and Warning System activations,

d. Severe turbulence,

e. Windshear,

f. Bird strikes,

g. Dangerous goods incidents.

The occurrence types and data fields to be shared may be revised during the duration of the MOU, subject to mutual agreement.

To ensure smooth implementation, the participating States will jointly develop a “Procedural Handbook” which outlines working procedures and detail data governance protocols, including data/information security, protection, retention, and destruction. All States will contribute data for the purpose of this initiative as Data Contributors. CAAT will serve as the Data Custodian, and CAAS, the Data Analyst. Details on the respective roles can be found in Annex A.

Collaboration under the Regional Aviation Safety Data and Information Sharing Initiative is built on the following core principles which the States agree on:

a. Safety data and safety information shall be utilised for the purpose of advancing safety goals as outlined in the MOU and shall not be used for any other purposes.

b. Except for the Data Contributor, safety data and safety information shared shall not be used to support investigations of accidents and incidents and shall not be used for punitive or enforcement purposes.

c. The findings and recommendations from analysis of safety data and safety information shared shall not be used to support investigations of accidents and incidents and shall not be used for punitive or enforcement purposes.

d. The sharing and exchange of safety data and safety information shall be in line with the principles of protection in ICAO’s Annex 19 on Safety Management as may be updated from time to time.

e. Processes for safety data and safety information handling and analysis shall be carried out with transparency and in accordance with the agreed data governance protocols.

f. The data governance protocols shall be determined by consensus and shall be clear to all participating States.

g. Findings and recommendations from analyses conducted shall always be aggregated and de-identified before being shared.

h. Each Data Contributor shall retain ownership of safety data and safety information which it provided.

Mr. Syamsu Rizal, Director of Air Navigation, DGCA of Indonesia said: “This initiative is expected to be a pioneer followed by all States in the Asia-Pacific region and provide safety learning as one of the State's references in determining accident mitigation that is more efficient and effective. DGCA commits to fulfil its role as a data contributor for this initiative. To this end, every effort has been made to ensure that the DGCA's reporting mechanism remained available and accessible to the reporter. This was done with a view to enabling DGCA Indonesia to continue its active contribution to the provision of data.”

As shared by Dato’ Captain Norazman bin Mahmud, CEO of CAAM, “Air transport is at the heart of global economic growth. Therefore, ensuring the highest level of safety and security of air operation and creating safer and more sustainable skies is paramount. Through this collaborative initiative by the States’ regulators of the aviation industry, the ability to address safety risks proactively while fostering sustainable aviation practices are enhanced. By sharing safety data and insights, we can ensure the highest safety standards can be achieved while contributing to a greener future for aviation. Together, we are laying the foundation for a resilient, safe, and environmentally responsible aviation sector across the Asia-Pacific region.”

“As we enter into this Memorandum of Understanding with our regional counterparts, we reaffirm our commitment to enhancing aviation safety through increased collaboration and data sharing. The cross-border nature of aviation demands that we work together. Through this agreement, we will collectively identify emerging trends and hazards, allowing the continuous development of proactive measures that advance safety goals across the Asia-Pacific. Together, we will ensure safer skies for all,” CAAP Director-General Captain Manuel Antonio L. Tamayo emphasized.

Mr. Han Kok Juan, Director-General of CAAS, said: “This initiative is significant in having States agree to share our respective safety data and information so that we can achieve better safety outcomes for all. This would not have been possible without trust amongst the States involved, a shared commitment to aviation safety and protocols to safeguard confidentiality. We hope that this first-of-its-kind initiative in this region will have a catalytic and demonstrative effect and we can onboard more countries to work together to ensure safer skies for the travelling public.”

Mr. Suttipong Kongpool, Director-General of CAAT, said: “Thailand is proud to be part of this meaningful collaboration, which reinforces our shared responsibility for the safe and efficient use of common airspace. By exchanging critical safety data and information, we are prioritising the safety of global citizens and contributing to strengthening global safety. This initiative reflects our dedication to identifying and addressing risks in a collaborative manner, working together with trusted partners to build our region into an aviation hub where safety is at the core. We remain committed to upholding higher safety standards and ensuring the long-term resilience of aviation for the benefit of all.” (NF/MK)