23MAR: Unsafe Airspace updates, Fixing Notams NOW, new Greek rules

written by Jamie Rose McMillen | 23 March, 2018

Weekly International Ops Bulletin published by FSB for OPSGROUP covering critical changes to Airports, Airspace, ATC, Weather, Safety, Threats, Procedures, Visas. Subscribe to the short free version here, or join thousands of your Pilot/Dispatcher/ATC/CAA/Flight Ops colleagues in OPSGROUP for the full weekly bulletin, airspace warnings, Ops guides, tools, maps, group discussion, Ask-us-Anything, and a ton more! Curious? See what you get. Rated 5 stars by 125 reviews.

LGZZ/Greece A new rule is set to be introduced on Apr 1 for charter flights to Greece on non EU-registered aircraft with up to 19 seats. In addition to having to obtain the standard landing permit, as well as the TCO approval from EASA, you will now need to apply for an annual “Operating License” from the Greek CAA too.

LCZZ/Cyprus Many recent reports of GPS and ADS-B outages in the airspace around the boundary between the LCCC/Nicosia and LLLL/Tel Aviv FIRs, in some cases lasting up to 30 minutes. Some aircraft only reported signal anomalies once ATC advised them they were off track. If you’re headed this way – be aware.

ORZZ/Iraq The Iraqi Prime Minister has lifted the government ban on international flights to the Kurdish airports ORER/Erbil and ORSU/Sulaymaniyah. The central government will take full control of the airports and start allowing international flights to resume in the coming days. Both Iran and Turkey still have Notams in place prohibiting flights to these airports from using their airspace – we expect these to be updated soon to reflect the lifting of the ban.

YZZZ/Australia Cyclone Marcus hit Darwin on Mar 17 with winds of over 130kmh, causing widespread damage and temporarily forcing YPDN/Darwin Airport to close. The cyclone has since moved out into the ocean off the coast of Western Australia, increasing in strength, with winds of up to 230kmh. It’s forecast to slowly move southwards, potentially affecting Perth around Mar 26.

OOMS/Muscat The airport’s new terminal opened on Mar 20, and all traffic must now go there instead of the old terminal which is now closed – although at some point it will be redeveloped to be used by low-cost carriers.

KZZZ/USA As advised by FDC NOTAM 6/7196, from Mar 29 onwards, pilots operating in the Washington DC Flight Restricted Zone (DC FRZ) must now file flight plans through the FAA’s Washington Center Flight Data Unit (FDU), instead of filing a flight plan with the Washington Hub Automated Flight Service Station (Leidos AFSS), by calling 703-771-3476. This new requirement applies to flights to/from all airports in the FRZ, including KDCA/Washington.

OMZZ/UAE Long delays expected at all major UAE airports on the weekend of Mar 24-25, due to spring break holidays.

VOCL/Calicut The airport is about to start their big runway resurfacing project, which will close the runway each day between 0630-1430z from Mar 25 to Jun 15.

SAZZ/Argentina The Argentinian airline Aerolineas has suspended ticket sales to all of their destinations until Mar 25. They say multiple aircraft were recently damaged by hail in SABE/Buenos Aires, during a storm, which means they now need to reprogram their schedule until the aircraft get fixed.

KGYY/Gary The airport’s long runway (RWY 12/30) will be completely closed for repair from Apr 20 to May 21. The short runway (RWY 02/20) will remain open throughout, but it’s only 3600ft long. Gary supplements Chicago’s major airports, KORD/O’Hare and KMDW/Midway – so expect those two airports to be busier than usual during this period.

ZSZZ/China There are four airways over the Himalayas (L888, Y1, Y2, Y3) which the Chinese authorities will only let you use if you have ADS, CPDLC and satellite voice communication, and operators need to verify their equipment with them at least 60 days in advance! So they recommend that only regular scheduled flights apply to use these airways.

FACT/Cape Town It’s not showing up on the Notams yet, but all fuel suppliers at the airport are reporting that there’s currently no Jet A1 available until further notice.

VCRI/Mattala At what has been dubbed “the world’s emptiest international airport” and a failed vanity project by Sri Lanka’s ex-president, there have been recent reports of herds of elephants, buffaloes and deer regularly invading the airfield from a nearby wildlife reserve.

FAOR/Johannesburg GA/BA crew and pax not wanting to have to go through the main terminal to clear customs and immigration can now do this instead at the airport’s dedicated GA/BA FBO – Firebird Aviation.

TAPH/Barbuda The airport re-opened to commercial flights on Mar 18, having been closed since Sep 2017 following extensive damage sustained during Hurricane Irma.

EGGW/Luton A new noise curfew is being introduced, so from Jun 1 to Sep 30, arrivals/departures will be prohibited between 22-06z each night. Also between these dates, non-emergency diversions will be completely prohibited for the entire period, day and night.

GUZZ/Guinea More protests are planned in Conakry, including: a ‘dead city’ protest on Mar 20, and a rally along the Fidel Castro Highway on Mar 22. Following disputed elections held on Feb 4, there have many sporadic demonstrations across the country, with reports of violent clashes, including some fatalities, in the northern suburbs of Conakry.

MKZZ/Jamaica Yet another ‘state of emergency’ has been declared in Jamaica, this time around the Spanish Town area. It’s set to last until Apr 4. A major security operation is now underway, in response to recent violence including shooting incidents. Travellers are being told to avoid the area.

RPZZ/Philippines Expect disruption to travel and business activity from Mar 25 to Apr 1 during a week of public holiday known as ‘Holy Week’. Make sure all hotels and local travel is booked in advance, and expect most government offices, banks and private companies to remain closed or to operate reduced hours.

ZSAM/Xiamen The airport will be closed from 1830-2130z every Sunday and Thursday from Mar 18 to Jun 7.

PGUM/Guam The FAA is initiating a TFR from Mar 18 – Mar 25, and one border runs parallel with the runways at PGUM. The TFR extends up to FL200, just north of the airport.

HAAB/Addis Ababa A fuel shortage is expected beginning Mar 19, due to protests by the delivery truck drivers.

Fixing Notams – we’re on it. Help us.

written by Mark Zee | 23 March, 2018

Update: November 1st, 2019: The Notam Team is up and running – we’re fixing Notams.
Follow our progress at fixingnotams.org.

OK. We’re done writing articles about it, and making goat jokes – we’ve moved the “Fixing Notams” job to the top of our list..

OpsGroup is all about information – getting the essential risks and changes that flight ops personnel need to know about into their hands without delay. Our group agrees – plenty of colourful comments on Notams from members.

Now we want your ideas and opinions on the fix.

Here’s our ask:

1. Rate the current system – and then click the things you would like to see.

2. If you’re in charge of a group of people – whether you are the Chief Pilot at Lufthansa, the Tower Chief in Shannon, or manage an Ops team of two – Get this out to your people and ensure everyone has their say.

Forward this to your team of ATCO’s, Pilots, Dispatchers:

We especially want to hear from pilots, controllers, and dispatchers, and if you read on, you’ll see why.

Do it like this:

Send them the survey link: https://fsb1.typeform.com/to/irZiFM
OR, click here for a magic pre-written email
OR, send them a link to flightservicebureau.org/notams
OR, share this facebook post:

The survey direct link is: https://fsb1.typeform.com/to/irZiFM

The Solution

If you took the survey, you saw this:

That part is pretty easy – presenting the Output of the system is a straightforward enough task.

The Input part – that’s where the real work is.

First, we are working on an Artificial Intelligence answer to finding Critical Notams in the current legacy system. This will allow us to present the data flow in order of what matters, and leave those cranes, birds, and grass cutters right at the bottom.

Second,

If you read my article on MH17 – a darker truth, you’ll understand why it’s important to open up the system to allow a trusted group to shape the information flow.

That begins with Pilots, Air Traffic Controllers, and Dispatchers. I have the great fortune to be all three, and it’s very clear to me that just like Trip Advisor – and our own “Airport Spy” in OpsGroup – this idea will work. We’ve already seen in OpsGroup how much we trust the information from other users in our group.

It’s key to the future trust of the Notam system. Which we should rename, but that’s another days work.

If you got this far, thank you for being part of the solution! You can always write me a note at mark@fsbureau.org

Thanks!
Mark.

Aerolineas aircraft grounded due to hail damage

written by David Mumford | 23 March, 2018

The Argentinian airline Aerolineas has suspended domestic ticket sales until Mar 25. They say multiple aircraft were recently damaged by hail in SABE/Buenos Aires during a storm on Mar 14, which means they now need to reprogram their schedule until the aircraft get fixed.

The aircraft that sustained the damage were 15 Boeing 737’s in the airline’s domestic and regional fleet. Strangely, perhaps, no other airlines have reported similar damage to their aircraft from the storm.

Aerolineas say they are now assessing the aircraft damage with help from Boeing, with the hope that they will have most of the aircraft back in operation before the Easter travel weekend.

Cape Town – No Fuel!

written by Cynthia Claros | 23 March, 2018

FACT/Cape Town is facing a fuel restriction, no fuel available as of now (20 MAR 2018). The reason for the restriction is not known, but we have reached out to several suppliers who have all confirmed the same information.

We’re checking up to find the reasoning, as well as an estimated date of availability.

If you have any additional information, you can reach out at team@flightservice.org

New Unsafe Airspace Summary and Map

written by Declan Selleck | 23 March, 2018

March 20, 2018: One of our biggest missions in OPSGROUP is to share risk information and keep operators aware of the current threat picture. The latest Unsafe Airspace Summary is now published, and available to members here as a PDF download (Unsafe Airspace Summary 20MAR2018, edition LIMA).

The main changes since the last summary are below. For a current risk map, refer to the Airspace Risk map in your member Dashboard.

The situation in Afghanistan remains similar. On March 13, Germany added wording to maintain FL330 or higher, still recommending against landings at Afghan airports.

Germany also issued updated NOTAMs for Mali, Iraq, and South Sudan. All warnings remain as previous, unchanged from the prior NOTAMs.

16MAR: PBCS PITA, French ATC Strike, Venezuela outbounds banned

written by Cynthia Claros | 23 March, 2018

LFZZ/France Some ATC unions are expected to join the French National Strike that has been declared for Mar 22. We’re still waiting for more details, but it looks like the strike could well start from 18z on Mar 21 and last through until 05z on Mar 23.

VNKT/Kathmandu The airport re-opened on Mar 13, following the tragic crash of the US-Bangla aircraft on Mar 12. The airport has confirmed that all runways, taxiways and navaids are operational, there are no new restrictions, and the airport operating hours remain the same: 0015z to 1845z daily.

WADD/Bali The airport will be closed all day on Mar 17, for Bali’s day of silence to mark the Hindu New Year. From 6am on Mar 17 until 6am on Mar 18, Bali literally comes to a standstill with almost complete silence throughout the island. Mobile internet gets turned off, and all work and entertainment is forbidden. Non-Hindu residents and tourists must abide by the restrictions too, and no one is allowed onto the beaches or streets.

VHHH/Hong Kong The runway resurfacing project continues. Every night between 1730-2345z, one of the airport’s two runways will be closed, meaning it is even harder than usual to get a slot during these times. The work is scheduled to continue until the end of April 2019.

EPWA/Warsaw A new night curfew is in place: no ops allowed from 2130-0330z between now and Apr 26, except for emergency diverts. After that, the curfew times change to 2130-0330z for the summer time period.

FMCZ/Mayotte Weeks of street protests and roadblocks on major roads including those around the airport, as well as the capital, Mamoudzou. The French government are now in negotiations with local groups, to try to bring an end to weeks of disruption across the island linked to an anti-crime and anti-immigration protest movement.

EIDW/Dublin Night-time runway maintenance work continues. The long runway (RWY 10/28) is available again overnight but with a displaced threshold, meaning a shortened landing distance of 2142 metres.

TLPC/Castries The authorities will now start allowing certain private flights above ICAO Classification Code 2 to operate to the airport – the new limit is Code 3C, with wingspan not greater than 28.5 meters. Daylight ops only, no overnight parking allowed, and you’ll have to sign a form absolving the airport of any responsibility in case anything goes wrong.

FACT/Cape Town Ongoing drought and low dam storage levels. The airport has published a Notam requiring all flights to tanker in water – don’t expect to be able to uplift any at the airport for the foreseeable future. Water rationing in the city of Cape Town has been in place since Feb 1 – without rainfall, the date the city estimates its taps will run dry, which has been dubbed “Day Zero,” has been set as April 16.

RJZZ/Japan Another eruption on Mar 10 at the Shinmoedake volcano in southern Japan. On Mar 14, an ash cloud was still being reported in the area up to FL150. Earlier on Mar 6, two eruptions forced RJFK/Kagoshima Airport to close all day.

VCZZ/Sri Lanka Much improved security situation following communal unrest at the beginning of March. Although the nationwide state of emergency is officially still in place until Mar 16, night-time curfews have now been lifted, and social media access has been restored after a three-day blackout.

LHBP/Budapest One of the airport’s two runways (RWY 13L/31R) will be closed until June 30 for extensive resurfacing works. There may be some delays, as this will result in reduced capacity during single runway ops.

OEZZ/Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia has given Air India permission to use its airspace on flights between VIDP/Delhi and LLBG/Tel Aviv. This could mark the end of the 70-year airspace ban that Saudi Arabia has had in place against flights to/from Israel.

CZZZ/Canada A reminder that CANPASS is only available for private aircraft carrying no more than 15 people (including the crew). Any more than that and you’ll need to call in advance to arrange for customs clearance on arrival. More info here: https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/prog/canpass/

PBCS PITA – here’s the latest Rumours and Facts

written by Declan Selleck | 23 March, 2018

Well, we’ve been up all night on this one. PBCS is a bit of a minefield right now. But, very cool to get so much OPSGROUP input on this – about 100 replies. We have straightened out the Rumours vs Facts below, and this is our best shot at the present picture of PBCS.

Don’t take any of it as total fact, but we have redacted the best picture from the various experts in the group (and there are some great people – we should say a big THANK YOU!).

Got corrections? Comments below …

Oh for the days of HF and a dodgy INS accurate to about 6 miles. Anyhow ….

Results after OPSGROUP input – updated March 16th, 2018

Rumour Fact

PBCS is being delayed for a year. ICAO set the roll-out of PBCS as March 29th. It’s up to each individual country to implement. Each country is setting the requirements for their operators differently. The FAA requires a new A056. EASA operators mostly don’t need any new paperwork. There is no delay for the introduction of PBCS (but read on for the FAA extension).

FAA - A056 update requirement is being delayed True. What is being extended is the A056 LOA authorization renewal deadline, to June 30, 2018 for private (Part 91) operators only. Notice N 8900.445 has now been updated, and is available here: http://fsims.faa.gov/wdocs/notices/n8900_455.pdf

If you don’t have PBCS, you can’t fly the NAT Tracks True and false. Here’s the deal: After March 29th, you need PBCS to operate between FL350-390 on PBCS tracks. If you don’t have PBCS, you can operate only on those tracks FL350-390 that are not PBCS tracks. You can also cross, climb/descend, or route via an entry/exit point that is part of a PBCS track, but that’s it.

There will only be three PBCS tracks until 28th March 2019 (or the filing of PBCS designators reaches the 90% mark, but that’s not likely to happen before then). The NAT OTS Message each day will tell you what the PBCS tracks are. Got it? Cool.

I need a new LOA A056 even if I don’t have or need PBCS [N-reg aircraft] True. All US operators with datalink need a new A056. Let’s write this bit carefully: After March 29th, if you don’t have a new A056 - you definitely cannot use PBCS tracks (since you haven’t yet listed PBCS on your A056).

However, with the new extension to June 30, 2018 for private operators (Part 91), you can use datalink until then - meaning you are not going to be excluded from the NAT DLM airspace other than PBCS tracks. We think we have this bit right - lots of discussion on this one.

There is a backlog of A056 applications Yes, there is a backlog, best guess is around 1000 applications sitting at the FAA across the country. And this is why the deadline for A056 is being extended to June 30th, 2018 (see above).

Honeywell FMS has a problem True. There’s a list of aircraft that won’t be able to get PBCS approval (corrected list below). The Falcon 8X and G650 are OK. Honeywell is working on a fix. Rumoured to take 4 months. Until Honeywell fixes this issue, the FAA will not grant PBCS approval for aircraft carrying the mentioned FMS.

Boeing aircraft have a problem True. There are issues with the FMS’s of B747 (Legacy FMC), and B777 AIMS 1. Additionally, some B737 NG’s and MD11’s cannot be PBCS approved at present due to FMS issues.

There needs to be an AFM Statement of Compliance (Aircraft Flight Manual). True. For Bombardier aircraft, they are working on validating the current FANS 1/A+ system with the latest FAA guidance and will update the AFM to state the aircraft PBCS capabilities. The expected date of approval is May 2018 and is conditional on the aviation authorities. For other manufacturers, no info as yet.

Rumour	Fact
PBCS is being delayed for a year.	ICAO set the roll-out of PBCS as March 29th. It’s up to each individual country to implement. Each country is setting the requirements for their operators differently. The FAA requires a new A056. EASA operators mostly don’t need any new paperwork. There is no delay for the introduction of PBCS (but read on for the FAA extension).
FAA - A056 update requirement is being delayed	True. What is being extended is the A056 LOA authorization renewal deadline, to June 30, 2018 for private (Part 91) operators only. Notice N 8900.445 has now been updated, and is available here: http://fsims.faa.gov/wdocs/notices/n8900_455.pdf
If you don’t have PBCS, you can’t fly the NAT Tracks	True and false. Here’s the deal: After March 29th, you need PBCS to operate between FL350-390 on PBCS tracks. If you don’t have PBCS, you can operate only on those tracks FL350-390 that are not PBCS tracks. You can also cross, climb/descend, or route via an entry/exit point that is part of a PBCS track, but that’s it. There will only be three PBCS tracks until 28th March 2019 (or the filing of PBCS designators reaches the 90% mark, but that’s not likely to happen before then). The NAT OTS Message each day will tell you what the PBCS tracks are. Got it? Cool.
I need a new LOA A056 even if I don’t have or need PBCS [N-reg aircraft]	True. All US operators with datalink need a new A056. Let’s write this bit carefully: After March 29th, if you don’t have a new A056 - you definitely cannot use PBCS tracks (since you haven’t yet listed PBCS on your A056). However, with the new extension to June 30, 2018 for private operators (Part 91), you can use datalink until then - meaning you are not going to be excluded from the NAT DLM airspace other than PBCS tracks. We think we have this bit right - lots of discussion on this one.
There is a backlog of A056 applications	Yes, there is a backlog, best guess is around 1000 applications sitting at the FAA across the country. And this is why the deadline for A056 is being extended to June 30th, 2018 (see above).
Honeywell FMS has a problem	True. There’s a list of aircraft that won’t be able to get PBCS approval (corrected list below). The Falcon 8X and G650 are OK. Honeywell is working on a fix. Rumoured to take 4 months. Until Honeywell fixes this issue, the FAA will not grant PBCS approval for aircraft carrying the mentioned FMS.
Boeing aircraft have a problem	True. There are issues with the FMS’s of B747 (Legacy FMC), and B777 AIMS 1. Additionally, some B737 NG’s and MD11’s cannot be PBCS approved at present due to FMS issues.
There needs to be an AFM Statement of Compliance (Aircraft Flight Manual).	True. For Bombardier aircraft, they are working on validating the current FANS 1/A+ system with the latest FAA guidance and will update the AFM to state the aircraft PBCS capabilities. The expected date of approval is May 2018 and is conditional on the aviation authorities. For other manufacturers, no info as yet.

These aircraft have Honeywell FMS’s that have the Latency Problem:

All NZ-2010 Equipped Aircraft – NZ-2010 (NZ6.1)
Bombardier Global Express/XRS/Global 5000 – IC-810 (NZ6.1)
Dassault F900C/EX (Primus 2000) – IC-810 (NZ6.1)
Dassault F900DX/EX/LX (EASy II) – EPIC (NZ7.1.2)
Dassault F2000DX/EX/LX/S (EASy II) – EPIC (NZ7.1.2)
Dassault F7X (EASy II) – EPIC (NZ7.1.2)
Dornier 328-100 Turboprop – NZ (NZ6.2)
Gulfstream GV – IC-810 (NZ6.1)
Gulfstream G450 – EPIC (NZ7.1.2)
Gulfstream G550 – EPIC (NZ7.1.2)

Latest Links:

United States – for N-reg aircraft

Updated Compliance Guide: https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/avs/offices/afx/afs/afs400/afs470/datacomm/media/A056_Compliance_Guide.pdf
The Notice for new A056: Curent Notice (being updated with the new deadline of June 30, 2018): https://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Notice/N_8900.446.pdf
AC about Datalink: https://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Advisory_Circular/AC_90-117.pdf
NAARMO PBCS FAQ: https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/separation_standards/rvsm/documents/PBCS/PBCS_FAQ_2018_0129_v3.pdf

Canada

https://www.tc.gc.ca/media/documents/ca-opssvs/AC_700-041_-_SPECIAL_AUTHORIZATION_FOR_RCP_240_AND_RSP_180_-_ISSUE_03.pdf

Europe

EASA are not requiring their states to issue an approval, although some are, for example the Swiss CAA have an application form for their ‘HB’ registered aircraft (https://www.bazl.admin.ch/bazl/en/home/specialists/air-transport/operation/aircraft-companies/complex-aeroplanes/commercial-flight-operators/pbcs.html) to obtain approval.

NAT Region

Updated NAT Bulletin (March 2nd): https://www.icao.int/EURNAT/EUR%20and%20NAT%20Documents/NAT%20Documents/NAT%20OPS%20Bulletins/NAT%20OPS%20Bulletin_2018_001_Rev01.pdf

Happy PBCS’ing!

Kurdistan airports to re-open

written by David Mumford | 23 March, 2018

The Iraqi Prime Minister has lifted the government ban on international flights to the Kurdish airports ORER/Erbil and ORSU/Sulaymaniyah.

The central government will take full control of the airports, and will start allowing international flights to resume in the coming days. No international flights have operated from these airports since the end September 2017. Their closure was seen as a punitive measure taken by the Iraqi central government following the September 25th independence referendum in the Kurdistan Region.

The authorities have now withdrawn the Notams that were previously in place for both of these airports advising that they were closed to international flights. Both Iran and Turkey currently still have Notams in place prohibiting flights to these airports from using their airspace – but we expect these to be updated soon to reflect the lifting of the ban.

A0661/18 NOTAMR A6765/17
Q) LTXX/QAFXX/IV/NBO/E /000/999/3901N03524E465
A) LTAA LTBB B) 1802010551 C) 1803312359 EST
E) ALL TFC FROM/TO ORSU AND ORER AERODROMES (ALSO AS ALTERNATE
AERODROME) ARE NOT AUTHORIZED TO USE TURKISH AIRSPACE UNTIL FURTHER
NOTICE EXC EMERGENCY, AMBULANCE AND HUMANITARIAN AID FLIGHTS.

A0223/18 NOTAMR A3746/17
Q) OIIX/QAFXX/E/000/999/
A) OIIX B) 1801160610 C) 1804160600 EST
E) ALL TRAFFIC FM OR TO ORSU AND ORER ARE NOT AUTHORIZED TO USE
TEHRAN FIR.

Further reading:

Read the updated guidance on Iraq airspace safety at Safeairspace.
Western countries lift bans on Iraq airspace.
For detailed info on Iraq’s specific permit requirements, as well as every other country in the world, take a look here.

09MAR: Greek airport prices double, new international airport Sao Paolo

written by Cynthia Claros | 23 March, 2018

LGZZ/Greece Landing and parking fee hikes are coming on Apr 1, at all those airports in Greece that are operated by Fraport: Aktion, Chania, Corfu, Kavala, Kefalonia, Kos, Lesbos, Mykonos, Rhodes, Samos, Santorini, Skiathos, Thessaloniki and Zakynthos. Parking at all airports will now be at least twice as expensive as it used to be.

SBSP/Sao Paulo The World Economic Forum on Latin America 2018 will be taking place in Sao Paulo from Mar 13-15. For the first time since 1985, the city’s second airport SBSP/Congonhas will be open to international flights, from Mar 9-18. Only BA/GA will be accepted, nothing larger than 737BBJ / A319ACJ. This will be a trial period to check if the airport could regain its international status on a permanent basis.

VTZZ/Thailand Tropical storms are forecast across central Thailand, including in Bangkok, from Mar 8-10. Authorities have warned locals to prepare for possible flooding, as most dams and rivers in the area are already near capacity.

KZZZ/USA Travel disruption expected to continue across the Northastern states in the next few days, following the passage of Storm Quinn, which buried many areas with heavy snow. More than 2000 flights were cancelled at Northeastern airports because of the storm.

NFTF/Fua’amotu Reconstruction efforts continue, following damage caused by Cyclone Gita in Feb. The night-time curfew in central Nuku’alofa has been extended to Mar 12. The airport is open and operating, but travel to Togo is currently not advised due to damage to hotels and infrastructure across the rest of the island.

NZZZ/New Zealand Cyclone Hola is forecast to arrive sometime between Mar 11-13. The cyclone is currently building as a category 2 storm as it moves away from Vanuatu. It’s expected to intensify on Mar 8 as it moves southwest towards New Caledonia, with most forecasters saying it will then track towards the north island of New Zealand.

LGTS/Thessaloniki The hugely disruptive repair work that had been going on since early Dec 2017 has now been completed. Both runways are back in service, and the makeshift runway they were calling 10L/28R has now been re-assigned back as Taxiway F. Easyjet will re-commence their scheduled flights there from Mar 25 onwards.

LFZZ/France Potential strike by some Air France staff on Mar 23. If it goes ahead, it’s likely to be similar to the one held on Feb 22 which resulted in the carrier canceling a quarter of its flights.

VCZZ/Sri Lanka On Mar 6, the government announced a nationwide state of emergency in response to recent incidents of inter-communal violence in certain regions to the east of the capital, Colombo. There are restrictions on phone and internet access, and all the main social media platforms have been blocked. Soldiers have been deployed across the island for an initial 10-day period in a bid to prevent the unrest from spreading.

LGZZ/Greece We’ve heard reports that the Greek CAA are planning to introduce some new rules for non EU-registered aircraft with up to 19 seats intending to do charter flights to Greece. In order to pick-up or drop-off passengers, these operators will now need to apply for an annual licence from the CAA. This is quite separate from the existing requirement to get a Third Country Operator (TCO) approval from EASA. Expect an AIP update soon with more details on this.

RJZZ/Japan A volcano in southern Japan erupted on Mar 6, shooting smoke and ash up to 7,500 feet into the sky. All flights at the nearby RJFK/Kagoshima airport were grounded, though operations have since resumed. On Mar 7, an ash cloud was still being reported in the area up to FL150.

KSDM/San Diego CBP are threatening to close the Customs office at the airport from May 1, after failing to reach an agreement with the City of San Diego about a requested upgrade to the CBP facilities and equipment at the airport. If the closure goes ahead, GA will no longer be able to operate internationally to/from KSDM.

LXGB/Gibraltar On Mar 3, severe weather and a subsequent rockfall damaged some airport equipment – both the primary and secondary radar are currently out of service.

TTCP/Tobago The airport will be closed for runway repair each night between 02-10z until May 5.

MUZZ/Cuba The U.S. have claimed that some of its embassy staff in Havana have been targeted by so-called ‘health attacks’, and believe that U.S. citizens may also be at risk. They now specifically mention Hotel Nacional and Hotel Capri as hotels to avoid.

SOCA/Cayenne Due to ongoing staff shortages, the airport is unavailable from 01-11z every night now until further notice.

VIDP/Delhi Sporadic runway closures until the end of March will mean that at most times overnight, there will only be one runway available. Expect delays.

ZSPD/Shanghai The airport now has Cat-III ILS installed on RWY34L, which will enable pilots with the necessary qualification to land even when visibility is less than 175 meters / landing height less than 15 meters.

KZZZ/USA With the ADS-B deadline coming up in Jan 2020, U.S. operators can get their ADS-B equipment validated by the FAA for free – just do a flight of at least 10 minutes in ADS-B airspace above FL050, and the system will check the accuracy of the data your aircraft is transmitting, and will send you an automated report by email. Sign up here: https://adsbperformance.faa.gov/PAPRRequest.aspx

Sao Paulo’s second airport to regain international status… for nine days

written by David Mumford | 23 March, 2018

For the first time in over twenty years, the city’s second airport, SBSP/Congonhas, will be open to international flights, from 9-18th March 2018.

This is happening as the World Economic Forum on Latin America 2018 will be taking place in Sao Paulo from Mar 13-15, and as space is limited at the main airport, SBGR/Sao Paulo International, the authorities think they’ll need extra space for attendees’ aircraft. So at SBSP/Congonhas, only BA/GA will be accepted, and nothing larger than 737BBJ / A319ACJ.

This will also serve as a trial period to check if the airport could regain its international status on a permanent basis. Scheduled international flights stopped operating from Cogonhas back in 1985, and the airport finally lost its international status in 2008.

The airport’s runways were resurfaced last resurfaced back in 2007, but were not extended because of the rapid growth of Sao Paulo, which has now completely surrounded the airport. The longest runway is 1940 meters, and the airport is open from 07-23 local time, seven days a week.

Price hike at Greek airports

written by David Mumford | 23 March, 2018

On 1st April 2018, Fraport will be increasing the rates for landing and parking fees at the 14 international airports it manages in Greece: Aktion, Chania, Corfu, Kavala, Kefalonia, Kos, Lesbos, Mykonos, Rhodes, Samos, Santorini, Skiathos, Thessaloniki and Zakynthos.

Parking charges used to be simple here: at every airport, it was free for the first five hours, and then EUR 1.08 per ton (MTOW) for every 24 hours after that. That same price applied regardless of aircraft size.

Now things are set to become a little more complicated, but effectively, parking will now be at least twice as expensive as it used to be, with even higher costs being introduced for longer stays during the summer months:

Landing fees are going up too. Aircraft below 10 tonnes have always had to pay a flat fee, and from 1st April, these are set to double. For larger aircraft, Fraport set the rate per ton (MTOW), and with the exception of LGKV/Kevala and LGSA/Chania, these are being increased across the board:

Operating to these Greek airports has become increasingly challenging since their privatisation in April 2017. Fraport initially struggled to deal with providing parking to non-scheduled and business aviation, and new slot procedures were introduced to try to better manage the volume of requests being made.

Ryanair have already complained about the price hike, as well as a new EUR 90 fee that will be charged to send a fire engine every time a plane refuels whilst passengers are being boarded – something which they say does not happen anywhere else in the world except Greece.

With the new rates set to come into force on 1st April 2018, many operators may prefer to take their business elsewhere. As the President of Corfu CAA Association, Dimitris Roussos, says – “[the price increase] is exorbitant and almost prohibitive. A lot of people will choose other airports such as Ioannina which have lower charges and where they can refuel and spend 1-2 days instead of coming to ‘expensive’ Corfu. It is quite probable that we will see the Corfu Air Club move to Ioannina as well as a significant decrease in the number of small private aircraft visiting Corfu in the summer.”

Full details of the changes to the landing and parking fees at all 14 airports can be found on Fraport’s dedicated page.

My first North Atlantic Flight is tomorrow – NAT Ops Guide (Updated 2018)

written by Declan Selleck | 23 March, 2018

For the latest changes and updates on the North Atlantic, including our most recent Guides and Charts, use our NAT reference page at flightservicebureau.org/NAT.

Of all the hundreds of questions we see in OPSGROUP, one region stands out as the most asked about – the NAT/North Atlantic. So, we made one of our legendary guides, to get everything into one PDF. It’s called “My first North Atlantic Flight is tomorrow” – and now we’ve updated it for 2018!

Contents:

1. What’s different about the NAT?
2. Changes in 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015
3. NAT Quick Map – Gander boundary, Shanwick boundary
4. Routine Flight Example #1 – Brussels to JFK (up at 5.45am)

5. Non Routine-Flights: No RVSM, No RNP4, No HF, 1 LRNS, No HLA, No ETOPS, No TCAS, No Datalink – what you can do and where you can go
6. Diversion Airports guide: Narsarsuaq, Sondy, Kef, Glasgow, Dublin, Shannon, Lajes, Fro Bay, Goose Bay, Gander, St. Johns
7. Airport data
8. Overflight permits – routine and special

9. Special NAT procedures: Mach number technique, SLOP, Comms, Oceanic Transition Areas, A successful exit, Screwing it up, Departing from Close Airports
10. North Atlantic ATC contacts for Shanwick, Gander, Iceland, Bodo, Santa Maria, New York – ATC Phone, Radio Station Phone, AFTN, Satcom, CPDLC Logon codes; and adjoining Domestic ATC units – US, Canada, Europe.
11. NAT FPL Codes
12. NAT Flight Levels
13. Flight Plan Filing Addresses by FIR
14. Links, Questions, Guidance

Excerpt from the Routine Flight #1:

Buy a copy ($20)

Get it free – join OPSGROUP

To get your copy – there are three options:

OPSGROUP Members, login to the Dashboard and find it under “Publications > Guides”. All FSB content like this is included in your membership, or
Join OPSGROUP with an individual, team, or department/airline plan, and get it free on joining (along with a whole bunch of other stuff), or
Purchase a copy in the Flight Service Store!

01MAR: Kenya airspace risk, Curacao rejecting overflights

written by Jamie Rose McMillen | 23 March, 2018

ORZZ/Iraq The Iraqi central government have extended the ban on international flights to the Kurdish airports ORER/Erbil and ORSU/Sulaymaniyah to the end of May 2018. They say the ban will only be lifted when the Kurdistan Regional Government fully hand control of the administration of the airports back to the federal government.

EZZZ/Europe Expect travel disruption across Europe until at least Mar 2, due to a plume of cold air blowing east from Russia. France, Ireland, Italy and the UK have been particularly affected. The Siberian weather system has brought sub-zero temperatures and heavy snow and ice – impacting air, rail and road transport.

GAZZ/Mali The U.S. have extended their Mali airspace warning to the end of Feb 2019 – avoid flying over or into Mali below FL260. If you plan to do so, notify the FAA 3 days in advance.

VTSG/Krabi Expect delays until the end of March, as they’ll be working to repair some cracks and holes on the runway caused by recent flooding. Don’t expect to be given permission to park for more than a few hours, as priority is being given to scheduled flights.

LPAZ/Santa Maria There will be no airport METAR/TAF provided between 01-07z each night until the end of March, due to staff shortage at the Santa Maria CMA MET service.

HAZZ/Ethiopia There is still an issue with traffic entering the HAAA FIR at waypoints MANDA (on the boundary between Eritrea and Djibouti) and PARIM (on the boundary between Yemen and Djibouti). Addis ATC controls Djibouti’s airspace here, and they say they do not recognise airway W180, and that UA451 is closed within Ethiopian airspace. So don’t use those routes, as ATC won’t accept any traffic due to safety concerns.

EHZZ/Netherlands A reminder that all CPDLC-equipped aircraft which enter Maastricht Upper Area Control Centre (MUAC) airspace must log on to EDYY as a secondary means of communication. That means anywhere above FL245 in the EBBU/Brussels UIR, EDVV/Hanover UIR, or EHAA/Amsterdam FIR. Aside from it being mandatory, if you’re equipped and logged-on, you’ll probably get a slightly better service in terms of requested levels/directs. If you want to chat with them about this, you can email muac.datalink@eurocontrol.int

VRMM/Malé The airport will continue to be closed overnight from 19-01z until Sep 30, for runway renovation that has been taking place since 2016.

LTFJ/Istanbul The airport will continue to be closed for repair overnight until the end of Oct. Slightly different times depending on the day of the week – more or less 2200-0330z. The other airport in Istanbul is LTBA – that remains open overnight, but expect it to be busy.

LFPG/Paris Charles de Gaulle The Runway Status Light System, with Take-off Hold Lights (THL) and Runway Entrance Lights (REL), is now operational. Pilots should remain clear of the runway when a REL on a runway access is illuminated red, and they should not take-off when a THL in front of them is illuminated red.

VIZZ/India Since India has introduced e-visas, they have stopped issuing visas on arrival. Crew must apply for the ‘e-Business Visa’, and passengers must apply for the ‘e-Tourist Visa’, on the government website: https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/

VOGO/Goa Very busy until mid-May, when the winter season ends. Until then, there’s no overnight parking available for BA/GA flights. Drop-and-go’s are ok, but you need to get approval from the airport at least 48hrs in advance. Additionally, the airport is closed to all civil aviation from 03-07z & 10-11z Mon-Fri.

AYZZ/Papua New Guinea A 7.6 magnitude earthquake hit central Papua New Guinea on Feb 25. The extent of the damage is not yet clear, but regional AYXM/Komo Airport is now closed as half of the airfield has been destroyed. The earthquake did not affect the capital, Port Moresby, where the country’s main international airport (AYPY) is open and operating as normal.

UTAV/Turkmenabat A new international airport has opened at Turkmenabat city, with a 3800 meter long runway. Foreign aircraft need special permission to operate there though, and it can’t be used as an alternate.

HEAX/Alexandria Until at least the end of May 2018, no more international flights are allowed – the airport is for domestic and Egyptian military use only.

DNAK/Akure Cows on the runway is now almost a daily occurrence! The airport has no perimeter fence, so wandering herdsmen and their cattle have had unhindered access to the airport, and the authorities have so far been reluctant to tackle this problem as they are eager to avoid conflict with the herdsmen!

ZYHB/Harbin Overnight parking not available for GA/BA aircraft until May 23, due to stand shortage.

EIDW/Dublin The longer runway (10/28) will continue to be closed each night from 21-05z on an ad-hoc basis until April. During these times, the shorter runway (16/34) will be open, but they’ll use 16 for both take-offs and landings – the LDA will be 1692m, and temporary runway end lights will be installed.

LEIB/Ibiza If you have to park on the commercial apron, there’s a max limit of 3hrs for GA/BA aircraft between Mar 5-24.

WIZZ/Indonesia Poor visibility expected over the next few weeks across the Sumatra and Kalimantan (the main two big islands in Indonesia) due to seasonal haze caused by land and forest fires. In recent years, this has led to flight cancellations at airports across the region.

LIBD/Bari The airport will be completely closed from Feb 28 until Mar 9 for runway maintenance. During the closure, the majority of flights serving Bari will be redirected to LIBR/Brindisi Airport, around 80 miles (130km) to the south-east.

NFTF/Tonga Cyclone Gita caused serious damage to Tonga, it’s been recommended that travel there is avoided. There’s an ongoing curfew from 20-08 local time in the central business district of the capital Nuku’alofa, which has been extended until Mar 5. In addition, a nationwide state of emergency is in place until 12 March to aid ongoing relief and reconstruction efforts.

EDZZ/Germany Sectors of airspace over southern Germany are ahead of schedule with plans to bring in Free Route Airspace (FRA). With effect from 1st March 2018, FRA will be implemented in the EDUU/Karlsruhe UAC, EDWW/Bremen ACC, and EDMM/Munchen ACC above FL245.

OEZZ/Saudi Arabia New rules coming in for foreign-registered aircraft based in the country. You’ll now need to register under a commercial Aircraft Operators Certificate if you want to do charter flights, or an Operator Certificate for private flights. Aircraft which do not join an AOC or OC by 1st March 2018 will not have their Saudi annual landing permits renewed, and will effectively be grounded.

HLLS/Sabha The airport has been closed since 2014 due to fighting in the area. A new Notam has been issued which officially extends the closure period to May 15, as talks continue between the authorities and local groups to find a way to re-open the airport.

WARR/Juanda The airport will be closed for everything except medevac helicopter ops, every night from 16-22z until Apr 3.

LFMH/St Etienne The de-icing equipment at the airport is out of service, so no deicing available until Mar 11.

Kenya airspace threat downgraded

written by David Mumford | 23 March, 2018

The FAA has revised its warning for Kenyan airspace – the area to ‘exercise caution’ is now limited only to that airspace east of 40 degrees East longitude below FL260 (i.e. the border region with Somalia, and 12nm off the east coast of Kenya). Prior to this, their warning applied to all airspace in Kenya below FL260.

Published on 26 Feb 2018, the warning maintains the same wording to clarify the type of weapons and phases of flight that the FAA is concerned about, specifically:

fire from small arms,
indirect fire weapons (such as mortars and rockets), and
anti-aircraft weapons such as MANPADS.

The scenarios considered highest risk include :

landings and takeoffs,
low altitudes, and
aircraft on the ground.

The updated guidance is intended for US operators and FAA License holders, but in reality is used by most International Operators including EU and Asian carriers, since only four countries currently provide useful information on airspace security and conflict zones.

The Notam uses FL260 as the minimum safe level, though we would suggest, as usual, that a higher level closer to FL300 is more sensible.

You can read the NOTAM in full on our Kenya page on SafeAirspace.net, a collaborative and information sharing tool used by airlines, business jet operators, state agencies, military, and private members of OPSGROUP.

More direct routings across Europe

written by David Mumford | 23 March, 2018

Sectors of airspace over southern Germany are ahead of schedule with plans to bring in Free Route Airspace (FRA). With effect from 1st March 2018, FRA will be implemented in the EDUU/Karlsruhe UAC, EDWW/Bremen ACC , and EDMM/Munchen ACC above FL245.

By the end of 2019, most European airspace is expected to have implemented Free Route Airspace, with all airspace having this type of operations by 2021/2022.

We like the idea of Free Route Airspace – direct routing is the way of the future. We also like cool maps. Thankfully, good old Eurocontrol have provided us with some great ones, showing where Free Route Airspace currently exists, and where it will be implemented in the future:

For everything you could possibly want to know about FRA in Europe, check out Eurocontrol’s page on it here: http://www.eurocontrol.int/articles/free-route-airspace

No entry to Curacao FIR unless you prepay

written by David Mumford | 23 March, 2018

In Jan 2018, Curacao began denying non-IATA members permission to overfly the TNCF/Curacao FIR if they have not prepaid for navigation fees. Here’s the AIC that carries the announcement.

Essentially, that means you, if you’re not an airline.

Several OPSGROUP members have since reported being denied airspace entry. Given that a lot of north-south traffic tends to use the TNCF FIR for overflights, this is important information for ad-hoc flights.

If you’re not an IATA member, you’ll want to head to https://dc-ansp.org/ get a login, and make your prepayments based on your planned route. If you don’t create an account, or don’t prepay, they’ll likely reject your flight through the FIR.

If you’d like a breakdown of the charges, you can find those in the Dutch Caribbean eAIP, Gen 4.2

23FEB: Tel Aviv Airport closes as a precaution against attack, Indonesia mandates ADS-B above FL290

written by Cynthia Claros | 23 March, 2018

WADD/Denpasar Bali’s airport will be closed for runway repair each night from 18-23z (except Saturdays) until Mar 30.

FSZZ/Seychelles They have pushed back the ADS-B mandate for all airspace within the FSSS/Seychelles FIR from Dec 2017 to Dec 2020.

HLLM/Mitiga Following multiple recent closures due to ongoing clashes between local militia, the airport will now completely close each night between 22-04z until at least May 16. For the latest on Libya, check here.

CZZZ/Canada On May 24, the Canada ADIZ will be expanded to include most of the Arctic Archipelago. For the east and west coasts, the inner boundary will be moved offshore. Full details here.

SVZZ/Venezuela There is an ongoing government ban on all flights from Venezuela to the islands of Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao. Multiple continued travel warnings in place for Venezuela – significant level of violent crime, and unstable political and economic situations. Recommended to avoid planning tech stops here.

VABB/Mumbai The airport will be closed from 0530-1130z (1100-1700 local time) on Apr 9 & 10, for scheduled maintenance ahead of the monsoon season, which spans from May to September.

VIDP/Delhi New rule in effect from Feb 19 – you now need slots for arrival and departure. You can only apply a maximum of 5 days in advance. Maximum ground time is now 3 days (unless you go into a hangar). Full details here.

VAAH/Ahmedabad The airport will be closed for runway repair daily from 0430-1330z between Mar 1 – Apr 15. This will mainly affect operators going to VABB/Mumbai (250 NM), as VAAH is the most commonly used international alternate. All other decent airports (e.g. VOHS/Shamshabad, VIJP/Jaipur) are much further away, so you’ll need to carry extra fuel.

TBZZ/Barbados Multiple sewage leaks across large parts of the island’s popular south coast. Some residents have been forced to move, some businesses have closed, and some visitors to the island have complained about contracting gastroenteritis. Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom put all issued travel advisories warning their citizens about the risks of travel to Barbados due to the current sewage problem.

HAZZ/Ethiopia Following a week of anti-government protests, a country-wide state of emergency has been declared, which is set to last for 6 months. No new airport or travel restrictions have been imposed (yet), although expect heightened police presence. During the last state of emergency in 2016, the government shut down the internet and mobile signal for several days.

GUZZ/Guinea Sporadic demonstrations continue to occur across the country, following disputed elections held on Feb 4. There have been violent clashes, including some fatalities, in the northern suburbs of Conakry. Demonstrators have also attacked vehicles when drivers attempted to pass through or around the protests.

LHBP/Budapest The U.S. Embassy in Budapest has issued a Security Alert for the airport that reads in part as follows: “Theft of items from passenger luggage at Budapest Airport has increased. Passengers reported that valuable items had been removed from their checked luggage.”

EPZZ/Poland CPDLC services will be available in Polish airspace between FL285-660 from Mar 29 onwards. The data link address will be EPWW.

UMZZ/Belarus Free route airspace will be implemented in Belarus airspace from Nov 8. At first it will be night-time only (23-05z), between FL305-660, but expect this to be expanded in line with similar plans for free route airspace implementation in Europe.

VRZZ/Maldives The government have extended the state of emergency to mid-March, in the midst of a political crisis that has seen security forces deployed in the capital Malé. Expect more protests there, although so far there have been no reports that VRMM/Malé International Airport or any of the outlying islands have been affected.

UHPP/Petropavlovsk Opening hours are now 20-08z. Outside of those hours, they might open for you, but only with prior coordination, and you can’t file UHPP as an alternate during those times. The airport is still available H24 for emergency diverts though.

NZZZ/New Zealand Cyclone Gita hit the South Island on Feb 20, where a state of emergency has been declared. The forecast for Feb 20-22 shows heavy rain, risk of flooding, and gusting winds of around 50kts. All the major international airports remain open, although Air New Zealand cancelled all flights in and out of NZWN/Wellington on Feb 20.

Here’s what pilots and controllers REALLY think about Notams

written by Mark Zee | 23 March, 2018

Update: November 1st, 2019: The Notam Team is up and running – we’re fixing Notams. Follow our progress at fixingnotams.org.

We think Notams suck. No other way to say it. After a few articles we wrote (BS Notams, The Notam Goat Show, and more worryingly, the MH17 Notam problem), we got some feedback in the comments section. And thought we should share, because they really show the problem. So, here they are.

Caution, some strong language!

We’re working on a solution, so you can help and add your thoughts as a comment below. Also, send us the really bad ones and enter the 2018 Notam Goat Show contest.

Personally I think taxiway and apron closure NOTAMs are too readable, I think they should be distributed in RADIAL/DME format, or perhaps raw Lat-Lon. Additionally, time should be specified in seconds since the founding of the FAA.

TAXIWAY CLOSED BETWEEN ORL180/08.5DME ORL181/08.6DME ORL181/08.65DME ORL180/08.65DME FROM 1829088020S to 1829190200S

What could be more clear than that?

I wonder if a buried Notam ever did contribute to bent metal, injury, or death? I agree that the volume of nuisance notams is a real task to read through wether it be a long or short turn. However, nothing will be done till there is blood. That’s how the FAA works. Till then, its on us to be like aviation lawyers before every flight regardless of schedule.

Maybe we can get them in binary?

You have to go to binary first, then convert to Morse.

01010100 01000001 01011000 01001001 01010111 01000001 01011001 00100000 01000011 01001100 01001111 01010011 01000101 01000100 00100000 01000010

—– .—- —– .—- —– .—- —– —– —– .—- —– —– —– —– —– .—- —– .—- —– .—- .—- —– —– —– —– .—- —– —– .—- —– —– .—- —– .—- —– .—- —– .—- .—- .—- —–

For good measure they should be put through an Enigma machine, too. And the output formatted to wingdings

Yes. The NOTAM system is fucked. We have Notams about those solar arrays near Vegas in every flight plan. Yes, I see them. I want to know if the damn runway is closed. Why the weird coding? Is it to make pilots feel multi-lingual?

It’s funny, they seem to have every little f*ing detail about towers that are under 400 agl 20 miles either side of my route with one light bulb missing but I can’t get a god damn reliable source for f*ing TFRs. Even the piece of shit FAA website for TFRs is not a “complete and accurate source” but some guy in a FSS station is?????? Such complete and utter bullshit.

The reason nobody reads NOTAMs is because they are mostly garbage.
Why do I care that a crane that is 200 feet AGL ten miles from any airport is unlit? We can’t fly below 500AGL anyway.
Why do I have to decipher code that can easily be written as: From 20170608 1900Z to 20170610 0000Z CYYZ Taxiway L Closed
The system is broken and nobody cares to fix it.

I f*in’ love doing a flight from Newark to DC and getting notams about the North Atlantic Tracks. Motherf***r, if I end up on the tracks during that leg in a 145, the Notams are the least of my damn problems.

The biggest frustration for me is the NOTAMs don’t match reality. KAUS often NOTAMs a runway closed for several hours a couple days each week. Yet we get there and it’s open.
Or an airport will NOTAM an ILS out of service for the day. Show up at the airport and they’re using that ILS.
My home airport is KDAL. One of the PAPIs was out for three days before they NOTAM’d it out of service. Delta landing in front of me asked about it. Tower said they showed it on and asked me. I said, “Uh… It’s been out for several days. I thought y’all knew?”
Finally, my favorite: Surprise runway closures for routine runway inspections. NOTAM? Nah. BTW there’s a 150′ tower 15 miles away with a light out and there’s birds around the airport. Awesome.

I can honestly say that if it isn’t a runway closure or terminal closure then I don’t really care. The amount of closed taxiways at every airport is absurd. Not to mention many of them are closed year round with no intention of opening them again, just a permanent NOTAM.

Can only agree. It has been raised at the RAPACs, but no progress to date.

If I’m 5nm from the ARP at 150′ AGL, then I have more things to worry about than a crane without a red light…

Ass-covering gone mad. Really… a tree

OBST TREE 58FT AMSL
PSN 386M FM THR RWY 25 AND 183M LEFT OF RWY 25 CL
BRG 047 MAG 0.91NM FM ARP
FROM 01 310536 TO 03 300500 EST

My personal favourite is the “trigger notam” cross-referencing to yet another unfindable / unreadable pile of nonsense.
Just tell us what matters to an “Airman”; today and leave the grand plan, 12 month projection crap out of NOTAMS.

All of this so true, I imagine a world of technology and wonder (ozrunways/avplan/anything but airservices/casa))where we can quickly read a Notam and weather briefing without having to nut it out and do a slow-ass flight plan every time. 2017 and we still cant embrace all the tech.

I totally agree. The last thing any crew is going to be able to do when checking NOTAMs before departure is to magic up a way to access cross-referenced documents in various other publications. Especially when the departure point is not anywhere near base ops, or even any other operations centre.

B.S. NOTAMS….100% concur. Our whole world of aviation is being swamped by similar legal ass-covering paperwork. How can ANY pilot be expected to remember all the additional codicils that do NOTHING to improve safety of flight, but rather give an army of lawyers and providers more chances to fleece an already cash-strapped industry?…..Rant over!

Congratulations, its our industry, the users should be heard.
Start with a blank sheet of paper, what do we want to know in a “NOTAM” and how best to communicate it in a cockpit / in a flight briefing package. If the current format was frozen in 1924, the next system needs to be good for a couple of years.

This information ceased to be “NOTAMs” long ago. Today they are “NOTOLs”, Notice To Litigants. Thanks for making an effort to change this ancient system.

How many pilots out there actually read ever Head Office Notams or even daily Notams in meticulous detail? Few (if any). You sign on an hour before departure, there is simply not enough time to divulge all the ass covering crap that’s generated daily. Airline companies only want one thing, OTP; how a pilot goes about that they couldn’t care less as long as you don’t break any rules! NOTAMS = “None Other Than Aircraft Missing Slots”

You can bet your life, the one you needed to see at 3 in the morning was the one you missed! Any wonder…

Well said. Have you ever read “MEN AND EQUIPMENT NEAR THE RUNWAY: LANDING WITH CAUTION”?
So, If you don’t tell me that, I will land recklessly..

You are a mind reader.
You captured the issue perfectly and the historical context was excellent. While airspace and aircraft have all continued to develop our most basic system of communicating the status of an airport/airspace has not. I could take that further and say communication with ATC is still by AFTN for the most part.So now put yourself in the position of dispatcher/FOO working a series of long haul ETOPS Flight. You might have 20 or more departure /Take off alternate station notams, a whole galaxy of FIR/UIR Notams, not to mention all of the ETOP alternates and if you re-dispatch/re-analysis, you will get to do it inflight once again. Now do that 15-20 times depending on workload. Can you say human data saturation?
This article certainly illustrates the infrastructure issues we face, but it doesn’t come close explaining some of the processes and procedures we have had to put in place to ensure:
1. That we actually get NOTAMS.
2. That we get airport conditions as some countries don’t put them out as Series-S ICAO NOTAM versus Series-A (Yes, theses are the countries that haven’t fully adopted ICAO standards which were adopted in 1944 and ratified in 1947 by the Chicago convention).
Question: What is the current year?

I absolutely agree. My personal bugbear is those lists of co-ordinates …. do they think anyone actually plots them on a map? They might as well not be published at all.

What is clear is the professional approach to the information received: too many inputs, disorderly given, contextually irrelevant, redundant and unusable. A kind of “cry wolf” syndrome, making the pilot complacent about such a bullshit. The very day someone of us is caught in a legal battle for a system-induced mistake leading to a incident, overlooking the NOTAMs will not appear as an excuse. How to make these information valuable?

Yes… and why oh why are we still using the coded TAF language. We don’t have bandwidth issues anymore. We take plain English, code it, then decode it back to plain English. Surely a TAF written in plain English is not too hard a transition.

We train the pilots of tomorrow, they are inundated with everything the industry throws at them and the unintelligible Nonsense contained in some NOTAMS are just another accident waiting to happen. With all the technology at our disposal today, the filtering systems, electronics messages systems, integration tools and smart people to think about it, there is a solution out there. I suppose we just need to make enough noise in the right places to make a change. Oh well best we get started. hmmm, perhaps a NOTAM about change is needed.

And don’t forget about TFR’s that pop up. The one time I didn’t look at TFRs I got trapped having to divert from Chicago to an outlying airport even though we were part135 and even though we got an IFR clearance and the tower gave us takeoff permission. And center control for an hour just kept passing us on.

How about a change in the format of NOTAMS too, so we don’t have to wade through the whole lot in order to parse the relevant information. NOTAMS are removed when thy are no longer valid, so why cling to chronological order as an indexing system. How about putting them in order of critical relevance: Firstly, changes to airfield opening hours and services (fire, fuel etc). Secondly, changes to runway lengths/closures/etc. Thirdly, changes to approaches available. All the rest can be thrown into the mix at the end of the NOTAM.

Excellent analysis. My personal favorite is the NOTAM sort order which tells me that the REIL lights don’t work, the glideslope is out, the runway markings are non-standard, the localizer is out… ending with: runway closed. Tell me that first, all the other BS becomes irrelevant.

About two days before I saw this post, I’d sent a long email to my company telling them of the NOTAMs we don’t need to see. Then I saw this. Brilliant! I’ve just sent the link to this piece to the company to reinforce that opinion. I’m hoping our briefing pack will be several pages thinner the next time I go to dispatch.

I have come up with a name for this problem: “NOTAM Spam”. It’s a serious one, alright — ASRS Callback #426 brought it up in the context of the US NAS, and I’m sure it’s only worse for international operations. It sounds like ICAO needs to put out a recommendation or SARP about NOTAM spam control…

95% of Notam’s we read are not applicable, or nothing can be done about them. Oh great, I’ll pull out my chart and plot the 25 co-ordinates to see if this airspace will affect my flight -_- that’s one Notam example from plenty of the same type, in the same Notam briefing. Now add the other irrelevant Notam types as mentioned by others in the comments.

Thanks for the article. I shared it with my fellow dispatchers at AAL. We read pages and pages of BS notams on a daily basis and wondered if anyone else had similar feelings about the whole process.

Post your thoughts below!

Indonesia mandates ADS-B above FL290

written by David Mumford | 23 March, 2018

Since the start of Jan 2018, all aircraft flying in Indonesian airspace at or above FL290 need to be equipped with ADS-B (Mode S Transponder and GNSS source position). Below that flight level, it remains optional.

Indonesian airspace is split into two FIR’s – WIIF/Jakarta and WAAF/Ujung Pandang:

To the north, Singapore have required the carriage of ADS-B on certain airways since 2013; and to the south, Australia have mandated ADS-B for all airspace above FL290 since early 2017. So there’s a vast section of connected airspace in the region where ADS-B is now required.

For flight planning, make sure you show the correct ADS-B designators in Item 10 of the FPL:

E – Transponder — Mode S, including aircraft identification, pressure – altitude and ADS – B Out capability.
or…
L – Transponder—Mode S, including aircraft identification,pressure-altitude,ADS-B Out and enhanced surveillance capability.
together with…
B1 ADS-B “out” capability using 1090MHz extended squitter.
or…
B2 ADS-B “out” and “in” capability using 1090MHz extended squitter.

Further reading:

Read Indonesia’s AIC on this ADS-B mandate in full here.
Read our article: Australia ADS-B requirements: 2017 onwards
Read our article: Taiwan pushes ADS-B requirement to 2020

New slot procedure at VIDP/Delhi

written by David Mumford | 23 March, 2018

All flights to/from VIDP/Delhi Airport now need to get slots approved, and for international flights, you can only apply for these up to a maximum of 5 days in advance.

They’re calling these slots “Delhi Arrival Clearance Numbers” (DACN) for arrivals, and “Delhi Departure Clearance Numbers” (DDCN) for departures, and you can apply for them by emailing flight.data@gmrgroup.in and copying-in dial.aocc@gmrgroup.in.

Make sure you put your slot number in Item 18 of your FPL. If you miss your slot time by more than 30 minutes, expect to have to re-apply for a completely new slot.

Also, watch out for long stays – the maximum ground time for everything except scheduled flights is now 3 days, unless you go into a hangar.

Full details of these new rules can be found here.

Greenland FIR to change its name

written by David Mumford | 23 March, 2018

The BGGL/Sondrestrom FIR, that covers all of Greenland’s airspace, is changing its name to the ‘Nuuk’ FIR, effective Mar 1.

This name change has come about following the reallocation, during autumn 2014, of the COM Centre, Rescue Coordination Centre and the Flight Information Centre from BGSF/Kangerlussuaq Airport (commonly referred to as Sondrestrom airport) to Greenland’s capital, Nuuk.

So “Nuuk Information” is the new identification/radio callsign for the aeronautical station serving the Flight Information Centre in Greenland; whereas “Nuuk AFIS” will still get you through to the aerodrome flight information service at BGGH/Nuuk Airport.

You can read the full AIC here.

Further reading:

Do you use BGBW/Narsarsuaq as a trans-atlantic alternate? Watch out, you may receive a hefty bill. Full details here.

The NOTAM Goat Show 2018

written by Declan Selleck | 23 March, 2018

We’re on the hunt for prize Notams.

In every definition of a Notam that exists, including the ICAO one, it includes these words: “the timely knowledge of which is essential“. Unfortunately, many Notam-creators’ sense of the essential shows a clear failure to understand the term . This is CNN’s version of fake news at it’s worst.

Now, we recently found one that listed peak goat-grazing times near the airport, so we thought we’d run a NOTAM Goat Show. And there will be prizes. We’re looking for the worst: the most irrelevant, the most useless, the most boring, the most unreadable. All those crappy Notams that are part of the 100 page print out you get in your flight briefing.

Send us your worst! goatams@fsbureau.org

There will be prizes, and as fun as all this is, you actually are helping to solve the problem of Bullshit Notams. We’re working on it.

Feb 2018: Tel Aviv Airport closes as a precaution against attack

written by David Mumford | 23 March, 2018

LLBG/Tel-aviv: Israel’s main airport briefly suspended operations on Feb 10, due to military clashes along the northern border with Syria.

Two Israeli pilots were forced to abandon their F-16 jet, which crashed near the border after being hit by a Syrian anti-aircraft missile. The jet was on a mission in which it struck an Iranian facility in Syria that had previously operated a drone which Israel shot down over its territory.

This resulted in all flights from LLBG/Tel-aviv Airport being grounded for around an hour starting at 9am local time, as a precaution against any further attacks. The airport is considered a strategic location that could be targeted during military conflict.

Here’s what Israel’s PM had to say about it:

This incident marks the most significant engagement by Israel in the fighting that has been taking place in neighbouring Syria since 2011. Israel has mostly stayed out of the conflict so far, but has recently become more concerned about the increased Iranian presence along its border.

16FEB: Tonga Cyclone, Australia does RNP2, NAT PBCS change, are you an ATCO?

written by Jamie Rose McMillen | 23 March, 2018

EGGX/Shanwick When PBCS is implemented in the NAT HLA on Mar 29, we previously thought you would need to be compliant if you wanted to operate on any of the daily tracks between FL350-390. But in fact, there will only be a maximum of three daily PBCS-mandated tracks to start with. These will likely be the same tracks as we currently see being assigned as ‘half-tracks’ each day. Full details here.

VOTV/Trivandrum Shortage of parking bays expected until mid-May. All non-scheduled flights intending to park overnight need to make sure they get permission at least 24hrs in advance from the airport authority.

MRLB/Liberia Overnight stay for General aviation not allowed from Feb 15-17, and again Mar 21-22.

HLLM/Mitiga Yet another closure on Feb 13 related to ongoing clashes between local militia. This time, reports say a mortar shell fell near the airport, and the ATC tower was evacuated, forcing flights to divert to HLMS/Misrata. The airport has since reopened, but our advice remains the same: avoid. More info here.

WIZZ/Indonesia You now need ADS-B in Indonesian airspace (WIIF/Jakarta and WAAF/Udang Pandang FIR’s) if you want to fly above FL290.

MBPV/Providencales The airport will be closed for a full scale emergency exercise on Feb 26 between 01-04z. Only emergency diverts accepted during those times.

VCZZ/Sri Lanka PBCS is also being introduced in Sri Lankan airspace too. So from Mar 29 onwards, reduced longitudinal separation minima of 50NM may be applied for RNP10-approved aircraft on ATS routes which either log on to CPDLC or are within VHF radio range as the primary means of communication. For everyone else, it’ll be 80NM (or 10 minutes).

EGKK/Gatwick It’s been temporarily removed from the Notams, but expect it to re-appear soon… the main runway (08R/26L) will be closed every night from 2230-0600z until the end of Feb. During that time, the northern runway (08L/26R) will be open – the one that normally gets used as a taxiway. There’s no ILS on this runway, so approaches must be DME/RNAV.

BGZZ/Greenland The BGGL/Sondrestrom FIR is changing its name to the ‘Nuuk’ FIR, effective Mar 1. So “Nuuk Information” is the new identification/radio callsign for the aeronautical station serving the Flight Information Centre in Greenland (whereas “Nuuk AFIS” will still get you through to the aerodrome flight information service at BGGH/Nuuk Airport).

VTBS/Bangkok Worsening air pollution in Bangkok and surrounding areas over the past week means levels are now considered ‘unsafe’ – according to criteria set by the World Health Organisation. There’s no significant rainfall forecast until next week, so not much chance of the situation improving until then.

VICG/Chandigarh Airport will be completely closed until Feb 26, to allow for work to be completed extending the runway from 9000ft to 10200ft.

YZZZ/Australia RNP10 is supported in Australia, although RNP4 is preferred. Now they’re introducing RNP2 for en-route and RNP1 for terminal operations. It’s not mandatory for foreign operators, but if you want to benefit from these routes and procedures (and can’t get RNP1/RNP2 approvals from your country of registry), you can notify CASA of your intent to use RNAV1/RNAV2 instead. To do that, email them at international_ops@casa.gov.au and ask for Form 0667.

FKKD/Doula Their fuel hydrant is broken, so priority for refuelling is being given to scheduled ops. It’s not expected to be fixed until May, so expect delays until then.

DGAA/Accra Lots of building work going on at the airport at the moment. Until Mar 12, the stands are now only available for aircraft doing quick turnarounds. For longer stays you can still park-up on remote stands, but maximum ground time is now 3 days without special approval from the airport authorities.

LGKO/Kos Major overhaul of the airport has begun. The runway will have a reduced LDA of 1200m until Mar 3, and will then be closed completely from Mar 3-19.

WAZZ/Indonesia Bali’s Mount Agung erupted again on Feb 13, just one day after authorities lowered the alert status for volcano. Ash cloud reported in the vicinity, but only up to FL150. This latest eruption caused no disruption at either WADD/Bali or WADL/Lombok airports, which have remained open since Dec 1, when volcanic ash emissions from Mount Agung reduced.

KBZN/Yellowstone A correction to the info in weeks Bulletin (as spotted by an Opsgroup member!) – although the main runway (12/30) will be closed for maintenance each day from Apr 30 to May 19 between 1230-2300 local time (1830-0500z), the next longest runway (11/29) will still be open throughout – and at 5050ft that should be long enough for most corporate aircraft.

It’s nice to meet you.

written by Declan Selleck | 23 March, 2018

Yep, there is. It’s called OPSGROUP. We’re a big mix: pilots, dispatchers, controllers, managers, tech specialists, aviation authorities – all with one thing in common: International Flight Operations.

Back in 2016, we figured out that great things happen when we solve problems together. Change is the biggest challenge, so we tell each other when we hear of something new. We keep each other safe by sharing information on risks.

Now we’d like you to get involved as well.

Why join us? Good question. Well, because if you don’t, you’ll miss a change and look like a chump. We don’t want that. You might overfly Libya. You might divert to Cayenne. You’ll only find out about the new rules when your G650 is impounded. You’ll pick the wrong handler because you didn’t get to see that Airport Spy review on Santiago from another member. You won’t know about that exemption. You won’t have anyone to ask whether you should stop at Keflavik or Reykjavik.

Life managing International Ops is hard enough without trying to do it all on your own. And we want you, because the more smart people like you we have in the group, the stronger it becomes. Pick a plan for yourself, or your team, or your entire flight department. There’s 1650 people waiting to answer your questions. And to pick your brain.

Read the reviews from existing members, and see why everyone from Airbus to the British Antarctic Survey to United Airlines is in the group. (hint: we’re all doing the same thing, and it’s getting easier).

Join OpsGroup

Welcome Pack

On joining, we will send you, and each team member if you are on a team or department plan:
– a Welcome Email, explaining the group, together with your Welcome Pack:
– The full FSB Airports Database (value $375)
– The current full International Ops Bulletin
– Our Polar Ops Planning Guide
– Current NAT Plotting Chart (value $35)

Everything

You (and each team member, if you choose a team plan) will then also get:
– Immediate access to our OpsGroup Dashboard
– The weekly International Ops Bulletin every Wednesday
– Slack access to talk to the group
– Ask-Us-Anything – we answer your International Ops questions
– Airspace warnings and overflight risk summaries
– Access to Aireport – 2300+ Airport and ATC TripAdvisor style reviews
– Everything we publish – Guides, Lowdowns, Charts, Member Notes
– Tools and Maps
– All previous content since the group started
See examples of all the above

Joining Process

2 straightforward steps:
– Choose an Individual, Team, or Department plan
– We send you everything you need to get started by email

You can cancel anytime you like, before the next billing period.

New members – that’s you – are welcomed several times a year. The current status is notified on this page. To make sure that new members are fully supported, and the existing group retains its high quality, we limit joining to window periods during the year.
If we’re closed, you can join the waitlist to be notified of the next opening window.

Join OpsGroup