The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Council has adopted new standards and recommended practices (SARPs) aimed at enhancing safety and facilitating the integration of remotely piloted aircraft into the international airspace system. This development, announced on April 5 at the conclusion of ICAO's 231st Session, represents a major step forward in the organization's ongoing effort to improve the global air navigation system.
Adoption of these new SARPs encompasses amendments to 15 of the 19 Annexes to the Convention on International Civil Aviation, along with the approval of a new Procedure for Air Navigation Services (PANS) on Information Management. Notably, the integration of remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) into the aviation system has been advanced through the Council’s adoption of Part IV International Operations — Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems to Annex 6 – Operation of Aircraft.
The policy agreement sets the foundational regulatory framework necessary for the international operation of RPAS, including the requirement for operators to obtain an RPAS-specific operator certificate (ROC). This is the equivalent approval to the air operator certificate (AOC) for crewed aircraft.
“The sustainable development of aviation worldwide requires a performance-driven and service-oriented advanced global air navigation system. Today we have taken significant steps towards achieving this,” said ICAO Council president Salvatore Sciacchitano.
Provisions for remote pilot licenses, RPAS-specific airworthiness requirements, and the use of C2 Links frequency bands, procedures, and systems are all included in the framework. These measures fulfill essential requirements for safe and efficient international air navigation.
The new standards aim to improve the accuracy, consistency, and security of flight information exchanges system-wide. This initiative, as highlighted by ICAO secretary general Juan Carlos Salazar, is crucial for reducing the risk of inaccurate or incomplete information provision to air traffic management (ATM) service providers and operators. It supports the optimization of air routes and networks, thereby contributing to the reduction of aviation CO2 emissions. One of the initiative's key features is the advancement towards implementing the "Flight and Flow — Information for a Collaborative Environment" (FF-ICE) concept, intended to establish a collaborative environment for sharing and optimizing flight trajectories.
Additionally, the ICAO Council has addressed safety issues related to aircraft surveillance systems, updated standards for helicopter chart development, and made significant strides in aviation accident and incident data gathering and sharing. These include the completion of the Global Aeronautical Distress and Safety System (GADSS), enhancements to the Flight Data Analysis Programme (FDAP), and new investigation standards to improve public information and data analysis accessibility.