For the purpose of sharing resources, acquiring mutual support and achieving cooperative development, the Civil Aviation Authority of Macao SAR (AACM) is proactive in establishing exchanges and collaboration in aviation with other aeronautical authorities. On the area of aviation safety, AACM and the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) have reached consensus on cooperation in aeronautical information services, cartographic services, flight procedures design, meteorological services and airport fire fighting services. The two authorities met in Macao and signed the relevant cooperation agreement on 24 January 2011, in which both parties agreed that the CAAC experts will come to Macao every year to provide technical support to Macao in the above areas. In addition, CAAC will invite Macao to participate in training courses and exchange activities organized by the mainland. Presently, the aeronautical information services, cartographic services and flight procedures design are provided by AACM, the meteorological services are provided by Meteorological and Geophysical Services Bureau (SMG), and the airport fire fighting services are provided by the Fire Services Bureau (CB) An entity taking both roles as a service provider and a monitoring body will have conflict of interest in the roles. When the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) carried out the Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme on Macao in 2009, they have given a recommendation that Macao should appoint an independent entity to audit the above services. Following this recommendation, AACM initiated contact with CAAC in June 2009 to establish cooperation with them in the relevant areas. Both parties held discussions and reached consensus on the agreement text which was then approved by the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council in 2010. The agreement states that CAAC will form an expert team for this cooperation. After whose expertise have been endorsed by AACM, the expert team will review the regulations, the management and the operations of the aeronautical information services, cartographic services, flight procedures design, meteorological services and airport fire fighting services in Macao. The team will also come to Macao every year to conduct on-site inspection and assessment on the operation of the above services and submit reports for recommendation to AACM. Upon the invitation from CAAC, AACM has participated in the aircraft accident investigation exercises and the “Performance Based Navigation” training courses dedicated for flight procedures design, organized in the mainland. In addition, AACM has participated as an observer in the airworthiness certification process of ARJ21, the first regional airliner developed and produced by mainland China. In order to extend the exchange between the two sides in aviation training, on the basis on this cooperation agreement, CAAC agrees to invite personnel from AACM, SMG and CB to take part in the future training courses and exchange activities organized by the former in the respective areas. The signing ceremony was held in the Multi-function Room of the AACM office. The President of AACM, Mr. Chan Weng Hong and the Safety Oversight Commissioner, Aviation Safety Office of CAAC, Mr. Liu EnXiang signed the agreement on behalf of the two parties. In addition to the officials from the two aeronautical authorities, guests who also presented in the ceremony included the representatives from Fire Services Bureau and Meteorological and Geophysical Services Bureau of the Macao SAR, CAM-Macau International Airport Company Ltd. and Administration of Airports, Ltd. The Macao side also took the opportunity of CAAC’s presence in Macao to further explain to them how the services within the scope mentioned in the agreement are currently operated in Macao. Apart from this cooperation agreement, the mainland and Macao also work together with each other in aircraft accident and incident investigation. With Hong Kong as a counterpart, the three sides are cooperating among themselves on mutual acceptance of maintenance organizations and mutual acceptance of airworthiness certification. Future projects between the three parties will finalize cooperation on mutual acceptance of maintenance training organizations and facilitation in approval procedures for aircraft transfer this year.
