PORT VILA, Vanuatu: Strengthening regional civil aviation safety and security outcomes for Pacific Islands was discussed at the biannual Pacific Aviation Safety Office (PASO) Council of Directors meeting in Port Vila in December 2019.

Over 60 Pacific region and international delegates, including Council Members representing the 10 Pacific Island signatories to the Pacific Islands Civil Aviation Safety and Security Treaty (PICASST), were in attendance at the PASO Council Meeting from 9 to 12 December 2019.

The Council was joined by Pacific government civil aviation authorities’ representatives from Cook Islands, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu. The governments of  Australia, Fiji, and New Zealand, the Pacific Island Forum Secretariat (PIFS), the World Bank, and Asian Development Bank (ADB), together with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), Airways New Zealand, Association of South Pacific Airlines (ASPA), Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore, the United States of America’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and PASO’s civil aviation inspectors attended.

“This is the largest delegation to a PASO Council meeting and is a strong indicator of the increased trust and confidence that PASO is heading in the right direction,” said Mr. Wilson Sagati, PASO Chairman.

The PASO Council meeting is the first steps taken following the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting in Tuvalu in August this year, where Leaders endorsed the convening of a Regional Aviation Ministers Meeting (RAMM) scheduled for March 2020 in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.

This week the PASO Council reviewed initial papers for the RAMM and took the opportunity to have a broad and open discussion aimed at strengthening aviation in the Pacific. The Council also committed to ensuring all Pacific Islands Forum Members are included.

“Significantly, the RAMM provides an excellent opportunity for all Pacific nations to collaborate and coordinate for the benefit of our region,” said Mr. Sagati.

The PASO Council also considered how the RAMM can be positioned to include important ICAO global initiatives, such as the Global Aviation Safety Plan, as well as the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders’ vision of Pacific Regionalism.

The Council meeting also recognized the recent success stories of PASO, especially the repayment of 25% of the Asia Development Bank (ADB) loan.

“I am pleased to confirm that PASO has paid off AUD$400K of its long standing debt to the ADB. This is a testament to PASO’s increased operational demand and prudent financial management,” said Mr. Sagati.

PASO’s Deputy Chairman, Mr. Magele Hoe J. Viali, handed over a symbolic cheque on behalf of PASO’s Council to Senior ADB Country Coordinator, Ms. Nancy Wells. Witnessing the moment were representatives from the four PASO Guarantor States of the ADB Loan – Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, and Vanuatu.

The loan was granted to PASO in 2007, after 10 Pacific Governments signed the PICASST establishing PASO as a regional body headquartered in Port Vila.

Throughout the 4-day meeting, the PASO Council affirmed PASO’s strategic direction and priorities for 2020 and took the time to start thinking about the future direction of PASO.

This consideration was on the back off significant short term growth. “Since 2017, PASO has increased its services to Pacific member States by 50% through significant operational activities, and by providing quality advice and promoting capacity building for civil aviation staff,” said PASO General Manager, Mr. Andrew Valentine.

The PASO Council will next meet for a Special Council Meeting in February for the purposes of coordination for the RAMM.

PASO was created by the 10 Member States of the PICASST treaty, to provide specialized regulatory aviation safety oversight services to their respective National Civil Aviation Authorities.

On 6-8th August, 15 participants from PASO Member States took part in a 3- day professional training course titled ‘Remotely Piloted Aircraft System – Introduction to Regulations and Operator Conduct’ at Massey University School of Aviation. The School is a NZ CAA part 149 certified training organization with significant expertise in RPAS regulation and safety management.

The course participants included Senior Officials such as Directors of Civil Aviation and a Secretary of Transport, as well as subject matter experts from 9 of the 10 PASO States.

Course participants enjoyed the materials as well as the hands on elements. The course covered an overview of New Zealand’s part 101 and 102 rules, as well as exercises that allowed participants to understand operators’ responsibilities with regards to those rules. Finally, on the third day participants had the change to operate drones themselves, in Massey’s on-campus training facilities.

The course is a great starting point for PASO Members to strengthen understanding of drone regulation under NZ Aviation Rules. With World Bank funding, PASO has recently contracted a consultancy – AvLaw Pty. Ltd. led by Prof Ron Bartsch – to look at a harmonized rules for the Pacific. The course at Massey University equipped participants with the knowledge to actively participate in the development of such rules.

The RPAS course  was made possible with support from the World Bank Reform project, under the Civil Aviation Strengthening program, which funds technical training for PASO Member States.

The next course funded under this program is the ICAO Risk Management Workshop, Nadi, Fiji, 22-25 October 2019.

Following a successful Board Meeting of the South Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO) on May 8th, the Pacific Aviation Safety Office (PASO) signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) with the SPTO, to further strengthen the relationship between these two regional organisations.

SPTO is an intergovernmental organisation that markets, promotes, and develops tourism in the South Pacific in overseas markets, and PASO ensures compliance in international aviation safety and security standards in the Pacific. Given the importance of economic growth to the region, the development of tourism in the Pacific Region, and the need for safe and secure air travel, the strategic objectives of these two organisations are closely related.

The MoC signed on 8th May by Mr. Andrew Valentine, General Manager of PASO, and Mr. Christopher Cocker, Chief Executive Officer of SPTO covers information sharing, participation in meetings as well as enables increased cooperation and collaboration on new and emerging projects that have shared interests. Mr. Valentine said, “The opportunity to work closer with SPTO is an important step in our collective efforts to provide more support to our Members’ economic growth ambitions. Mr. Cocker responded by saying, “Air access is key to the Pacific Islands for tourism development as well as safe air travel for our visitors is paramount to SPTO and we are delighted to formalize our relationship with PASO”.

For further information about the Pacific Aviation Safety Office (www.paso.aero) and the South Pacific Tourism Organisation (https://southpacificislands.travel/) please refer to their respective websites

On 7th and 8th March 2019, the PASO Reform Steering Committee convened at PASO’s Office in Port Vila, for the first meeting of 2019. This is the first time in recent memory that a Steering Committee meeting was held in Vanuatu. It represented an opportunity for PASO to make use of its new Conference Room. PASO’s office facilities were recently refurbished, following the signature of a new Hosting Agreement with the Government of Vanuatu (see story below).

Delegates traveled from Kiribati, Samoa, and PNG to attend the event, during which PASO provided an update on Reform Project Activities (past, present and future) as well as illustrating the impact that the Reform Project had on PASO’s financial and operational performance. Steering Committee delegates took note of the successful turnaround of the organization, and the Committee endorsed PASO’s proposals for future reform activities between now and December 2021, when the Reform Project is expected to end.

The PASO Reform Project is funded by the World Bank, as part of the wider Pacific Aviation Infrastructure Program (PAIP), which includes infrastructure upgrades to international airports in Vanuatu, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Kiribati, Tonga and Tuvalu.