EUROPEAN CIVIL AVIATION CONFERENCE - CONFÉRENCE EUROPÉENNE DE L'AVIATION CIVILE

History

Milestones in 68 years of ECAC history

2023

  • 11th edition of the ECAC Constitution issued (September 2023)
  • Rannia Leontaridi (DGCA United Kingdom) was appointed as the third Vice-President of ECAC's Coordinating Committee at DGCA/160
  • The first ECAC Guidance on Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) was published (24 February)
  • The joint ECAC-ICAO EUR/NAT regional workshop on assistance to aircraft accident victims and their families was held in Milan (20 February)
  • ECAC hosted the first-ever formal meeting of the leaders of all four regional civil aviation organisations (ACAO, AFCAC, LACAC) in Paris (7 February)

2022

  • Creation of the ECAC Network of Diversity and Inclusion in civil aviation (NETD&I)
  • 15th ECAC Forum "Out of crisis: new normal or back to capacity crunch?"
  • Relaunch of the ECAC Quality Assessment Programme (May)
  • Launch of the European coordination group on aviation cyber security (March)

2021

  • Launch of ECAC capacity-building programme on environment
  • Alessio Quaranta (DGCA Italy) was appointed as President of ECAC
  • Damien Cazé (DGCA France), Johann Friedrich Colsman (DGCA Germany) and Raúl Medina Caballero (DGCA Spain) were appointed as Vice-Presidents of ECAC
  • Creation of the ECAC Network of Communication Specialists (NETCOM)
  • 14th ECAC Forum focused on the "Resilience of air transport to crisis"
  • 10th edition of the ECAC Constitution issued (December 2021)
ECAC President - Alessio Quaranta (DGCA Italy)  

2020

  • Signature of an agreement between ECAC and EUROCONTROL concerning the provision of administrative services to ECAC (26 March)
  • ECAC/EU Dialogue with the air transport industry on the theme "Restart, Reconnect, Recover - Rebuilding Aviation in a Changed World"
  • 13th ECAC Forum focused on the "COVID-19 Crisis - From Survival to Recovery"
  • 9th edition of the ECAC Constitution issued (December 2020)
  • Signature of a Cooperation Arrangement between ECAC and the Ministry of Industry and Infrastructure Development of Kazakhstan, to cooperate in the field of safety and accident investigations, security, environment and other topics of common interest (7 December)
  • Development of COVID-19 guidance material on economic measures, facilitation, training, security and communication
  • Launch of EU-funded and ECAC-implemented CASE II Project (Civil Aviation Security in Africa, Middle East and Asia), following successful completion of CASE I

2019

  • Signature between ECAC and the Arab Civil Aviation Organization (ACAO) of the ECAC/ACAO Joint Work Programme 2019-2022
  • Election of Dan Micklethwaite, Director General for Civil Aviation for the United Kingdom, as the third Vice-President of ECAC's Coordinating Committee at DGCA/152
  • 12th ECAC Forum discussed policies to address aviation's environmental challenges
  • Signature of a Cooperation Agreement with ACI EUROPE
  • A new ECAC capacity-building programme on facilitation was developed, with a strong focus on quality of services to persons with disabilities
  • Creation of a consolidated guidance material on cyber security

2018

  • Election of Silvia Gehrer (DGCA Austria) as the third Vice-President of ECAC's Coordinating Committee at ECAC/36
  • Adoption of the 12th edition of ECAC Doc 30 Part I (Facilitation) (Amendment No 1)
  • Signature of a new Annex 4 and Annex 5 to the MOU with the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) on respectively the Singapore-ICAO Programme for Young Aviation Professionals and Facilitation of Speaker Exchange
  • 11th ECAC Forum focused on sustaining aviation growth

11th ECAC Forum - December 2018

11th ECAC Focum - December 2018  
11th ECAC Focum - December 2018

ECAC/36 - July 2018

ECAC/36 - July 2018 ECAC/36 - July 2018
ECAC/36 - July 2018 ECAC/36 - July 2018

2017

  • Development of an updated version of Doc 30 Part II (Security) and new comprehensive guidance material on cyber security
  • Adoption of the new ECAC Training Policy Statement
  • Election of Alessio Quaranta (DGCA Italy) as the second Vice-President of ECAC's Coordinating Committee at DGCA(SP)/66
  • Disbanding of the ECAC Network of Training Organisations (TRANET)
  • ECAC/EU Dialogue with the air transport industry in Rome, on the theme "Challenges and Opportunities in Financing Aviation"
  • Endorsement of new working arrangements in the field of ECAC environmental activities
  • Signature of a Cooperation Agreement in the field of aviation security with the Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand
  • 10th ECAC Forum discussed digitalisation in aviation

2016

  • Creation of two new working groups: the Economic Working Group (ECO) and the Network of Chief Economists (NCE)
  • ECAC Coordinating Committee approved a new Focal Point portfolio on Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS)
  • ECAC Directors General issue the Bratislava Declaration at DGCA (SP)/65, a common statement on joining a global market-based measure scheme from its start
  • Official launch of the EU-funded and EASA/ECAC-implemented EaP/CA (EU-EASA-ECAC Central Asia Project)
  • Adoption of the 4th edition of ECAC Doc 29 on the Standard Method of Computing Noise Contours around Civil Airports
  • 9th ECAC Forum dedicated to Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS)

2015

  • ECAC celebrated its 60th Anniversary
  • Signature of MOC with Malaysia
  • Newly appointed ICAO Secretary General Fang Liu participated in the ECAC Special DGCA Meeting
  • Directors General adopted the updated ECAC Strategy for the Future and ECAC External Policy Statement, both subsequently available as publications
  • ICAO Council President Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu attended DGCA/145
  • Official launch of the EU-funded and ECAC-implemented CASE Project (Civil Aviation Security in Africa and the Arabian Peninsula)
  • 8th ECAC Forum on connectivity

ECAC/34 - July 2015

ECAC/34 - July 2015 ECAC/34 - July 2015
ECAC/34 - July 2015  

2014

  • Aviation Security Seminar jointly organised by ECAC and ICAO Offices of Paris, Dakar and Cairo
  • Signature of the Cooperation Arrangement with the Civil Aviation Administration of Indonesia
  • Signature of a Cooperation Arrangement with CANSO
  • Catalin Radu stepped down from the position of President of ECAC, and Patrick Gandil (DGCA France) was appointed as Acting President of ECAC
  • Signature of a MOC with the Civil Aviation Administration (CAAC) of China
  • First meeting between the Coordinating Committee and CAAC held in Paris
  • Ingrid Cherfils (DGCA Sweden) was appointed as the President of ECAC
  • ECAC/EU Dialogue with the European air transport industry on European air transport competitiveness
  • 7th ECAC Forum focused on 'European Air Transport – A Vision for the Future'

2013

  • Workshop jointly organised by ECAC and the United States' Federal Aviation Administration on best practices in three key areas of aviation safety
  • Signature of a new Annex of the MOU between ECAC and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA)
  • ECAC started activities on behaviour detection in aviation security
  • ECAC and IATA organised a series of workshops on the IOSA – IATA Operational Safety Audit and ISAGO – IATA Safety Audit Ground Operations
  • Signature of an MOU between ECAC and TRACECA (International Transport Corridor Europe-Caucasus-Asia)
  • 6th ECAC Forum discussed the economics of airports

2012

  • Signature of MOU and Safety and Security Implementation Plan with IATA
  • Signature of MOU with Transport Canada concerning civil aviation security
  • Catalin Radu was reappointed as the President of ECAC
  • ECAC Secretariat joined ACI EUROPE Airport Carbon Accreditation Advisory Board
  • Publication of ECAC Guidance on the Underwater Location and Recovery of Aircraft Wreckage and Flight Recorders
  • Vice-President of the European Commission Siim Kallas participated in ECAC DGCA/139 meeting, and signed a joint declaration confirming shared ECAC/EU commitment to cooperate
  • Signature of a Cooperation Arrangement in the field of civil aviation security with the European Commission
  • 5th ECAC Forum addressed air cargo and the challenges it faces in the future

ECAC/33 - July 2012

ECAC/33 - July 2012 ECAC/33 - July 2012
ECAC/33 - July 2012 ECAC/33 - July 2012

2011

  • Signature of an MOU on aviation security with United States' Transportation Security Administration (TSA)
  • Establishment of ECAC Focal Point for Pan-European matters position
  • Directors General, in a Special Plenary Session, adopted amendments to ECAC Recommendation 27/4 in respect of NOx emission charging schemes (September)
  • Signature of an MOU on aviation security with Australian Department of Infrastructure and Transport
  • Decision to establish ECAC standing group on coordination in European search and rescue
  • ECAC established first ever pan-European network of civil aviation training organisations
  • 4th ECAC Forum addressed intermodality and its impact on aviation
  • Establishment of ECAC Directors General Familiarisation Course
  • ECAC/EU Dialogue with the European air transport industry on 'Improving the Passenger Experience: Competition or Regulation?'
  • ECAC was invited to address hearing of European Parliament’s Transport and Tourism Committee on aviation security

2010

  • Signature of MOC with ICAO
  • Directors General received the national safety oversight comparative analysis benchmarking study, conducted amongst ECAC Member States
  • Adoption of the 13th edition of ECAC Doc 30, Part II (Security)
  • Salvatore Sciacchitano was appointed as the Executive Secretary of ECAC
  • Catalin Radu (DGCA Romania) was elected as the President of ECAC
  • 3rd ECAC Forum on crisis management in aviation

2009

  • Closure of the Joint Aviation Authorities
  • Establishment of JAA Training Organisation as an associated body of ECAC
  • Signature of MOU with Republic of Korea's Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs
  • Former ECAC Executive Secretary Raymond Benjamin became Secretary General of ICAO
  • 2nd ECAC Forum on the passenger experience

2008

  • San Marino and Montenegro joined ECAC as 43rd and 44th Member States
  • ECAC/EU Dialogue with the European air transport industry on meeting the environmental challenge
  • Launch of the ECAC Common Evaluation Process (CEP) of security equipment
  • Establishment of the first annual ECAC Forum, which addressed the aviation fuel supply security

2007

  • Following the implementation of the FUJA Report, the Joint Aviation Authorities became 'JAA T' (Transition)
  • Signature of MOU with the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore
  • Signature of MOU with the General Civil Aviation Authority of the United Arab Emirates
  • Gerry Lumsden was appointed as the Executive Secretary of ECAC

2006

  • Recommendation on ECAC-wide application of the Community list of carriers subject to an operating ban
  • Recommendation on the prevention of the spread of communicable diseases by means of air travel
  • Code of Conduct on cooperation in the field of civil aviation accident incident investigation
  • Adoption of the 10th edition of ECAC Doc 30, Part I (Facilitation)
  • Signature of MOU with WAEMU

2005

  • Georgia joined ECAC as 42nd Member State

2004

  • Signature of MOU with the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) regarding aviation security audits and related matters (27 September)

2003

  • Adoption of a modernised ECAC Environmental Policy Statement
  • Launch of the ECAC Aviation Security Capacity-Building Programme

2002

  • Protocol of Intention signed with Russian Federation (1 February)
  • Airline and Airport Voluntary Commitments on Air Passenger Services became operational (14 February)
  • Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia joined ECAC
  • Target date for implementation of 100% screening of hold baggage in ECAC States (31 December)

Protocol of Intention signed with Russian Federation - February 2002

ECAC/24 - July 2000 ECAC/24 - July 2000
ECAC/24 - July 2000  

2001

  • The ECAC Aviation Security Audit Programme became operational

2000

  • MATSE/6, laying the foundations for a Single European Sky
  • Signature of MOU with ACAC (now ACAO)

MATSE/6 - January 2000

ECAC-ECTL joint event "European ATM in the New Millennium" ECAC-ECTL joint event "European ATM in the New Millennium"
ECAC-ECTL joint event "European ATM in the New Millennium"  ECAC-ECTL joint event "European ATM in the New Millennium"
ECAC-ECTL joint event "European ATM in the New Millennium" ECAC-ECTL joint event "European ATM in the New Millennium"

1999

  • Directors General adopted the EMTO (ECAC's Medium-Term Objectives) Task Force report, defining ECAC's role at the beginning of the new millennium and introducing the concept of Focal Points
  • Ukraine became ECAC's 38th Member State
  • Signature of MOU between ECAC and ICAO for Cooperation on Safety Oversight Audits and Related Matters (26 May)

1998

  • Signature of MOUs with AFCAC and LACAC
  • Albania joined ECAC

1997

  • Finalisation of the 'ECAC Institutional Strategy for Air Traffic Management in Europe'
  • The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (officially renamed as North Macedonia in February 2019) joined ECAC
  • Inauguration of the ICAO/ECAC European Aviation Security Training Institute – EASTI, in Haren (19 November)

Inauguration of EASTI - November 1997

Inauguration of EASTI - November 1997  

ECAC/21 - July 1997

ECAC/21 - July 1997 ECAC/21 - July 1997
ECAC/21 - July 1997 ECAC/21 - July 1997
ECAC/21 - July 1997 ECAC/21 - July 1997
ECAC/21 - July 1997  

1996

  • The ECAC SAFA Action Programme became operational
  • First ECAC Environmental Policy Statement
  • Second ECAC Symposium on Civil Aviation Security, in London (22-24 May)
  • Armenia and Republic of Moldova became members of ECAC
  • Publication of the first issue of ECAC News (March)

1995

  • First ECAC/EU Dialogue with the European air transport industry, in Noordwijk (6-7 July)
  • Estonia joined ECAC

1994

  • ECAC/ECMT Seminar on Access to Air Travel for People with Reduced Mobility

ECAC/16 - June 1994

ECAC/16 - June 1994 ECAC/16 - June 1994
ECAC/16 - June 1994 ECAC/16 - June 1994
ECAC/16 - June 1994 ECAC/16 - June 1994
ECAC/16 - June 1994 ECAC/16 - June 1994
ECAC/16 - June 1994  

1993

1992

1991

ECAC/14 - June 1991

ECAC/14 - June 1991 ECAC/14 - June 1991
ECAC/14 - June 1991 ECAC/14 - June 1991
ECAC/14 - June 1991 ECAC/14 - June 1991

1990

  • First ECAC Symposium on Civil Aviation Security, in Paris (6-8 November)
  • Hungary and Poland became ECAC Member States

1989

  • ECAC Symposium on the Future of European Leisure Air Transport (23-25 October)
  • Monaco joined ECAC

1988

  • First ECAC meeting at ministerial level followed by the publication, in 1990 and 1992, of the ECAC Strategy for the 1990s
  • Development of a 'Code of Conduct for Computer Reservation Systems'
  • JAA became an associated body of ECAC

ECAC/13 - June 1988

ECAC/13 - June 1988 ECAC/13 - June 1988
ECAC/13 - June 1988 ECAC/13 - June 1988
ECAC/13 - June 1988 ECAC/13 - June 1988
ECAC/13 - June 1988 ECAC/13 - June 1988

1987

  • The 'International Agreement on the Procedure for the Establishment of Tariffs for Intra-European Scheduled Air Services' was opened for signature (16 June)
  • The 'International Agreement on the Sharing of Capacity on Intra-European Scheduled Air Services' was opened for signature (16 June)

ECAC INT. S/16 - June 1987

ECAC INT. S16 - June 1987 ECAC INT. S16 - June 1987

1986

  • Report on Standard Method of Computing Noise Contours around Civil Airports (Doc 29)

1985

  • Publication of Doc 30, Parts I (Facilitation) and II (Security)

ECAC/12 - June 1985

ECAC/12 - June 1985 ECAC/12 - June 1985

1982

  • First ECAC-US Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on North Atlantic Pricing
  • Publication of the COMPAS report on Competition in Intra-European Air Services (Doc 25)

ECAC/11 - June 1982

ECAC/11 - June 1982 ECAC/11 - June 1982
ECAC/11 - June 1982 ECAC/11 - June 1982

1979

  • Malta became a member of ECAC
  • The EURPOL Working Group was established
  • An operating ban was agreed for Europe, as of 1 January 1988, of aircraft not complying with noise standards of ICAO Annex 16
  • Establishment of Common European Procedures for the Authorisation of Category II and III Operations (Doc 17)
  • Publication of Joint Requirements for Emergency and Safety Airborne Equipment, Training and Procedures (Doc 18)

1977

  • Yugoslavia(1) joined ECAC

1976

  • Amendment of the ECAC Constitution, giving Directors General meetings an institutional character

1974

  • The ANCAT group of experts and an ad hoc group dealing with security measures were established

1969

  • Cyprus became ECAC's 20th Member State

1967

  • Major restructuring of ECAC working arrangements: Establishment of a Coordinating Committee and four Standing Committees (ECO I, ECO II, Facilitation, Technical)
  • The 'International Agreement on the Procedure for the Establishment of Tariffs for Scheduled Air Services' was opened for signature (10 July)

1960

  • The 'Multilateral Agreement relating to Certificates of Airworthiness for Imported Aircraft' was opened for signature (22 April)

1959

  • The Committee on Coordination and Liberalisation (COCOLI) was established

1956

  • The 'Multilateral Agreement on Commercial Rights of Non-Scheduled Air Services in Europe' was opened for signature (30 April)

1955


(1) What is nowadays meant by the term 'former Yugoslavia' is the territory that was up to 25 June 1991 known as The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY). Specifically, six republics made up the federation: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia (officially renamed as North Macedonia in February 2019), Montenegro, Serbia (including the regions of Socialist Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Socialist Autonomous Province of Vojvodina) and Slovenia.