New Procedures at Nice: Beware the Big CDM Computer

Nice Airport will launch Airport Collaborative Decision Making (A-CDM) on Nov 25. The main impact to operators will basically be that strict timings will have to be adhered-to for the entire start-up process: flight clearance, engines start-up approval and parking off-block will all have to be done within strict timeframes, otherwise your flight will drop out of the CDM system and you’ll likely get hit with a significant delay.

Top tips from local handler Swissport are as follows (we’ve paraphrased slightly):

Flight dispatch:

It is now compulsory to file the flight plan so that it exactly matches the Airport Slot booked by your ground handler. If the flight plan and the Airport Slot timings are not exactly the same, the Big CDM Computer at the airport will get terribly confused, your flight plan will get rejected, and you won’t be flying anywhere.
As a consequence, any time you want to change your schedule you must let your handler know first! They get a new Airport Slot for you first, then enter your flight into the CDM system, and then you can change your flight plan.

Flight deck crew:

Strict timings will have to be respected for the start-up process : flight clearance, engines start-up approval and parking off-block will have to be performed in due time, otherwise the flight will be SEQUENCE OUT and the CDM process will have to be reset, resulting in significant delays.
The TSAT (Target Start-up Approval Time) is the key timing since all the departure process is based on it. Your ground handler can provide you with your TSAT, and it can also be monitored directly by the crew on the CDM website (see the attachments below on how to do that).
The transponder is part of the process for the validation of some CDM milestones. The transponder should be switched on before taxiing and switched off once on-block. Switching the transponder on/off during taxiing generates wrong timings in the whole process management, and the Big CDM Computer doesn’t like that.

Bottom line, just make sure you keep talking with your ground handler throughout the whole departure process, so they can manage all these times for you in the system.

Swissport has provided a handy guide for operators on what to expect (click the image below to open the full version!):

Other things worth knowing at LFMN/Nice:

With the change to RNP approaches only (i.e. what would be known in the U.S. as RNAV GPS approaches), the airport is filing violation reports even if you request and get cleared for any other type of approach. The tip is to double check your FMS database before you fly to confirm all approaches are loaded, especially the RWY 04 RNAV-A and RWY 22 RNAV-D. See Airport Spy reports on LFMN for full reports.
From March 2019, any schedule change (ETA, ETD, flight number, provenance or destination airport) will generate a new PPR number – now called “Slot ID” – that will have to be updated in the FPL, still in field 18. Bear in mind that this process will take at least 10-15 minutes to have the new schedule validated by the airport and get the new Slot ID.
France has started a thing called CASH – Collaborative Aerodrome Safety Highlights. It’s basically a selection of briefing packages for certain airports, drawn from information supplied by airlines, operators, and ATC. So far, they’ve published ones for LFBK/Bastia, LFOB/Beauvais, LFKC/Calvi, LFPB/Paris Le Bourget, LFPG/Paris Charles De Gaulle, LFMN/Nice, and LFBO/Toulouse. More info

New Procedures at Nice: Beware the Big CDM Computer