The WMO-IATA Collaborative AMDAR Programme

The WMO-IATA Collaborative AMDAR Programme (WICAP) is a joint initiative of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and WMO to further develop the WMO AMDAR observing system based on a collaborative approach to the programme’s expansion over data-sparse areas of the globe.

At the current time (4 November 2019), the new IATA-WMO Working Arrangement  that will define and formalise how the two organizations will collaborate to develop WICAP is in the process of being finalised and expected to be in place before the end of 2019.

WICAP will be underpinned by a partnership between WMO and IATA, with each partner playing complementary roles based on their organisational capabilities and responsibilities.

Under WICAP, the operation of a number of aspects of the AMDAR observing system will become more centralised, including the establishment of requirements for data, the establishment of agreements, the processing of AMDAR data and the sharing of programmatic costs and infrastructure by the WMO Members choosing to participate in the programme. Requirements will be gathered and analysed by WMO Regional Associations, with airline partnerships and data processing functions to be coordinated at the Regional level also.

While requirements for AMDAR data will remain primarily focused on national needs, WICAP will put in place a more formalized process for ensuring that they will also be consolidated at the regional and global levels through the WMO Rolling Review of Requirements and under the Regional Basic Observing Networks (RBON) and the Global Basic Observing Network (GBON).

Further Information