World Meteorological Organization

Two-stage discontinuation of the Technical Regulations (WMO-No. 49), Volume II, Meteorological Service for International Air Navigation

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Last updated: 22 September 2023

Background

In April 2017, the Secretary-General of WMO and the Secretary General of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) convened a bilateral meeting. One of the discussion points pertained to measures to increase efficiency and avoid duplication of efforts within and across the sister agencies of the United Nations. Recognizing that the Technical Regulations (WMO-No. 49), Volume II, Meteorological Service for International Air Navigation represents, to a great extent, a reproduction of ICAO Annex 3 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation, it was proposed to consider discontinuing WMO-No. 49, Volume II while maintaining ICAO Annex 3 as the main regulatory publication for all providers and users.

The reproduction of regulatory material that is already produced by another agency of the United Nations was deemed to be incompatible with quality management system principles, since the parallel, asynchronous approval processes and publication pathways often result in divergent or out-of-sequence international standards and recommended practices, to the detriment of providers and users of aeronautical meteorological services. Furthermore, the regular reproduction (typically once every 2 or 3 years) of ICAO Annex 3 as WMO-No. 49, Volume II is editorially time-consuming and costly for WMO.

In January 2018, the Management Group of the Commission for Aeronautical Meteorology (CAeM-MG-2018) supported the proposed discontinuation of WMO-No. 49, Volume II. And, in July 2018, the Sixteenth Session of the Commission for Aeronautical Meteorology (CAeM-16), through Recommendation 5 (CAeM-16), called for the discontinuation of WMO-No. 49, Volume II with several enabling clauses to be actioned by WMO in coordination with ICAO. In June 2019, Recommendation 5 (CAeM-16) was endorsed at the Eighteenth World Meteorological Congress (Cg-18) through Resolution 27 (Cg-18).

With the assistance of a WMO consultant and the WMO and ICAO Secretariats, the WMO Standing Committee on Services for Aviation (SC-AVI) considered a wide range of issues and arrangements associated with the discontinuation of WMO-No. 49, Volume II, taking into account, for example, that Parts I and II of WMO-No. 49, Volume II reproduce ICAO Annex 3 while Parts III and IV of WMO-No. 49, Volume II are unique to the WMO publication.

SC-AVI proposed that WMO-No. 49, Volume II should be discontinued in two stages as follows:

1. Discontinue Part I, International Standards and Recommended Practices: Core Standards and Recommended Practices and Part II, International Standards and Recommended Practices: Appendices and Attachments of WMO-No. 49, Volume II with effect 31 December 2023, and
2. Discontinue Part III, Aeronautical Climatology and Part IV, Format and Preparation of Flight Documentation of WMO-No. 49, Volume II upon the incorporation of material of continuing relevance into the ICAO Procedures for Air Navigation Services – Meteorology (PANS-MET) (Doc 10157), preferably as part of Amendment 1 to PANS-MET (provisionally 2026)

In March/April 2022, through Recommendation 5 (SC-AVI-2), the Standing Committee provided its endorsement of the plan of action for the discontinuation of WMO-No. 49, Volume II and formulated a draft recommendation for the Services Commission (SERCOM) and a draft resolution for the World Meteorological Congress (Cg) in this regard.

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Latest Developments

The plan of action for the discontinuation of WMO-No. 49, Volume II was considered by Members during the second session of the Services Commission (SERCOM-2) in October 2022. SERCOM-2 agreed to the plan of action (with only minor, non-controversial modifications made) and adopted Recommendation 6 (SERCOM-2) in this regard to be forwarded to the World Meteorological Congress for consideration.

In May/June 2023, the nineteenth World Meteorological Congress (Cg-19) considered Recommendation 5 (SERCOM-2) and its accompanying two-stage plan of action for the discontinuation of WMO-No. 49 Volume II, as illustrated at points 1 and 2 above.

The plan of action was endorsed, without modification, by Congress through the adoption of Resolution 12 (Cg-19).

Subsequently, on 22 September 2023, the office of the Secretary-General dispatched a Circular letter to Permanent Representatives of Members of WMO highlighting the discontinuation of WMO-No. 49, Volume II. The letter is available in all official WMO languages via the following links: English | French | Spanish | Russian | Chinese | Arabic

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Next Steps

Given the aforementioned resolution adopted by Cg-19, activities continue within the WMO Secretariat, assisted by other parties concerned as necessary (such as SC-AVI and ICAO), to ensure that Parts I and II of WMO-No. 49 Volume II are withdrawn from publication on 31 December 2023 while Parts III and IV are withdrawn from publication when any material of continuing relevance has been transferred to ICAO PANS-MET (provisionally in 2026). 

In parallel, action is being taken by the WMO Secretariat and others concerned to consequentially amend/update other WMO publications, both regulatory and non-regulatory in nature, that currently cross-reference WMO-No, 49, Volume II. It is probable that such consequential amendments/updates will take a few years to complete fully, owing to the number of publications involved and the need to ensure that any required changes adhere to WMO's amendment/updating process for publications. 

WMO will keep its Members and other parties concerned apprised of developments in respect of the discontinuation of WMO-No. 49, Volume II whenever necessary, including via this webpage and the Services for Aviation homepage (under 'Related News').

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Plan of Action (Summary)

The two-stage discontinuation of WMO-No. 49, Volume II is as follows:

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Plan of Action (Detailed)

To download a PDF copy of the detailed plan of action pertaining to Stages 1 and 2 of the discontinuation of Technical Regulations (WMO-No. 49), Volume II, Meteorological Service for International Air Navigation please click on the icon to the right →
	French | Spanish | Russian | Chinese | Arabic

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Information Sheet

To download a PDF copy of an Information Sheet on the discontinuation of WMO-No. 49, Volume II please click on the icon to the right →

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Responses to series of frequently asked questions (FAQs) pertaining to the discontinuation to WMO-No. 49, Volume II has been prepared. Please CLICK HERE to view and download these FAQs.

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Contact the WMO Secretariat

If you have any questions relating to the discontinuation of WMO-No. 49, Volume II that have not already been covered by the Frequently Asked Questions please contact the WMO Secretariat via email: aviation@wmo.int

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