October 18, 2021.- The Executive Directorate-CEO of COCESNA signs a Letter of Agreement with the General Directorate of Civil Aviation of Ecuador; for joint cooperation in search and rescue operations, for cases of aircraft, vessels and people in emergency operating between the limits of the adjacent Flight Information Regions (FIR) of Ecuador and COCESNA. The Agreement Letter establishes the procedures that the parties must follow to attend an emergency, will be valid for five years and was signed in compliance with Annex 12 of the Search and Rescue Procedure of the International Civil Aviation Organization, ICAO. The SAR TRACKING SYSTEM satellite emergency messaging coordination system was presented by the SAR Coordinator of Central America SC. Calvin Zuniga, representative of the Search and Rescue Center (RCC/SPOC) of CENAMER CONTROL, visited the different facilities of the Rescue Coordination Center (RCC Quito) of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, DGAC.
Delegates of the Ecuadorian Air Force, Police Air Force and DGAC officials were present at the event, in addition to providing inductions in reference to said system for the different operational units of ECUADOR.
After his visit, Mr. Zuniga highlighted the work carried out by COCESNA and the DGAC, specifically focused on strengthening the Search and Rescue Management in the different regions and their adjacent ones, as a fundamental unit of inter-institutional coordination, whose rapid action allows to save lives.
The DGAC ECUADOR maintains its commitment to ensure the safety of air operations, said Brig. (SP) William Birkett, Director General of the institution.