New Zealand Volcanic Ash Advisory System (NZVAAS)

1. New Zealand Volcanic Ash Advisory System (NZVAAS) June 2004 Peter Lechner Head of Business Planning and Reporting Meteorological Authority and Technical Specialist Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand

2. Volcanic Ash & Aviation • The Risk and the Reality • Background and Development • Our Volcanoes • System Responsibilities • Alert levels and Volcanic Hazard Areas • Experience

3. An Increasing Risk • Enhanced jet engine technology • Growth of air traffic volumes • Increasing risk of volcanic activity over time

4. Mt Ruapehu, New Zealand, 1996

5. Airspace Closures 1995/6 • Cost; • Airlines >$10million • CAA >$0.5million • Others ?

6. Ash Distribution

7. TheCAA Experience CAA management of air traffic in a changing and sometimes chaotic ash environment is difficult, expensive and potentially ineffective.

8. Volcanic Threat to NZ Aviation Kaikohe-Bay of Islands Whangarei Auckland Field Egmont Reporoa Maroa Taupo Tongariro Ngauruhoe Ruapehu Rotorua Okataina White Island Mayor Is. Whale Is. Rumbles I - V Curtis Is. Brimstone Is. Macauley Is. Raoul Is. Monowai Seamont Unnamed x 3

9. Volcanic Ash Issues • Alerts and observations of eruptions • Tracking and drift prediction • Information flow • Air space management • Airline discretion • Education • System ownership and funding

10. Collaborative Development • Aircraft operators • MetService • Airways Corporation • Civil Aviation Authority • Institute Geological & Nuclear Sciences

11. VARs NZVAAS - 1 NOTAM Aircraft Operators VAR feedback Alert level & eruption information SIGMET (RTF etc) Normal pre-flight Met. information SIGMET (AFTN) MetService ACNZ IGNS Electronic & visual eruption & status information Confirm or deny information VAR by RTF Satellite or other eruption Information NOTAM Request (& confirmation) VAR by fax (post flight) Independent observations or liaison Other people Volcano VAR feedback

12. NZVAAS- 2 CAA Responsibility: • To ensure a satisfactory means exists whereby civil aviation aircraft operations can be safely carried out near volcanic ash. • The CAA is not responsible for providing any service to airlines to directly assist them with such operations.

13. NZVAAS- 3 CAA Role: • Review the effectiveness of the volcanic ash information system from time to time. • Ensure ACNZ, MetService and IGNS have any delegations or permissions required under the Civil Aviation Act 1990 to carry out their roles. • Publish, in the appropriate medium, a clear statement of how the volcanic ash information system works in New Zealand. • Continue to publish any appropriate educational or technical information on aircraft operation in or near volcanic ash, the volcanic situation in New Zealand or any other relevant material. • Establish any new Volcanic Hazard Zones (VHZ) that may be needed to cover volcanoes other than those contemplated.

14. VARs NZVAAS - 4 NOTAM Aircraft Operators VAR feedback Alert level & eruption information SIGMET (RTF etc) Normal pre-flight Met. information SIGMET (AFTN) MetService ACNZ IGNS Electronic & visual eruption & status information Confirm or deny information VAR by RTF Satellite or other eruption Information NOTAM Request (& confirmation) VAR by fax (post flight) Independent observations or liaison Other people Volcano VAR feedback

15. VARs NZVAAS - 5 NOTAM Aircraft Operators VAR feedback Alert level & eruption information SIGMET (RTF etc) Normal pre-flight Met. information SIGMET (AFTN) MetService ACNZ IGNS Electronic & visual eruption & status information Confirm or deny information VAR by RTF Satellite or other eruption Information NOTAM Request (& confirmation) VAR by fax (post flight) Independent observations or liaison Other people Volcano VAR feedback

16. VARs NZVAAS - 6 NOTAM Aircraft Operators VAR feedback Alert level & eruption information SIGMET (RTF etc) Normal pre-flight Met. information SIGMET (AFTN) MetService ACNZ IGNS Electronic & visual eruption & status information Confirm or deny information VAR by RTF Satellite or other eruption Information NOTAM Request (& confirmation) VAR by fax (post flight) Independent observations or liaison Other people Volcano VAR feedback

17. VARs NZVAAS - 7 NOTAM Aircraft Operators VAR feedback Alert level & eruption information SIGMET (RTF etc) Normal pre-flight Met. information SIGMET (AFTN) MetService ACNZ IGNS Electronic & visual eruption & status information Confirm or deny information VAR by RTF Satellite or other eruption Information NOTAM Request (& confirmation) VAR by fax (post flight) Independent observations or liaison Other people Volcano VAR feedback

18. Volcano Alert Levels

19. Volcanic Hazard Zone Limits

20. Volcanic Hazard Zones For Alert Level 3 VHZ = 16nm radius, ground level to FL 330

21. Operator Discretion • Airlines now decide where and when they can safely operate during a volcanic event • Only possible through the conjoint and co-operative provision of NZVAAS

22. Summary • Threat of volcanic ash in aviation is increasing • NZVAAS implemented to mitigate that risk at a local level • NZVAAS supplements ICAO IAVW • A high level of good information is available • NZVAAS permits aircraft operations to safely continue in proximity to ash • It is a low cost scalable operation

23. Conclusion NZVAAS: • An effective system for New Zealand • Its success stems from: • formal arrangements and systems, and • co-operative and collaborative relationships