VANUATU’S meteorological authority has achieved international aviation service weather compliance.
It is the end of a 14-year journey and part of broader program involving meteorologists across the Pacific and around the world.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Vanuatu presented the Quality Management Certification to the Vanuatu Meteorology and Hydrological Services last week, recognizing its compliance with international standards.
Vanuatu joins Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, French Polynesia, and New Caledonia who have internationally accepted aviation meteorological certification and regulatory frameworks.
Pilots, air traffic controllers, airlines, and airport operators depend on information from accredited sources precise observations and forecast warnings to make safe, well-informed decisions.
Initially, the Vanuatu Meteorological Services operated under the Ministry of Public Utilities and Infrastructure before becoming an independent ministry. In 2011, Geohazards joined VMS, and they pursued the certification process.
CAAV Manager of Air Navigation, Pelensly Lulu, said the process had been difficult.
“Certification is not the end of the journey; it marks the beginning of an ongoing responsibility to maintain continuous compliance and improvement with respect to the standards,” Lulu said.
He said the certificate issuance was one aspect of the achievement and demonstrated the service’s capacity to deliver an aviation and meteorological service in compliance with the Vanuatu Civil Aviation Code.
The code is aligned with international standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization and the World Meteorological Organization.
