In a joint statement released today, several governments, including the United States, Canada, the European Union and its Member States, Japan, and the United Kingdom, expressed their unified support for the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in addressing the challenges and opportunities associated with Higher Airspace Operations (HAO).
The statement underscores the increasing demand for common rules to facilitate the safe, secure, and sustainable development of civil aviation operations in higher airspace, beyond the current regulated limits of conventional aircraft operations.
With emerging technology and engineering breakthroughs, the need for a comprehensive vision for HAO has become crucial.
Higher airspace activities are anticipated to surge, driven by diverse applications such as expanding 5G and 6G telecommunications to underserved communities, enhancing Earth Observation capabilities, and fostering innovation in the transportation of people and goods.
However, the statement emphasizes that existing safety and security systems for millions of flights at lower altitudes are not applicable to operations in higher airspace due to vastly different performance characteristics and operational needs.
The governments involved are calling for a holistic vision that includes harmonized rules for airworthiness, staff training and licensing, ground operations, identification, detection, communication, location, flight paths, and emergencies.
The goal is to ensure that activities in higher airspace contribute to the expansion of the international aviation ecosystem without compromising the safety, security, and sustainability of the existing aviation system.
The statement urges the ICAO to prioritize and expedite higher airspace operations in its work program, emphasizing the need for accelerated development and implementation of solutions for both manned and unmanned aviation traffic in higher airspace.
It recalls ICAO Assembly Resolution A41-9, recognizing the organization’s role in supporting the development and implementation of global concepts and guidance in higher airspace.
Furthermore, the governments are calling on the ICAO Secretariat to organize discussions on higher airspace operations during the upcoming 14th Air Navigation Conference. This initiative aims to reshape ICAO’s technical work program to incorporate new priorities, identify potential resources, assess progress, and determine a way forward, considering recent discussions on higher airspace operations at the Air Navigation World Event.
The statement concludes by urging the Air Navigation Commission, the premier forum for advancing civil aviation standards, to fully support this critical work within the ICAO framework.
It emphasizes that space launch and re-entry operations, while transiting through higher airspace, should be distinctly separated from aviation activities throughout all airspace to ensure the safety of the broader airspace network.
