Alaskan Region International
Transportation and Communications Infrastructure in the Arctic Circumpolar Region
The Alaskan Region continues financial and management oversight of a 1.5 million dollar grant awarded to Institute of the North (ION) for work in support of the Northern Forum and the Arctic Council by the Circumpolar Infrastructure Task Force. Work covers multi-modal transportation as well as communications infrastructure and involves the eight nations comprising the Arctic Council: Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden and the United States. ARC administers this grant on behalf of the US Department of Transportation.
Under this grant, ION works on the developing the transportation and telecommunications infrastructure in the Arctic Circumpolar Region. An economic study, commissioned by ION, shows promise for an Edmonton-Anchorage-Sakhalin air link. The aviation Infrastructure Database concentrates on the areas identified as boundaries by the Arctic Council and the Northern Forum and development of that database offers economic and operational efficiencies. ION and Canadian organizations are working together on a possible cross border demonstration with Capstone/ADS-B. Pilots are attesting to safety and capacity benefits resulting from weather cameras installed in the White Pass at Fraser, BC, Canada through a project between Canada and ION.
Aviation Safety, Security and Capacity in the Russian Far East
A flight today from the U.S. to the Russian Far East (RFE) involves a convoluted route via Seoul or Moscow then spending multiple hours and more likely multiple days on layover waiting for connecting flights, which are subject to change or cancellation.
The Alaskan Region Office of International Aviation is developing and organizing specific aviation training to address these needs. In FY05 a Small American Business Internship Training (SABIT) program grant for RFE Airline Management training was approved, providing funding for this course in FY 06. In an effort to accomplish this, airline management training was developed in a collaborative effort between FAA Alaskan Region, Northern Forum, Institute of the North, and University of Alaska.
On May 23, 2006, six participants, representing Russian airlines from four RFE Regions, completed three weeks of airline management training in Anchorage, Alaska during the month of May. Funding for the training was provided under a grant obtained by the Northern Forum under the U.S. Department of Commerce Small American Business Internship Training (SABIT) Program. Action plans were developed and briefed by each participant on how they will implement new concepts and techniques acquired through this training. Additional training is being developed for future presentation and application. This training for RFE airlines should result in improved aviation links between the U.S. and the RFE, as well on domestic RFE routes. Enhance safety and increased capacity, as well as reliability of airline information and flights are further anticipated benefits.
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Last updated: Thursday, November 18, 2021