The UK and Ireland are to implement reduced vertical separation minima (RVSM) on 19 April, 2001, almost a year earlier than scheduled for European Civil Aviation Conference states, according to the UK's National Air Traffic Services (NATS).
RVSM, which reduces vertical separation between aircraft in the 29,000-41,000ft (8,800-12,500m) altitude band from the traditional 2,000ft to 1,000ft, is due to go fully operational in mainland Europe on 24 January, 2002.
UK and Ireland are ready to go ahead early because of the experience they both have in operating RVSM on the North Atlantic (NAT) routes through their oceanic flight information regions, according to NATS.
RVSM has been active on NAT tracks for two years, although aircraft using them are still being monitored for height keeping and the vertical separation being achieved in practice. The NAT monitoring programme is to be completed by the end of this year.
NATS also says that the major operators using UK and Irish skies have indicated that implementing RVSM early does not pose an equipment problem for them, because new aircraft deliveries have been fully RVSM equipped for some time, and existing equipment has already been upgraded to use the NAT RVSM corridors. The published deadline for the UK-registered fleet to be compliant had always been set for the end of this year.
Meanwhile, AENA, Spain's air traffic service provider, has awarded US communications specialist ARINC a contract to begin a safety assessment of the Europe/South America Corridor in preparation for reduced vertical and lateral separation minima in that sector of South Atlantic airspace.
ARINC already conducts RVSM monitoring on the NAT tracks and Europe.
The first phase of RVSM implementation in the Western Atlantic Route System (WATRS) begins on 5 October 2001. The WATRS includes the US East Coast from the New York flight information region (FIR) down to Miami and the Caribbean, including Washington DC, Jacksonville and Miami FIRs.
Source: Flight International
