ICAO Annex 6

Introduction

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) publication Annex 6, titled Operation of Aircraft, contains the international Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) applicable to the issuing of an air operator’s certificate (AOC) to conduct international commercial air transport. It has a JAA counterpart, EU-OPS, which is based on Annex 6. The ICAO document is published in three parts covering:

Part 1 Aeroplanes used in International Commercial Air Transport

Part 2 Aeroplanes used in General Aviation

Part 3 Helicopters used in International Commercial Air Transport

For this course, the syllabus references concern only Annex 6 Part 1. The SARPs relate to the responsibilities of the Operator; the responsibilities of the Commander (ICAO still uses the definition - Pilot in Command (PIC)); and the responsibilities of the Operations staff within a certified Operation. As the main syllabus reference is EU-OPS, the learning objectives for Annex 6 are limited to specific definitions and internationally agreed laws, regulations and procedures upon which the legal (and regulatory) framework of EU-OPS is based. Annex 6 is also covered to a limited extent in 010 Air Law.

Compliance with the Law

Because Annex 6 contains the international standards which must be embodied in national law (see the definition of national law in the Air Law notes), operators of aeroplanes engaged in international operations will be subject to the laws of foreign states as well as the laws of the State of the Operator (and the State of Registration of the aeroplane if different). It is incumbent upon the Operator to ensure that all employees, wherever they are around the world, comply with the laws of the state in which they are operating or based. Specifically, pilots are to be conversant with the rules of the air and ATS regulations for the airspace in which they will be flying.

Operational Control

The Operator or a designated representative will have responsibility for operational control (exercising authority over the initiation, continuation, diversion or termination of a flight). The responsibility may only be delegated to the commander (PIC), and exceptionally to the flight operations officer or dispatcher if the approved method of supervision of flight operations requires the use of flight operations/dispatch personnel.

Safety

The stated aim of ICAO is to encourage safe and efficient development and growth of international commercial aviation. To this end the certification of Operators is one area where regulation and application of auditable standards can help achieve the aim. Before an Operator is granted an air operator’s certificate (AOC), the necessary approval to conduct commercial (revenue earning) operations, the Operator must demonstrate that the operation is not only commercially (financially) viable, but also safe. To this end, the Operator is to ensure that not only the destination aerodromes planned to be used are of an acceptable safety standard, but that alternate (diversion) aerodromes are specified which meet the same standards. It is a general principle of acceptance of the ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) by an ICAO contracting state that other states can rely on that acceptance without further

ICAO Annex 6 1

6 Annex ICAO 1

verification. For instance, should an airline registered in a contracting state, say the USA, wish to operate into London Heathrow, the fact that the UK is a contracting state of ICAO and thus is compliant with the SARPs is sufficient evidence for the US operator to plan to use Heathrow either as the destination or as a nominated alternate.

Alternate Aerodromes

An alternate aerodrome is defined as an aerodrome to which an aircraft may proceed when it becomes either impossible or inadvisable to proceed to, or to land at, the aerodrome of intended landing. Alternate aerodromes include the following:

•Take-off alternate. This is an aerodrome at which an aircraft can land should this become necessary shortly after take-off and conditions are such that it is not possible to use the aerodrome of departure. The choice of take-off alternate will be made during the planning of the flight on the day.

•En route alternate. This is an aerodrome at which an aircraft would be able to land after experiencing an abnormal or emergency condition whilst en route. The choice of en route alternate aerodromes will depend upon the type of aeroplane and the areas over which the operation is taking place. It is normal to select ‘operationally acceptable’ aerodromes for this purpose, however, in an emergency; any ‘suitable’ aerodrome could be used.

•ETOPS en route alternate. This is a suitable and appropriate aerodrome at which an aeroplane would be able to land after experiencing an engine shut down or other abnormal or emergency condition whilst en route in an ETOPS (Extended Twin-engine OPerationS) operation. An ETOPS aeroplane must always be flying within ‘range’ of a suitable alternate aerodrome.

•Destination alternate. This is an aerodrome to which an aircraft may proceed, should it become either impossible or inadvisable to land at the aerodrome of intended landing. The choice of destination alternate will be part of the pre-flight planning process.

Flight time

Safety considerations not only apply to the operation of aircraft but also to the utilization of crew. It is a requirement for the granting of an AOC that operators have a flight time limitation scheme. Also in regard of the application of regulations, flight time must be legally defined. The definition below is the Annex 6 definition and is examinable.

Flight time - aeroplanes. This is defined as the total time from the moment an aeroplane first moves for the purpose of taking off until the moment it finally comes to rest at the end of the flight.

The above definition is synonymous with the term ‘block to block’ time, or ‘chock to chock’ time in general usage, which is measured from the time the aeroplane first moves under its own power (after the push-back or tow out) for the purpose of taking off (taxiing to the runway, not to another parking stand or de-icing bay), until it finally stops (at the parking stand, not an intermediate stop after turning off the landing runway) at the end of the flight.