Vanuatu has strengthened its aviation safety framework after the Department of Meteorology and Hydrological Services officially received certification under Civil Aviation Rule 174 for aviation meteorological services.
The certification, formally received on Wednesday, confirms that Vanuatu’s aviation meteorology services have met the required standards and requirements of international and civil aviation authorities.
Weather information is a critical part of aviation operations, helping pilots and the aviation industry make informed decisions before and during flights, particularly when conditions may affect safety.
Manager of Air Navigation Services under the Civil Aviation Authority, Pelensly Lulu, described the certification as an important achievement for Vanuatu’s aviation sector.
“With this achievement Vanuatu joins other Pacific states that have progressed through aviation meteorological certification and hydrological oversight frameworks including Fiji, PNG, Solomon Islands, French Polynesia and New Caledonia. This represents an important step forward in Vanuatu’s continuing commitment to strengthen aviation safety and regulatory compliance.”
Director of Meteorological and Hydrological Services, Levu Antfalo, said the achievement was the result of more than 13 years of work involving staff training, preparation, documentation and audits.
The department has also strengthened the way it monitors the performance of its forecasting services, including the use of automated verification systems.
“Now we have a system to automatically check and assess the performance of our forecasters at the end of the month or at the end of the day, to perform above 95 per cent accuracy. We have a system in place to check whether they have the forecasting skills or whether the models are misleading us, so we have verification procedures. We are the only one in the Pacific doing this with an automatic system, and thanks to our ICT team for making this happen.”
The certification places Vanuatu among a growing number of Pacific countries strengthening their aviation meteorological and regulatory systems.
However, officials stressed that the certification is not the end of the process, with continued monitoring and improvements required as aviation standards and technology develop.
“Certification is not the end of the journey; it marks the ongoing responsibility to maintain continuous compliance and continuous improvement in respect to the standards,” Lulu said.
Antfalo added that the aviation sector is constantly changing and meteorological services must continue adapting to new requirements.
“Civil aviation industry changes all the time, so continuous improvement needs to continue to adapt to changes that happen at this level and beyond.”
The certification provides a stronger foundation for reliable aviation weather services in Vanuatu and supports the safety of pilots, passengers and the wider aviation industry.
