Reduced vertical separation minima (RVSM) will apply in the upper airspace of 40 European states from 24 January 2002, the Eurocontrol Provisional Council ruled on 12 July.
Approval for the capacity-enhancing measure followed council satisfaction with states' RVSM readiness. From 24 January, vertical separation in the RVSM band - from flight level 290 to FL410 (29,000ft-41,000ft/8,840m-12,500m) - will be reduced from 2,000ft to 1,000ft, increasing the airspace traffic capacity by an estimated 25%.
The only remaining task is for the RVSM Verification Committee to analyse the results of airline safety monitoring and confirm that compliance and standards meet the requirements.
Source: Flight International
