Gold Information

The Asia-Pacific Air Navigation Planning and Implementation Regional Group (APANPIRG), the North Atlantic Systems Planning Group (NAT SPG), and others have recognized a need to globally harmonize data link operations and, to the greatest extent possible, resolve regional and/or State differences impacting seamless operations. This need has been fulfilled with the development of a Global Operational Data Link Document (GOLD).

NAT SPG/46 adopted the GOLD to replace the Guidance Material for ATS Data Link Services in North Atlantic Airspace (NAT Data Link GM).

The Regional Director, ICAO Asia-Pacific Office in Bangkok, has sent out a letter highlighting that completion of the GOLD represents a very significant step towards the global harmonization of ADS-C and CPDLC procedures for pilots and air traffic controllers.  The letter recalls the APANPIRG/20 conclusion to adopt the GOLD, upon its completion, to replace the FANS 1/A Operations Manual (FOM), notified member States of GOLD First Edition availability, and requested administrations to promulgate GOLD to ADS-C/CPDLC system users,  including aircraft operators and air navigation service providers, for them to make full use of the document.

The Fifth Meeting of the South Atlantic (SAT) FANS 1/A Interoperability Team (FIT) concluded that SAT/FIT members support the introduction of GOLD and  that PIRGs approve the GOLD.

The current version of the GOLD includes the material from each of the regional documents taking into account lessons learned global implications and guidance on more recent initiatives, such as tailored arrivals (TAs) and dynamic reroute procedures (DARP).  New material is included on communication and surveillance performance specifications, post-implementation monitoring, and corrective action.

The NAT SPG concurred that a global configuration management process would need to be put in place by ICAO whereby the document would be maintained in coordination between the concerned PIRGs and the ICAO Secretariat. The NAT SPG also agreed that pending the implementation of this configuration management process, the GOLD ad-hoc group would continue to maintain and update the document.