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INTERNATIONAL OBLIGATIONS
Fiji is part of the global aviation system. Our central location puts us at the confluence of many major air routes and being part of the global aviation network has helped our air transport sector to make a major contribution to Fiji’s economy through the tourism and export markets. Aviation plays a vital role in connecting Fiji to the world and the world to us.
CAAF is responsible for discharging Fiji’s obligations as a member state of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).
The ICAO is funded and directed by 193 national governments to support their diplomacy and cooperation in air transport as signatory states to the International Civil Aviation Convention, also known as the Chicago Convention (1944). Its vision is to achieve the sustainable growth of the global civil aviation system and its mission is to serve as the global forum of States for international civil aviation.
ICAO develops policies and standards, undertakes compliance audits, performs studies and analyses, provides assistance, and builds aviation capacity with the cooperation of its member states and stakeholders.
An individual State’s responsibility for aviation safety and security oversight is the foundation upon which a safe and secure global air transport system is built. States that experience difficulties in carrying out safety and security oversight functions can undermine the state of international civil aviation. The ICAO Global Aviation Safety Plan (GASP) and the Global Aviation Security Plan (GASeP) presents the strategies which provide for a collaborative framework for States, regions, and industry to support the management of organizational challenges and operational safety and security risks for the prioritisation and continuous improvement of aviation safety and security.
Consistent aviation safety and security oversight is the means by which States ensure effective implementation of the safety and security-related standards and recommended practices (SARPs) and associated procedures contained in the Annexes to the Convention on International Civil Aviation and related ICAO documents.
Fiji is required to have in place a comprehensive safety and security regime based on the standards and recommended practices prescribed in annexes to the Convention
The safe operation of flights is due to the international aviation safety and security standards that Fiji adheres.
Aviation safety and security oversight also ensures that the national aviation industry provides a level of safety and security equal to, or better than, that defined by the SARPs. Fiji has overall aviation safety and security oversight responsibilities within our area of jurisdiction. There are eight critical elements (CEs) of a safety and security oversight system and it is Fiji’s responsibility to implement these CEs. Safety and security oversight are the foundation upon which a safe and secure global air transport system is built. Failure to carry out our safety and security oversight functions will in turn affect international civil aviation.
CAAF will continue to drive the improvement of our effective implementation of the eight CEs in collaboration with the aviation industry. It is only through collaborative efforts that our level of effective implementation of the CEs can increase.
The results of a collaborative approach were evident in 2019 when, after the ICAO In-Country Coordinated Validation Mission (ICVM), Fiji’s effective implementation (EI) score increased to 78.72%. For transparency and public accountability, ICAO provides links on its public website sharing States EI safety ratings. Fiji’s goal now is to work towards addressing the unsatisfactory areas and strengthening areas that have been found to be satisfactory.
NATIONAL OBLIGATIONS
Fiji’s air transport sector is a major contributor to Fiji’s economy through the global connections it enables. Aviation is a part of a wider transport system that moves people and goods over land, sea and air. A significant proportion of people and high-value goods arriving in Fiji are via air.
CAAF ensures the safety and security of civil aviation in Fiji through effective safety and security oversight governed by the Civil Aviation Acts and Regulations established for this purpose. Standards to ensure compliance with civil aviation legislation and ICAO SARPs are issued via CAAF Standard Documents
A balanced aviation safety and security oversight system is one in which both CAAF and the aviation industry share responsibilities for the safe, secure, regular and efficient conduct of civil aviation activities. This relationship is best established in the primary and secondary aviation legislation and specific standards implemented by CAAF.
Fiji’s State Safety Program (SSP) has been established to implement a risk-based approach to achieving an Acceptable Level of Safety Performance (ALoSP). In this context, Fiji has established safety performance targets and in line with Annex 19, all applicable service providers/operators are required to implement a Safety Management System (SMS) which forms part of the overall SSP. An effective and robust SMS will enable service providers/operators to capture and transmit safety information, which in turn will contribute to safety risk management.
The SSP requires increased collaboration across operational domains to identify hazards and manage risks. The analysis of various forms of safety data is needed to develop effective mitigation strategies specific to Fiji. This requires that CAAF and industry work closely together on safety risk management to achieve the safety performance targets that have been established. It is only through partnerships with key stakeholders that safety data can be analysed to support the maintenance of Safety Performance Indicators related to the risks and the major components of the aviation system.
The SSP is aligned with ICAO’s shift from a prescriptive method of safety and security oversight to a performance based one. This overall direction is important as it will determine the strategies that CAAF will implement to become a performance based regulator; one that has built a comprehensive risk picture of the organisations we oversight and continues to build on our knowledge and data to ensure we focus our oversight in areas where it will make the biggest difference – this is a very different way of working from what CAAF is doing now and will involve buy-in from all for this paradigm shift.
A risk-based surveillance approach will enable prioritization and allocation of CAAF’s safety management resources commensurate with the risk profile of each sector or individual operator/ service provider.
Performance-based oversight requires an adequate and mature regulatory environment, where risk management is the recognized way forward to address, and possibly improve, aviation safety and security. The publication of ICAO Annex 19 confirms this worldwide trend.”
As required under Annex 17, the Fiji Civil Aviation (Security) Regulations 1994 establishes three (3) Security Programmes; the National Civil Aviation Security Programme (NCASP), the National Civil Aviation Security Quality Control Programme (NCASQCP) and the National Civil Aviation Security Training Programme (NCASTP).
CAAF is responsible for coordinating, developing, maintaining and oversighting the three (3) national programmes. Together with the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA), CAAF coordinates and carries out consultation at the national level.
The DCA convenes and chairs the meetings of the National Aviation Security (AVSEC) Committee and the National Facilitation (FAL) Committee which endorses these programmes. Preliminary work is underway to incorporate new security amendments in these programmes and it is envisaged that the three (3) Programmes will be finalised within the period of this corporate plan.