Bad news for trans-Atlantic operators! The Customs office at KBGR/Bangor Airport will now be closing each night from 22-06 local time (02-10z).

They used to be open H24, which made Bangor a great option for trans-Atlantic operators wanting to clear U.S. Customs somewhere nice and straightforward overnight. Now with the new changes, you can still request overtime, but Customs needs 24hrs notice to arrange and will only assess on a case-by-case basis.

Now it seems that the nearest airport in the region still with Customs available H24 is KBOS/Boston International Airport, and given it’s size, it’s not the most BA/GA friendly at the best of times.

Where else to go? Here are some options:

KALB/Albany
Open 08-22 local time, 7 days a week
Available out-of-hours but minimum 2hrs notice required.

KPSM/Portsmouth
Open 08-17 weekdays only
Available out-of-hours but minimum 24hrs notice required.

KPWM/Portland
Open 07-21 local time, 7 days a week
Available out-of-hours but minimum 24hrs notice required.

Know of anywhere else in the region which provides Customs H24? If we missed somewhere obvious, let us know!

Update June 29, 2018:

Following the volcanic eruption on Jun 28 at Bali’s Mount Agung, the airport has been closed all morning today, Jun 29, and only just reopened at 1430 local time (0630z). Over 500 flights have already been cancelled as a result. Big delays expected all day and into the weekend. Further closures due to volcanic ash are still possible.

Per latest report from Darwin VAAC, there is a volcanic ash cloud observed up to FL160 in the area, but they predict winds will carry the ash southwest toward Java, Indonesia’s most densely populated island.

In Short: Continued vigilance required for operations to Bali; The alert level for Mt Agung eruption remains at 3 (on a scale of 1-4). Last ash plume on 26 March rose to at least an altitude of 11,650 ft.

When Mount Agung erupted in November 2017, airlines faced travel chaos as flights were cancelled due to the lingering ash cloud. Since then, visitor arrivals have dropped by more than 70 percent. Facing $1bn in lost tourist revenue, the Indonesian government is trying to lure tourists back to the holiday island.

The 3,000metre high volcano sits roughly 70 kilometres away from the tropical paradise’s main airport and popular tourist areas.

In a Volcano Observatory Notice for Aviation (VONA), Volcanological Survey of Indonesia (PVMBG) reported that at 1009 on 26 March an event at Agung generated an ash plume that rose at least to an altitude of 3.6 km (11,650 ft) a.s.l. and drifted NW. The Alert Level remained at 3 (on a scale of 1-4) and the exclusion zone continued at a 4-km radius.

Best up-to-date information:

• Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre
• MAGMA Indonesia – VONA stands for Volcano Observatory Notice for Aviation. It issues reports for changes, both increases and decreases, in volcanic activities, providing a description on the nature of the unrest or eruption, potential or current hazards as well as likely outcomes.
• Global Volcanism Program – Agung

The current one to watch:

Mount Sinabung – located in Medan, Indonesia is also very active at the moment (last spewing ash on Friday April 6) and may disrupt air operations to Malaysia and Singapore.

“Current Aviation Color Code: RED, Eruption with volcanic ash cloud at 09:07 UTC (16:07 local). Eruption and ash emission is continuing. Ash-cloud moving to west – south. Best estimate of ash-cloud top is around 23872 FT (7460 M) above sea level, may be higher than what can be observed clearly. Source of height data: ground observer.”

We will keep an eye on this one.

Mount Sinabung roared back to life in 2010 for the first time in 400 years. After another period of inactivity it erupted once more in 2013, and has remained highly active since.

If you have travelled through the region lately and can provide members with more of an update, please get in touch. 

Another French ATC strike has been announced for the LFMM/Marseille ACC, spanning the entire weekend June 30 – July 2. The strike will run from 0430z on Saturday 30th June to 0430z on Monday 2nd July.

Key points:

– It’s just the the controllers of the LFMM/Marseille ACC en-route airspace above FL145 who are on strike. Big delays expected for any flights trying to overfly the sector during the strike.

– Just like the previous LFMM/Marseille ACC strikes, they expect a lot of controllers will join this one. We fully expect the warning will be the same as before: “minimum service expected for the whole period” – that means that as little as 50% of FPL’s will get accepted.

– Eurocontrol are currently busy writing their Mitigation Plan, which will include recommended routes for flights to airports within the LFMM/Marseille sector during the strike, but it will be based on the info found here: http://dsnado.canalblog.com/

– Algeria and Tunisia are both expected to open-up their airspace for re-routes.

Each French ATC strike is different, but there are some things that are pretty much the same every time. For everything you need to know in order to survive, read our article!

We love new airports … and we have a cool one tell you about in Giza, Egypt – known as Sphinx International Airport (SPX, HESX)!

It looks like it’s undergoing a “soft” opening of sorts. Word from handlers we have spoken to on the ground confirm it’s open for business (for the most part).

Here is the info we have so far:

• ICAO code: HESX
• IATA code: SPX
• PCN: 87
• Runway dimensions: 3650M x 60M
• The airport is open from Sunrise to Sunset. No night lighting installed as yet.
• There is no CIQ yet. But it’s coming soon – so it’s not an airport of entry presently.
• Airport features a general and business aviation terminal, with its own dedicated CIQ unit. The VIP terminal and Royal Lounge are open. A complete fleet of GSE is in place.
• Jet A1 Fuel is available via Misr Petroleum Company tankers. No Hydrant System yet.
• Airport features 8 parking stands currently.
• Most likely the airport will be slot coordinated preserving control on capacity until the new terminals launch.
• Night stop parking is accepted with a requirement to re-position aircraft to parking bays after passengers disembark.

Some extra info from the local agent:

“The airport has already launched, but not in it’s full capacity as the contracted constructor is still finishing up the exteriors. In addition the check-in software has not been installed, meaning commercial schedule flights haven’t started yet. However the airport is accepting business and general aviation flights during opening hours and with pre-notification of 48 hours.”

Parking spots are well equipped and overnight parking is possible. The airport is only seeing a handful of movements at present and is not busy.

The airport is best suited for those wishing to visit Cairo West or Giza City with the expected launch of commercial flights on 30 June.

Have you landed there yet? Let us know if you have any updates.

p.s. Fun fact- The Great Sphinx of Giza when translated from Arabic to English means: The Terrifying One; literally: Father of Dread. So……Safe landings 😉

Extra Reading:

• AD 2.HESX-v2 – AIP Information on HESX – Sphinx International Airport.

Summer parking restrictions at Greek airports are now in full swing. In previous years, it was mainly just the island airports that suffered, and airports on the mainland were used to reposition aircraft for longer stays. This year however, parking at LGAV/Athens is becoming a nightmare too.

We’ve had several reports from OPSGROUP members of requests for longer stays at Athens being denied, and also previously approved requests being revoked. If you are headed to Greece, don’t count on using Athens for anything for other than a quick tech stop.

Airport authorities at Athens have now issued a Notam for the whole summer season advising that all GA/BA flights require PPR for stays of longer than two hours:

A1641/18 - DUE TO OPERATIONAL REASONS THE FOLLOWING PROCEDURES ARE IN FORCE:
1.FOR AEROPLANES WITH MTOW MORE THAN 5700 KG, PRIOR PERMISSION IS REQUIRED (PPR).
FOR: GENERAL AVIATION, BUSINESS AVIATION, AIR TAXI FLIGHTS AND ALL TECHNICAL 
STOP FLIGHTS, WITH INTENTION TO STAY ON THE GROUND FOR MORE THAN TWO HOURS 
AND/OR STAY ON GROUND BETWEEN 1800 AND 0600 UTC.
2.LONG STAY OF AIRCRAFT IS NOT PERMITTED.
14 JUN 18:00 2018 UNTIL 20 AUG 06:00.

Local handlers have confirmed that PPR for tech stops of less than two hours almost always get granted. But for parking requests of more than two hours, prepare to be disappointed. In addition, until the end of the summer the airport will no longer accept any positioning flights without pax on board, regardless of how long you’re staying.

For operators wanting to do drop-and-go’s at Athens, always ask your agent which airports they recommend repositioning to for parking, but some options worth checking (as they do not currently have any restrictions in place for maximum parking length) are: LGKO/Kos, LGSM/Samos, LGIO/Ioannina, LGKV/Kavala, LGRX/Araxos.

AYMN/Mendi has been closed indefinitely after protesters set fire to and destroyed an Air Niugini Dash 8 aircraft, which had just arrived from Port Moresby. The protest was in response to a court ruling confirming the election of the Southern Highlands governor William Powi.

Radio New Zealand reported:

“(Initially) the local police station commander Gideon Kauke had said police were guarding the aircraft to ensure there was no further damage, after its tyres had been flattened.

But he said his team of about ten police couldn’t contain a mob of uncountable numbers, particularly after missiles were thrown, forcing them to retreat; “we were guarding the plane but compared to them we were outnumbered and they came in all directions, all corners. Missiles were thrown, bush knives were thrown.”

Mr Kauke said some of the protestors, who continue to behave menacingly in Mendi as their numbers build up, were carrying guns. He said the protest was in response to a court ruling in Waigani confirming the election of the Southern Highlands governor William Powi.”

The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs is cautioning all to “reconsider your need to travel” to the regions affected by the unrest and to also “exercise a general degree of caution” for the whole of PNG.

The local NOTAM says it all.

A0773/18 – AD CLSD TO ALL ACFT OPS DUE CIVIL UNREST. 14 JUN 05:35 2018 UNTIL 13 JUL 06:00 2018 ESTIMATED. CREATED: 14 JUN 05:52 2018

Additional reporting indicates that the aircraft was shot at on landing, deflating the tyres.

Are you currently in PNG and can fill us in on more? Please comment below, or email us.

Skip the line up at Teterboro! The FAA has launched an initiative to allow some high-performance business aviation aircraft an escape route during SWAP events to mitigate delays at KTEB and KHPN. The goal is to offer flights that are filed to cruise at FL400 and above an exclusive route that would get them above the airline traffic. This route may add a few extra miles but will minimize ground delays.

As the FAA is required to test the route for ATC automation and familiarity, they are seeking pilots willing to participate in this test as early as this weekend, preferably in the morning, before traffic demand peaks. Aircraft participating in the test would be routed over GREKI and then on to westerly or southwesterly destinations.

If you’re willing to participate in the test this weekend, please at your earliest opportunity contact FAA Deputy Director System Operations, East-North Warren Strickland: warren.strickland@faa.gov

If you’re unable to participate in this weekend’s test, please advise Warren of other dates that may work for you.

AIP SUP A09/18 details new communication procedures for air traffic entering the VHHK/Hong Kong FIR.

The key points:

• Aircraft shall comply with the following communication requirements to obtain an air traffic control (ATC) clearance:

• Pilot shall report the aircraft callsign, position (with reference to reporting point), level (including passing and cleared levels if not maintaining the cleared level), transponder code, and other pertinent information (e.g. speed assigned by last ATC, tracking if it differs from the flight plan route) in the initial call before entering Hong Kong FIR.

Also a small change: the requirement for pilots to report the estimate time exiting Hong Kong FIR on first contact with Hong Kong Radar as stipulated in AIP Hong Kong ENR 1.1 paragraph 2.2.4 will no longer be applicable and is hereby cancelled.

LIZZ/Italy The ATC strike is still planned to go ahead on Jun 8 at all airports in Italy and all ACC’s, from 11-15Z. Overflights, and intercontinental flights (eg US arrivals) are exempt. Expect disruption on the ground at all airports all day.

MGGT/Guatemala City The airport re-opened on Jun 4, following a major eruption at the nearby Fuego Volcano on Jun 3 which has resulted in the deaths of 70 people so far. Though volcanic activity has been declared over, there is potential for additional eruptions and mudslides.

SBZZ/Brazil No fuel shortages are being reported this week at any of the country’s main airports, following the supply issues last week due to the nationwide trucker strike.

LFZZ/France Unions have called for another French ATC strike in the LFMM/Marseilles sector this coming weekend, Jun 9-10. Awaiting official confirmation by Notam.

ZSZZ/China Tropical storm Ewiniar has made landfall in the Guangdong province in southern China just north of Hainan Island, with gusting winds of up to 50kts. The storm is not expected to have a major impact on Hong Kong, although thunderstorms alerts have been issued.

EGZZ/United Kingdom There are almost no options for London airports to land at during the night this summer. EGMC/Southend is probably the best bet, no restrictions there thus far. More info here.

EGPH/Edinburgh Due to limited parking expected until the end of Aug, the airport is only available for diverts that are emergencies. Don’t use EGPH as an alternate airport on your FPL.

EICK/Cork Night-time runway closures on various different dates throughout June. Check the Notams carefully before planning the airport as a NAT alternate.

EINN/Shannon The runway will be closed from 23-04z each night on Jun 11, 12 & 13. For NAT alternates, consider EGAA/Belfast or EIDW/Dublin instead.

LLZZ/Israel Multiple reports last few days of GPS outages in the Tel Aviv FIR/landing in Tel Aviv. Example from A320 operator: In Nicosia area GPS was lost multiple times. TLV TMA using the RNP-X 30 approach. Contingency plans discussed (request LDA or RNAV-V (no GPS requirement) if GPS would not recover before TMA. Or visual approach if later. Approx. 20nm before LIMKO the GPS functioned normally again, and the decision was made to accept/proceed/continue with the RNP-X 30. At SOSOT, suddenly both GPS 1+2 lost, with many GPS PRIMARY / GPS PRIMARY LOST messages at split second intervals. Decision was made to disconnect AP + FDs immediately as visual with the field and in turn. ATC informed and re-cleared for visual approach. Rest of approach and landing uneventful.

UKDE/Zaporizhia Airport completely closed until Jun 14, due to runway repair.

CZZZ/Canada Canada has now expanded its ADIZ to include all its national territory in the Arctic Archipelago. More info here.

LFPB/Paris-le-Bourget The airport will be closed each night 20-04z, June 11-15, for taxiway repairs.

LBZZ/Bulgaria CPDLC will be out of service across Bulgarian airspace until Aug 30.

VICG/Chandigarh The airport reopened on May 31, after a 20-day closure for expansion and repairs. The expanded runway will be 12,400 feet long with effective take-off length of 10,400 feet.

ORSU/Sulaymaniyah Turkey still don’t allow flights going to/from ORSU/Sulaymaniyah to operate over Turkish airspace – citing their ongoing concerns about terrorism in Sulaymaniyah.

SVMI/Caracas The US now advises against all night-time travel to/from the airport due to the risk of crime. We recommend to avoid planning tech stops in Venezuela altogether.

LEIB/Ibiza Lack of parking space on the apron expected over the summer months. Until Sep 1, the apron is limited to max 3hr stay for GA aircraft with a wingspan longer than 21 meters.

VABB/Mumbai Work to upgrade the ILS on the airport’s main runway 09/27 has now been completed, and the new system is now in operation.

EGSS/Stansted There are now only 10 night-time slots available for GA/BA per week, and new noise restrictions mean that aircraft rated above QC1 are unlikely to receive slot approval at all during the night period. More info here.

UUZZ/Russia During the World Cup (Jun 13 – July 15), parking will be tight at all Moscow airports and in other cities where games are being played: ULLI/St Petersburg, UMKK/Kaliningrad, UWGG/Nizhniy Novgorod, UWKD/Kazan, USSS/Yekaterinburg, UWWW/Samara, UWPS/Saransk, URWW/Volgograd, URRP/Rostov-on-Don and URSS/Sochi. All will require slots, and will want you to do drop-and-go’s and go elsewhere to park/fuel. At UUEE/Moscow Sheremetyevo, non-scheduled flights are banned unless they are transporting teams or groups of fans.

OEZZ/Saudi Arabia Another Houthi missile was intercepted over Saudi Arabia early on Jun 5, this time over the city of Yanbu, which is 150nm north of Jeddah, and 550nm north of the border with Yemen, making this one of the farthest missile strikes launched by the Houthi rebels so far.

RCSS/Taipei Due to runway repairs, Taipei’s second airport will effectively be closed nightly between 2240-0630 local time from Jun 20 to Sep 15.

WSSL/Seletar The Trump-Kim meeting is planned for Jun 12 in Singapore. From 07-23 local time Jun 12 and 07-19 local time Jun 13, Seletar Airport will be closed.

LGAV/Athens For July and August, PPR will be required for GA/BA aircraft wanting to park for more than 3 hours. But depending on the volume of traffic in the coming days, they may decide to implement this rule sooner.

If you’re departing Teterboro any time soon, make sure you stop at 1500 feet – and have a good look at the rest of the RUUDY 6 departure. That’s the message from NY ATC, and the Teterboro Users Group.

The FAA has reported over 112 pilot deviations on the KTEB/Teterboro RUUDY 6  SID.

The Teterboro Users Group has asked us to remind all pilots that strict compliance is required, especially vertically.

“The most common error being a climb straight to 2000’ without honouring the requirement to cross WENTZ at 1500” – Capt. David Belastock, President, TUG

This week the FAA issued the following notice which explain the issue and the serious consequences of non-compliance, namely the reduced vertical separation with KEWR/Newark arrivals:

Teterboro Airport SID Deviations

Notice Number: NOTC7799

The Ruudy Six departure continues to incur both lateral, but in particular, vertical pilot deviations. Due to the proximity of Newark and other area airports it is imperative to follow the RNAV(RNP1) departure procedure to Performance Based Navigation (PBN) standards. Do not drift left off course to avoid noise monitors. Do not climb above 1500 until passing Wentz intersection. There is only 1000 feet of separation with overhead traffic at Wentz. When issued the clearance to “climb via the SID” all altitude restrictions must be complied with as depicted on the chart.

Attached are excerpts from the Aeronautical Information Manual and the Controllers handbook explaining the Climb Via procedure. An expanded explanation is in chapter 4 and 5 of the AIM.

Further information can be found on the Teterboro Users Group website http://teterborousersgroup.org and in KTEB Notice to Airmen (Letters to Airmen section)

There has been an extensive education campaign underway for a long period including guidance material, pilot meetings, educational podcasts and even a FlightSafety International eLearning course. Despite these efforts, pilot deviations continue to occur.

A great guide has been created by Captain Belastock and its very useful for any crews operating out of KTEB.

Know of any other procedures with unusually high non-compliance?

Let us know!

KZWY/New York Oceanic FIR last month published a NOTAM requiring Flight Plans to be submitted with MACH crusing number, rather than TAS in Field 15A for the flight plan. So far, most operators are not doing this. But you should!

This includes flight departing TXKF/Bermuda.

A0178/18 – ALL ACFT ENTERING THE NEW YORK OCEANIC FIR (KZWY), INCLUDING THOSE DEPARTING BERMUDA (TXKF) , MUST FILE A MACH NUMBER INSTEAD OF A SPEED OF KNOTS IN THE EXPECTED CRUISE SPEED FIELD (FIELD 15A) OF THEIR FPL. 03 MAY 17:08 2018 UNTIL 31 MAR 23:59 2019. CREATED: 03 MAY 17:09 2018

Reports are that compliance so far has been low.

So why do it?

NY ARTCC tell us:

This minor adjustment enables the ATC computer system to effectively probe flight plans and proactively offer more favorable routes and/or reroutes.

Help ATC out! Thank you.

Africa has inched closer to achieving a broad Upper Area FIR  following the move by 19 regional states to adopt an airspace agreement at the end of May.

Ministers of Justice and the Attorney Generals from Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) adopted the legal instrument on common airspace in Lusaka.

The regional airspace agreement aims at achieving a seamless upper airspace for the region which will lead to enhanced competition in air travel and efficiency.

Zambia Minister of Justice, Hon. Given Lubinda, who opened the May meeting said the COMESA seamless airspace programme will contribute to bringing down high costs.

“The draft legal instruments aimed at the implementation of the COMESA Seamless Airspace programme speak to this.”

Extra Reading:

• Africa’s dream for seamless airspace almost taking off
• COMESA Airspace Integration Project

Jet noise! It seems that Londoners are sick of it. Corporate operators watch out; London basin airports of EGGW/Luton, EGSS/Stansted, EGKK/Gatwick, EGLL/Heathrow, EGKB/Biggin Hill, EGWU/Northolt, EGLF/Farnborough and EGTK/Oxford airports are now effectively closed or restricted for overnight flights.

EGGW/Luton is the biggest hit with a curfew this summer: from 1 June to 30 September, arrivals/departures will be prohibited between 23-7 local time each night.

Over at EGSS/Stansted, where local authorities have already reduced the number of night-time slots for GA/BA to just 10 per week, new noise restrictions have also been introduced which mean that aircraft rated above QC1 are unlikely to receive slot approval at all during the night period:

Who’s to blame?

Local airlines, mainly the low-cost ones. Late arrivals have used up much of the cumulative noise footprint at both airports.

So, what’s left?

• EGMC/Southend (40 miles away) & EGBB/Birmingham (115 miles away) are the only airports with no restrictions (thus far).
• EGLL/Heathrow & EGGK/Gatwick: Pretty much a no-go zone for business aviation these days
• EGLC/London City: closed from 1030pm to 0630am
• EGWU/Northolt: closed from 8pm to 8am on weekdays
• EGLF/Farnborough: closed from 10pm to 7am on weekdays
• EGKB/Biggin Hill: closed from 11pm to 6.30am on weekdays, and 10pm to 8am on weekends

Who’s most affected?

Transatlantic crossings that plan to arrive in London late at night (after a morning departure from the US) or late-night London departures. Plan ahead and speak with your FBO so you don’t get stuck in a noisy bind.

Extra Reading:

• Noise complaints hit record high at Luton Airport but same five people make half of them

An eruption at Guatemala’s Fuego volcano on 3rd June resulted in the deaths of 25 people, and forced the temporary closure of MGGT/Guatemala City Airport. After the military cleared ash from the runway, the airport re-opened on 4th June, with the warning of delays due to ongoing runway inspections.

On June 3, Guatemala’s Institute for Vulcanology (INSIVUMEH) published a map showing the volcanic ash distribution (shown on the map as the area in orange, labelled ‘Ceniza’):

Further reading:

• Guatemala’s Fuego volcano erupts, killing 25 and injuring hundreds

Actually, he already knows.  He’s seen more than 2 billion of them, read through them, grouped the words, and in the same way that you or I would, learned what different Notams look like, mean, and what they are about.

What Norm has no idea about though, is how important any particular Notam is. Until he learns from the people that know, he won’t know the difference between grass-cutting times, and airport closure times, in terms of criticality to crews.

Norm (full name Norman the Notam Organizational and Recognition Model) is an Artificial Intelligence ‘bot’ being built by ICAO and FSB. Calling him a bot does him a disservice; he’s already much smarter than a bot, but needs more training.

Norm  has one job: identify critical NOTAMS and highlight them, so that crews and dispatchers don’t miss the important stuff.

For this, FSB needs human pilots and dispatchers to teach him what is critical and what is not. When presented with a new NOTAM, Norm can then give it a criticality rating. He needs a sample of at least 10,000 NOTAMS to become usable, and 20,000 to become smart.

FSB is using the power of OpsGroup to train him – a collective of 4,000 airlines, operators, pilots, and dispatchers that work together and share information on changes, operational challenges, security, risk, and …. fixing Notams.

There are over 30,000 NOTAMS out there at any moment in time. Some are critical, most are not. Norm will ensure that crews have the option of seeing only the critical ones first.

As of May 24, Canada has expanded its ADIZ to include all its national territory in the Arctic Archipelago.

Requirements for operations in the ADIZ remain the same. You’ll need a transponder with altitude reporting and a working two-way radio. Remember, you’ll need to include the time and location of ADIZ border crossing in your flight plans RMK section.

Full AIC 2/18 for the detailed lat/long of the expanded area here.

KZZZ/USA Since May 3, all aircraft entering New York Oceanic (KZWY) and those departing Bermuda have been required to use a mach number instead of knots when filing their flight plans. The FAA has reported a low level of compliance since the Notam was issued.

EDDH/Hamburg In the last few days, both an A320 and a B737 have overrun Runway 05 at Hamburg. It’s shortened, but clearly that information is not being effectively received by flight crews. The most recent incident occurred on May 15. More info here.

LLBG/Tel Aviv In addition to the standard daily restrictions on GA ops, on May 24 there will be no GA ops allowed from 04-12z.

EHRD/Rotterdam The runway will be closed for repair overnight from 22-04z on June 4, 11, 18 and 25.

WIZZ/Indonesia The Mount Merapi volcano in central Java erupted again on May 20, but the ash cloud has since dissipated, and operations at nearby WAHH/Yogyakarta Airport have not been affected.

LIML/Milan Expect delays on May 26 at both LIML/Milan-Linate and LIMC/Milan-Malpensa airports, as some ground handling staff will be on strike all day.

SBBR/Brasilia Fuel may not be available at the moment, due to ongoing tanker driver strikes. A Notam claims fuel is available on request until May 25, but local reports indicate this may not be accurate.

LKMT/Ostrava The airport will be closed for runway maintenance on the evenings of May 23 (20-04z) and 24 (2130-3z).

KGYY/Gary The main Rwy 12/30 has reopened after a three-week closure to rebuild much of it.

EGGW/Luton Strike action by airport staff originally planned for May 25-30 now looks to have been cancelled. Some ground handling staff are still planning to strike on May 26-27, but the airport expects only minor delays on those days.

VTZZ/Thailand Reports of at least 20 bombings by militants across Thailand’s southern provinces on May 20. Travel warnings are in place for the entire region from VTSS/Hat Yai and VTSH/Songkhla airports in the north, to the Malaysian border in the south.

SVZZ/Venezuela Deepening crisis in Venezuela. Both the public and private medical systems can now provide only basic medical care. More info here.

OEGN/Jizan Another missile attack launched from Yemen on May 21, this time targeting OEGN/Jizan Airport. Saudi media reports that the missile was intercepted. This was the third attack by Houthi rebels since the start of Ramadan, which started last week.

VABB/Mumbai No ILS until Jun 5, due to repairs. The airport has said if the visibility drops below 2400 metres, ops will switch to the secondary Rwy 14, and if the visibility drops below 1200 metres (the minimum requirement for that runway) then the airport will have to be closed.

HLMS/Misrata The airport reopened on May 21, having been closed for 4 consecutive days, as ground staff went on strike after an attack by local militia at the customs office on May 16.

DNZZ/Nigeria With concerns about Ebola spreading from DR Congo, screening measures are now in place at all of Nigeria’s international airports: DNMM/Lagos, DNAA/Abuja, DNKN/Kano, DNPO/Port Harcourt, and DNEN/Enugu. Suspected passengers will now be quarantined in isolation clinics at the airsides of these airports.

LYTV/Tivat The airport now requires PPR 36 hours prior to your flight. Email dispatch.tivat@apm.co.me, or call at +38232670976 for approval.

ULLI/St.Petersburg There have been reports of unstable GPS near the airport (within 70NM), so be prepared for vectoring if you lose coverage.

LDPL/Pula From May 17 until June 17, PPR is required 48 hours in advance due to congestion. Email operations@airport-pula.hr and ppr@airport-pula.hr for your PPR and parking assignment.

SAZS/San Carlos De Bariloch The GA parking will be limited to 2 hour stays during May 17 – Aug 17. If you want overnight parking, contact them 24hours prior at brc-facturacion@aa2000.com.ar, or +5402944405016.

FZZZ/Democratic Republic of Congo The Ebola outbreak in the DR Congo has spread from the countryside into a city, prompting fears that the disease will be increasingly hard to control. It’s now reported in FZEA/Mbandaka.

SAZZ/Argentina From May 21, Argentina will be implementing an Air Traffic Flow Management service (ATFM) in its northern SAEZ/Ezeiza FIR. More info here.

MNZZ/Nicaragua Canada is now advising against all nonessential travel to Nicaragua due to civil unrest, which has been occurring throughout the country since April 2018.

OBZZ/Bahrain With the blockade of Qatar still ongoing, Bahrain has published some required routes for aircraft transiting it’s FIR, as well as routes to/from Bahrain airports that avoid the Qatar landmass. Check the OBBB Notams for details.

SKZZ/Colombia Canada has updated its warning for Colombia, advising against all travel to within 20km of the borders with Venezuela and Panama due to the risk of kidnapping and violent crime by armed groups in those areas.

KZZZ/USA There are some Presidential TFR Notams in place for New York on May 23. Basically, no GA ops allowed at KJFK/Kennedy from 1845-2000 local time, and at KLGA/La Guardia from 1500-1930 local time.

There’ll soon be a new CPDLC procedure on the NAT, designed to prevent pilots from acting on any old CPDLC messages that might have been delayed in the network.

ICAO have published a new Bulletin for all the NAT Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSP’s) to use as a basis for implementing this new procedure. They recommend that all aircraft should receive a message immediately after they enter each control area telling them to “SET MAX UPLINK DELAY VALUE” to a certain number of seconds. The idea is that this will prompt the pilot to enter the specified latency value into the aircraft avionics, so that it will ignore/reject any old CPDLC messages.

So far, only Iceland’s BIRD/Reykjavik FIR have implemented this procedure, effective May 24. All other sectors of NAT airspace (Gander, Shanwick, Bodo, Santa Maria, New York Oceanic) are busy writing their own AIC’s and will implement later in the year. 

So when entering the BIRD/Reykjavik FIR, expect to receive a CPDLC message from ATC instructing you to “SET MAX UPLINK DELAY VALUE TO 300 SECONDS”. A copy of their AIC with more guidance can be found here.

The latency monitor function varies from one aircraft type to another: some just automatically reject old CPDLC messages, some will display a warning to the pilot that the message has been delayed, some have deficient equipment, and some do not have the message latency monitor function implemented at all.

Because of this, ICAO note that “it is impossible for ATC to tailor the uplink of the message… to different aircraft types. It has therefore been decided among the NAT Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs) to uplink this message to all CPDLC connected aircraft immediately after they enter each control area. An aircraft may therefore receive this message multiple times during a flight.”

So here’s the lowdown on what you need to do:

1. Work out in advance what kind of message latency monitor function your aircraft has, and what it is designed to do when it receives the CPDLC message “SET MAX UPLINK TIMER VALUE TO XXX SECONDS”.

2. When you receive this message, respond with the voice message “ACCEPT” or “ROGER”. If your aircraft has a functioning message latency monitor, punch in the specified number of seconds. If you don’t have functioning equipment, respond with the free text message “TIMER NOT AVAILABLE”.

3. If anything goes wrong, revert to voice comms.

Back in November 2017, we reported on an equipment issue with Iridium satcom that prompted a ban by a number of Oceanic ATC agencies. Some aircraft were receiving massively delayed clearances sent by ATC via CPDLC – and one took the instruction and climbed 1000 feet, even though the message was meant for the flight the aircraft operated previously.

Although the bans were dropped after Iridium fixed the problem at ground level (by ensuring the system no longer queued CPDLC uplinks for more than five minutes), this new CPDLC procedure on the NAT should ensure this kind of situation doesn’t happen again. It’s officially being brought in as one of the safety requirements for the roll-out of reduced lateral and longitudinal separation minima across the NAT, which is predicated on Performance Based Communication and Surveillance (PBCS) specifications – that means having CPDLC capable of RCP240 (4 minute comms loop), and ADS-C capable of RSP180 (3 minute position reporting).

Further reading:
– ICAO NAT Bulletin 2018_002: CPDLC Uplink Message Latency Monitor
– Iceland’s AIC on the new CPDLC procedure for the BIRD/Reykjavik FIR
– The latest PBCS rumours and facts
– The latest NAT changes, including EGGX/Shanwick, CZQX/Gander, BIRD/Iceland, ENOB/Bodo, LPPO/Santa Maria, and KZWY/New York Oceanic East.
– IRIDIUM satcom fault fixed

Impact from todays ATC French strike is looking worse than usual.

As things stand at 0600Z, there are a total of 400,000 delay minutes attributed to ATC Industrial Action in the ATC system for Europe,  an average of 20 minutes for every flight in Europe. That average is calculated for all 22,000 aircraft that will operate today in Europe, so assuming at most 2000 flights would operate through French airspace, it works out at around 220 minutes delay for every aircraft. And yep, finishing off the maths, that’s about 4 hours.

Those figures are pretty fluid because the good people at NM (CFMU) work really hard to reroute flights around the worst of it, but it’s safe to say, if you are operating in, over, near, or thinking about France today, you will have a pretty decent delay.

See below for the best places to get updates on todays strike.

Further reading:

• FSB: How to survive a French ATC strike
• Eurocontrol NOP
• French ATC page with updates
• Mitigation action document – specific to the May 22 strike.

Reports this week of two Tu-95 Russian bombers being intercepted by US F22 fighters off the coast of Alaska.

The Tu-95 bombers were flying in the Air Defense Identification Zone in the Bering Sea north of the Aleutian Islands, where they were visually identified and shadowed by the U.S. jets at 10 a.m., said Navy Capt. Scott Miller, a North American Aerospace Defense Command spokesman.

The bombers did not enter North American sovereign airspace, he said in a statement. Miller declined to say how close the bombers came to U.S. land. Some outlets reported they flew as close as 55 miles off Alaska’s west coast.

Friday’s encounter was the first of its kind in just more than a year, Miller said. A similar incident occurred off Alaskan waters in April 2017 in what U.S. officials have described as routine if not tense encounters between adversarial aircraft where territorial lines meet.

The ADIZ extends about 200 miles off the Alaskan coast and is mostly international airspace, Miller said, though Russian military activity will often prompt an in-kind response for U.S. warplanes. Intercepts in the zone occurred about 60 times from 2007 to 2017, The New York Times reported last year.

Extra Reading:

• Just What Were Those Russian Tu-95 Strategic Bombers Doing Off Alaska’s Coast?

If you’re headed to Hamburg, watch out. The runway is shortened, and the Notams are vague.

Poorly written NOTAMs struck again this week in Hamburg, Germany, when an A320 and a B737 both overran Runway 05 on landing – the first by SAS on May 11  and the second by Ryanair on May 15.

Runway 05 in EDDH/Hamburg has been undergoing works and a litany of related NOTAMs and AIP SUP were issued to explain.

A1608/18 – RWY 05 LDA 2370M. 12 APR 04:00 2018 UNTIL 23 MAY 21:00 2018. CREATED: 05 APR 09:50 2018

A1605/18 – SHORTENED DECLARED DISTANCES FOR RWY 05/23. AIP SUP IFR 09/18 REFERS. 12 APR 04:00 2018 UNTIL 23 MAY 21:00 2018. CREATED: 05 APR 09:42 2018

A2223/18 – TWY A1, A3, A4, A5 CLOSED. 02 MAY 10:26 2018 UNTIL 01 JUL 04:00 2018. CREATED: 02 MAY 10:27 2018

A2044/18 – ILS RWY 05 NOT AVBL. AIP SUP IFR 09/18 REFERS. 23 APR 09:17 2018 UNTIL 23 MAY 21:00 2018. CREATED: 23 APR 09:17 2018

A1725/18 – CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT IN DEP SECTOR ALL IFR DEPARTURES RWY 05. PSN WITHIN AN AREA 533810N 0095948E AND 533805N 0100023E. MAX ELEV 89 FT. NOT MARKED AND LIGHTED. SUP 09 2018, CONSTRUCTION WORK EDDH REFER. 12 APR 04:00 2018 UNTIL 23 MAY 20:00 2018. CREATED: 09 APR 13:10 2018

A1609/18 – RWY 23 CLOSED FOR ARR. 12 APR 04:00 2018 UNTIL 23 MAY 21:00 2018. CREATED: 05 APR 09:52 2018

Despite this, both were unable to stop before the last open exit (A6) and vacated further down the runway. Thankfully both resulted in no injury because all construction equipment was kept clear of, and beyond, taxiway E6.

A better NOTAM may have been:

RWY 05 IS SHORTER THAN USUAL DUE TO CONSTRUCTION WORK AT 23 END. REDUCED LANDING DISTANCE IS 2370M. LAST TAXIWAY OPEN FOR EXIT IS A6. CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT ON RUNWAY BEYOND TAXIWAY A6. 

You get the idea. Concise and plain language in one NOTAM to make it clear what the issue is and the consequences of going beyond 2370m of runway.

They did, to their credit, try and tidy it up since the incidents:

A2563/18 – RWY 05 CLSD EAST OF TWY A6. RWY 05 LDA 2370M. RWY 05 NON STANDARD TDZ AND AIMING POINT MARKINGS AT 400M FM THR ISO 300M. ADJUST LDG PERF ACCORDINGLY. 17 MAY 16:30 2018 UNTIL 23 MAY 21:00 2018. CREATED: 17 MAY 16:31 2018

In another serious incident associated with these runway works, a Vueling A320 (another foreign operator) nearly landed at the wrong airport on May 11. Thankfully ATC intervened on that one.

All incidents are now the subject of investigation.

Naturally it’s imperative for crew and disptachers to check and read all NOTAMS thoroughly. But with over 40 current just for EDDH/Hamburg right now, it’s easy to understand why things get missed.

Until then “adjust landing performance accordingly”.

Extra Viewing:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIz03wbx4IE

CYUL/Montreal Due to construction, no GA/BA ops allowed 1600-2000 local from May 15-Jun 30. From Jun 8-10 this is lifted for the Grand Prix.

LFZZ/France ATC have announced they will take part in the national general strike planned for May 22. Another ATC strike is planned for the LFMM/Marseille sector spanning the weekend May 26-28.

HCZZ/Somalia IFALPA have issued updated information on safety of operations within the Mogadishu FIR (HCSM). Details here.

LFMN/Nice With the Cannes Film Festival and the Monaco Grand Prix happening this month, expect the airport to be busier than usual. They’ve published an AIP SUP (042/18) on it, but it just reiterates the normal procedures: slot and parking confirmation are required in advance.

WIZZ/Indonesia The Mount Merapi volcano in central Java erupted early on May 11, forcing nearby WAHH/Yoghakarta International Airport to temporarily close. Volcanic Ash cloud has since dissipated, and authorities say further eruptions are unlikely.

HBZZ/Burundi Canada is now warning against all travel to Burundi, due to ongoing political tensions, civil unrest and daily armed violence. A referendum is taking place on May 17, and demonstrations are expected over the next few weeks.

HLMS/Misrata Airport is set to re-open this week, after suspending air traffic two weeks ago to carry out maintenance on the runway. Security is still a major issue here though, as the airport has been forced to close on several occasions this year due to ongoing clashes between local militia.

EGGW/Luton Disruption expected over the holiday weekend May 25-30, as ground staff including firefighters, baggage handlers, and security staff, are planning to go on strike at various different times.

ORZZ/Iraq All airports in the country re-opened on May 12, following a 24hr closure for the elections.

VTBS/Bangkok IFALPA have issued some information on the ongoing problem of soft groundaffecting the taxiways and aircraft stands. Details here.

YSCB/Canberra Canberra don’t like receiving diverts without having an agreement in place. In Mar 2017, Qantas claim the airport refused to let their diverted B738 from departing again until a charge of $18,000 was paid by credit card – the usual fee should be around $2000.

FAZZ/South Africa More reports of “follow-home” armed robberies of foreigners travelling to/from airports. Ten separate incidents at FAOR/Johannesburg on Apr 27, and one at FALE/Durban on May 13.

UKZZ/Ukraine Ukraine has extended its ban on Russian aircraft entering Ukrainian airspace until 13th August.

KIMT/Iron Mountain The airport has now reopened, after the main runway was closed for 15 days for repair work.

KPGV/Greenville The runway repair work was completed four days ahead of schedule, and the airport reopened on May 15.

RPLL/Manila The airport is reporting numerous potholes, soft spots and uneven pavement on its taxiways and apron. None reported on the runways so far, but this time last year the airport was forced to shut down one runway for a few hours to repair a big pothole.

VOTV/Trivandrum Shortage of parking bays expected from now until the end of Aug. All night-stops require approval 24hrs in advance.

As we reported last month,  Eurocontrol published a ‘Rapid Alert Notification’ on their website regarding imminent air strikes into Syria.

“Due to the possible launch of air strikes into Syria with air-to-ground and / or cruise missiles within the next 72 hours, and the possibility of intermittent disruption of radio navigation equipment, due consideration needs to be taken when planning flight operations in the Eastern Mediterranean / Nicosia FIR area.”

Around this time LCCC/Nicosia FIR released this vague (and now deleted) NOTAM:

A0454/18 – INFORMATION TO AIRSPACE USERS

THE DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL AVIATION OF THE REPUBLIC OF CYPRUS IS CONTINUOUSLY MONITORING THE GEOPOLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS IN THE REGION AND WILL NOTIFY THE AVIATION COMMUNITY IF AND WHEN ANY RELEVANT AN RELIABLE INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE THE DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL AVIATION IS TAKING ALL APPROPRIATE ACTION TO SAFEGUARD THE SAFETY OF FLIGHTS. 12 APR 15:25 2018 UNTIL 12 JUL 15:00 2018 ESTIMATED. CREATED: 12 APR 15:26 2018

Beyond this alert and NOTAM though; nothing else happened. A few days later, the conflict escalated.

Very few commercial flights operate over Syria, and authorities in the US, UK, France and Germany have all previously issued warnings for Syrian airspace.

But many airlines regularly transit the LCCC/Nicosia FIR: there are frequent holiday flights to the main Cypriot airports of LCLK/Larnaca and LCPH/Paphos; overflight traffic from Europe to the likes of OLBA/Beirut, OJAI/Amman and LLBG/Tel Aviv; as well as traffic from Istanbul heading south to the Gulf and beyond.

What has happened in the few weeks since then?

Normal Eurocontrol protocol is (during expected ATC strike for example) – regular teleconferences with operators, active re-routes and removal of certain overflight approval requirements. So did that happen this time? No.

Essentially just radio silence on Syria and operations in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea.

Right now, it’s a busy place. With all the normal holiday traffic in the region, there is also a large number of military surveillance aircraft from numerous nations patrolling the region. United States assets operating from Greece and Italy. UK air power from Cyprus and the French from bases in Jordan. Add to that the normal Israeli defense air frames and even the odd Swedish gulfstream surveillance flight!  Then there are the Russians conducting aerial operations and defense exercises in and around Syria.

Cyprus has activated a litany of “temporary reserved/segregated areas” inside of Nicosia FIR.

On May 3rd, Cyprus issued this vague information, to ‘exercise caution’.

A0580/18 – NAVIGATIONAL WARNING TO ALL CONCERNED. EXTENSIVE MILITARY OPERATIONS IN NICOSIA FIR PILOTS TO EXERCISE CAUTION AND MAINTAIN CONTINUOUS RADIO CONTACT WITH NICOSIA ACC. 03 MAY 12:00 2018 UNTIL 31 MAY 23:59 2018. CREATED: 03 MAY 11:25 2018

There is also a current warning about GPS interruptions.

A0356/18 – RECENTLY, GPS SIGNAL INTERRUPTIONS HAVE BEEN REPORTED BY THE PILOTS OF THE AIRCRAFT OPERATING WITHIN SOME PARTS OF NICOSIA FIR. AIRCRAFT OPERATORS OPERATING WITHIN NICOSIA FIR ARE ADVISED TO EXERCISE CAUTION. 20 MAR 10:04 2018 UNTIL PERM. CREATED: 20 MAR 10:05 2018

It may be unfair to blame the authorities completely. At the end of the day, due to the lack of appropriate communication from the various security agencies it’s hard to get accurate information out there. Still, there was enough warning to alert civilian operators of imminent strike – but then nothing else. Shouldn’t airspace customers and users expect more?

So what to make of all this?

Let’s end it with this great 2009 (and still current) NOTAM from the Cypriots.

A0687/09 – NAVIGATION WARNING TO ALL CONCERNED.

15 SEP 09:30 2009 UNTIL PERM. CREATED: 15 SEP 09:34 2009

In most of the world, Ramadan in 2018 is expected to begin on May 16 and end on June 14, with both dates depending on lunar sightings. Eid-al-Fitr is expected to be observed June 14-15, though the exact dates will vary by country. Across the countries which celebrate the holiday, there will be delays processing permits, slots, and other operational requirements involving CAA’s and Airport Authorities.

Foreign nationals and their employers can expect immigration processing delays over the coming weeks in the Middle East, North Africa, Turkey and parts of Asia during the observance of the month of Ramadan and Eid-al-Fitr. Many government offices worldwide reduce their hours and/or close during Ramadan and Eid-al-Fitr.

Algeria:  The month of Ramadan is expected to begin May 16 or 17 and end June 13 or 14, depending on lunar sightings.  While public offices are not officially closed during Ramadan, most government offices will open at 10:00 a.m. and close at 3:30 p.m.  Government offices will also likely be closed on Eid-al-Fitr.  Processing delays can be expected for initial and renewal applications due to the reduced working hours.

Bangladesh:  The month of Ramadan will begin on May 15. While government offices will operate with reduced workforce during this month and until June 17, they will be closed from June 15 to 17 in observance of Eid-ul-Fitr. Processing delays of pending applications should be expected throughout the month of Ramadan.

Brunei:  The Ramadan season will begin on May 16 in Brunei. Government offices, including the Immigration Department, Labour Department and Energy Industry Department (EID) are expected to operate with reduced hours throughout the month of Ramadan. Government offices will be closed for Hari Raya Aidilfitri on June 15 to June 18, depending on lunar sighting. Processing delays are expected throughout Ramadan and may continue for up to two weeks after Ramadan ends.

Indonesia:  The month of Ramadan is expected to begin on May 17 ending with Hari Raya Idul Fitri, which will fall on June 15. Most government offices and consular posts are expected to reduce their business days by one to two hours throughout the month of Ramadan, and closures will likely occur several days before and after the Idul Fitri holiday (around June 11 to 22) due to staffing shortages. Processing delays are expected to occur during this period.

Malaysia:  The month of Ramadan will begin on May 17. Government offices, including the Immigration Department and other Work Pass adjudicating departments such as the eXpats Centre of the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation Sdn. Bhd. and MYXpats Centre of the Expatriate Services Division, are expected to operate with reduced hours throughout the month of Ramadan. Government offices will be closed for Hari Raya Aidifitri from June 15 to 17. In addition to those days, eXpats Centre will also be closed on June 14. Processing delays are expected throughout the month of Ramadan and may continue for up to three weeks after the end of Ramadan.

Middle East/North Africa (Bahrain, Kuwait, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates):  The month of Ramadan is expected to start May 16 or 17 and last until June 14 or 15, 2018. Government offices across the Middle East will be working reduced hours during Ramadan, which may affect processing times for all immigration applications. Foreign nationals and employers are advised to check with the relevant office for exact hours of operation. Processing delays could continue in the weeks following Ramadan due to Eid-al-Fitr holiday and application backlogs that accumulate during the closures.

Turkey: Government offices will be closed June 14 (afternoon), June 15 (full day), and potentially June 18. Processing delays can be expected for initial and renewal applications due to government office closures.