EGGX/Shanwick Expect a new CPDLC procedure on the NAT sometime after May 24, designed to prevent pilots from acting on any old CPDLC messages that might have been delayed in the network. Aircraft will receive a message immediately after they enter each control area telling them to “SET MAX UPLINK DELAY VALUE” to a certain number of seconds. ICAO have published a new NAT Ops Bulletin with the details in full.
LIZZ/Italy Various aviation sector strikes planned for May 8. Some national ATC workers will be on strike from 8-16z, and some airport ground will go on strike at the following airports: LIML/Milan-Linate, LIMC/Milan-Malpensa, LIRP/Pisa, and LIRQ/Florence.
MTTP/Port-au-Prince On Apr 16, the US Embassy in Haiti issued a security alert warning of a rising number of violent armed robberies against US citizens after departing the airport.
HSZZ/South Sudan EASA has extended its warning for South Sudan to Oct 25. That includes the warnings issued by the US, UK, France and Germany, most of whom advise minimum FL260 for overflights. We think FL300 is more sensible. More info here.
KZZZ/USA Heavy traffic expected at KSDF/Louisville, KLOU/Bowman and KJVY/Clark County from May 2-6, for the Kentucky Derby on May 5. The FAA have published some special procedures.
LFKF/Figari Possible delays with fuelling until the end of the month, due to some broken-down fuel trucks.
LIZZ/Italy From Apr 26 onwards, CPDLC is now available across all Italian airspace above FL285.
LFZZ/France More Air France strikes planned on May 3-4 and 7-8. Daily impact likely to be similar to before – 30% of flights cancelled, with the Paris airports worst affected.
NWZZ/New Caledonia Around 20% of firefighters at the country’s main international airport NWWW/Noumea have joined a strike by colleagues at the domestic airport NWWM/Magenta. So far no impact on international flights, although that could change if the strike persists.
DFFD/Ougadougou No jet fuel available until Apr 30.
MNZZ/Nicaragua Worsening violence over the past few days with riots resulting in 24 deaths. The US have warned access to MNMG/Managua Airport could be disrupted by the protests, and is now pulling out some of its embassy staff and advising against travel to the country.
ZKZZ/North Korea North Korean leader Jim Jong Un has said there will be no more intercontinental and medium-range missile tests, ahead of talks that are scheduled with South Korea in late April, and with the US in May. He said the country will now focus on economic development and peace talks instead.
LEZZ/Spain ATC strikes planned in the Barcelona ACC, which covers the eastern half of Spain and the Balearic Islands. No fixed dates yet, but if it goes ahead it would happen sometime after Jun 20, with each strike lasting 24hrs.
SCZZ/Chile LATAM has cancelled and rescheduled more flights through to May 2, due to the ongoing cabin crew strike. So far the airline has already had to cancel over 2000 flights because of the strike.
KZZZ/USA AOPA has published a list of the top 10 US airports where you’re likely to get overcharged at FBO’s: KACY/Atlantic City, KCPR/Casper, KCHO/Charlottesville, KMQS/Chester County, KHXD/Hilton Head, KIFP/Laughlin, KORF/Norfolk, KRST/Rochester, KBJC/Rocky Mountain, KISN/Sloulin Field. Full details here.
SMZZ/Suriname Ops normal with Suriname/Paramaribo ATC again as the system failure has been restored, the contingency plan cancelled, and Guyana are no longer providing ATS assistance.
HLLM/Mitiga On Apr 19, militants fired rockets at the airport yet again, this time causing damage to the airport building, parts of the apron tarmac, and a parked Libya Airlines A320 aircraft.
UIII/Irkutsk The airport will be closed for runway repairs each day Tue-Sat between 11-15z from May 5 – Jun 30. Not available as an alternate during these times.
WARR/Juanda The airport will be closed for everything except medevac helicopter ops, every night from 16-22z until Jul 3.
WSZZ/Singapore ASEAN Summit happening at the end of April. At WSSS/Singapore, no parking/slots available from Apr 23-30. At WSSL/Seletar, airport will be closed on Apr 27 0900-1400z, and Apr 28 0030-0730z.
VTSP/Phuket The airport will be closing from 1730-2330z each night from 26 Apr – 07 May, for runway repairs.
ORZZ/Iraq Following the Iraqi government’s decision in March to re-open the Kurdish airports ORER/Erbil and ORSU/Sulaymaniyah to international flights, Iran has now lifted its own ban on international flights to these airports too. Commercial flights from OIIE/Tehran to ORER/Erbil are set to resume on Apr 27.
FEFF/Bangui The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) are now advising against travel to central Bangui between the airport and the Ubangi River – which is pretty much the entire riverside area of the city centre. The FCO advise against all travel to the rest of Bangui and the Central African Republic.
LLZZ/Israel Israel says its satellite surveillance has detected Iranian military activity at multiple airports across Syria. Israel has now placed its own military on high alert in anticipation of potential Iranian-linked attacks, in retaliation for an Israeli attack on a military base in Syria on 9 April which killed at least three Iranian soldiers.
OPZZ/Pakistan All scheduled commercial flights will move over from OPRN/Benazir Bhutto International Airport to the New Islamabad Airport when it opens on May 3 (delayed from Apr 20). It will have the ICAO code OPIS, and will take over the IATA code ISB from Benazir Bhutto. Initially all GA/BA should continue to use the old airport, until procedures are in place for using the new one.
KZZZ/USA As Congress considers a new five-year FAA funding bill, GA advocates look to have fought-off attempts to privatize US ATC. More info here.
More on the topic:
- More: Dodging Danger: The Three Routes Through the Middle East
- More: US Pre-Clearance: How does it work?
- More: 2025 North Atlantic Plotting & Planning Chart
- More: Member Meetup – NAT Special: Nov 6, 1500 UTC
- More: Canada ADS-B Mandate
More reading:
- Latest: Dodging Danger: The Three Routes Through the Middle East
- Latest: US Pre-Clearance: How does it work?
- Latest: 2025 North Atlantic Plotting & Planning Chart
- Safe Airspace: Risk Database
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