On 9 November 2021 the webinar “Global Runway Surface Condition Reporting Format   (GRF) – an aid to implementation” was held by the Interstate Aviation Committee jointly with ICAO and Airbus within the framework of the ICAO-IAC Project RER/01/901 “Development of Operational Safety and Continuing Airworthiness”.

The participants of the webinar included: the management and experts of ICAO, the Interstate Council, IAC, Airbus, more than 150 specialists from 8 States of the region – members of the interstate Agreement.

The new ICAO methodology is intended for the evaluation and reporting of the runway surface condition data and it is aimed at the runway safety and aviation operational efficiency improvement.

In the course of the webinar ICAO specialists have presented in detail the GRF methodology, recommendations on the implementation of the system at the state level, review of the ICAO documentation related to the subject, as well as certain aspects of the aviation personnel training, including the available resources and specialists’ training programmes.

Airbus specialists presented information on the implementation of the Runway Sense technology allowing to use the aircraft as a sensor to evaluate the actual runway condition on the basis of the braking system operation indices.

The participants of the webinar noted the urgency of the presented reports and actively discussed the issues related to the preparation of the GRF introduction at the state level, shared their experience of the successful implementation of this system and the difficulties encountered in the course of its use.

Taking into account the importance of the subject of the webinar and the high interest of the aviation specialists in the study of this subject, IAC jointly with ICAO will continue to render assistance within the frame of the Project to the States of the ICAO Eurasian Subregion in order to ensure a more efficient transition to the new runway surface condition reporting format.