ICAO 9377 PDF

INTRODUCTION

Note.— There is a close operational affinity in many States between air traffic services (ATS) and search and rescue services. Both services are often provided by the same department responsible for civil aviation. Substantial parts of this manual are therefore applicable to the coordination between search and rescue services and meteorological services, even in cases where specific reference to search and rescue services is not made.

The objectives of ATS are to:

a) prevent collisions between aircraft in the air or on the manoeuvring area of an aerodrome;

b) prevent collisions between aircraft on the manoeuvring area and obstructions on that area;

c) expedite and maintain an orderly flow of air traffic;

d) provide advice and information useful for the safe and efficient conduct of flights; and

e) notify appropriate organizations regarding aircraft in need of search and rescue aid and assist such organizations as required.

It is clear that in order to achieve these objectives effectively, ATS units require a great deal of meteorological information and service. This has been recognized in the specifications for the meteorological service to be provided for international air navigation, which describe how operators, flight crew members, ATS units, search and rescue services centres, airport management and others concerned with the conduct of international air navigation are to be supplied with the meteorological information necessary for the performance of their respective functions.

The meteorological information required by ATS units can be divided into two kinds:

a) that needed to carry out air traffic control functions (e.g. surface wind data for establishing runways in use, weather radar data for guiding aircraft, and upper-air forecasts for tactical decision-making); and

b) that needed to provide information to aircraft in flight (en route, landing or taking off).