The PASO operating model works by bringing together contracted aviation professionals, pooling resources and strategic support, and sharing technical information to deliver collective and individual benefits to PASO Members.
PASO is underpinned by the fundamental principle that by operating as a collective, on a shared resource basis governed by the PASO Council, Pacific aviation regulation is more harmonised, compliant, cost effective and efficient than Members acting independently.
PASO exists because effective safety and security regulatory oversight of air transport in the Pacific region is challenging.
The specialised nature of aviation places a high burden on small Pacific States with limited resources. In many cases, a State’s civil aviation authority may consist of just one or a handful of personnel, as compared to other jurisdictions which can have hundreds or thousands of staff.
Despite the small size of Pacific countries and the limited scale and nature of aviation activities within them, these countries must still comply with international obligations under the Chicago Convention, in the same way that larger and more resourced countries do, despite in some cases only having a single airport or limited flights.
The PASO operating model recognises that a lack of financial and human resources provides considerable barriers to establishing and maintaining robust regulatory frameworks that deliver ongoing international compliance and provide day to day safety and security oversight in Member States.
PASO uses a consultancy approach to access and deploy highly skilled aviation professionals, including aviation inspectors, across the Pacific region to Member States in accordance with requests for technical assistance under State work plans.
PASO Inspectors provide the required regulatory aviation safety and security oversight expertise to carry out audit activities to our Members, and report on findings and recommended corrective actions to Member States’ civil aviation authorities.
PASO audits and inspections are undertaken in accordance with the policies of Member States, using local regulations, ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) as base materials.
