EASA: New Cockpit Rules 10AUG EASA has published a new SIB with guidance for operators on, well, how best to arrange the swap of pilot-taking-a-pee and flight-attendant-now-up-front … Read the article

Ukraine extends Russia ban 10AUG Ukraine has extended the ban on Russian registered operators overflying or landing, until November 10th, 2016. In an operational notice.. Read the article

UUZZ/The Moscow Area will get busy between 26AUG and 04SEP (we’re not entirely sure why), but … The Main Air Traffic Management Centre (MATMC) has issued notice that there will be increased regulation for flights to UUWW, UUDD, and UUEE. Permission to depart will expire 30 mins after planned off blocks time, after which the Operator (that’s you) must call MATMC for a completely new permit.

MWCR/Cayman recorded its first local transmission of the Zika virus on 08AUG. Several other people on the Cayman Islands have reported symptoms of the virus; however, authorities stated that in these cases the patients contracted Zika during travel abroad.

MKJK/Kingston, Jamaica is carrying out work on its Comms lines until the end of the week, and is expecting to lose some Flight Plans. The outage is 0415-1100Z daily. If you are operating to Jamaica, or through the FIR, it’s worth sending your FPL early, and not during that time. Maybe send it a few times to be sure, should minimise delays due to missing FPL’s.

VIZZ/India Independence Day on 15AUG. Multiple restrictions. No overflights within 150nm of Delhi. VIDP/Delhi will not allow non-scheduled flights 0030-0430Z, and 1030-1330Z. Check with your handler for specific restrictions on 15AUG.

LIRA/Rome Ciampino will be completely closed from 14-29OCT for runway maintenance and upgrades. According to CIA, maintenance work will be carried out on a 24/7 basis on parts of runway 15/33, at various junctions and taxiways.

EVVA/Ventspils is closed for the week from today, due to repairs to the main runway. One of the three main airports in Latvia, it reopens on 15AUG.

GUCY/Gbessia, Guinea Opposition leaders have announced the postponement of opposition demonstrations planned for 10-16AUG. Marchers will reportedly demonstrate on the Autoroute Fidèle Castro, between Aéroport International de Gbéssia (GUCY/CKY) and the Palais du Peuple. The demonstration was originally slated to occur on 4 August but was later postponed until 10 August.

WIZZ/Indonesia Travel advice updated: Political tensions have given rise to occasional mass demonstrations in cities in Papua; take extra care and seek local advice on your travel plans.

SOCA/Cayenne FIR has broken it’s SITA system and has no CPDLC or ADS-C until, they think, at least 14AUG. Revert to HF and use 8855/5526; failing that try 3023.

RJZZ/Japan On 08AUG, Japanese military officials placed the country’s armed forces on alert for the potential of a North Korean missile launch. According to an official statement, the Japanese military will be ready to strike any North Korean missile that threatens Japan. Because some North Korean missile tests are difficult to detect, the current state of alert will last for three months. Previously, Japanese defense officials issued a series of temporary orders in response to imminent North Korean missile launches.

LWKS/Skopje Flooding on 6-7AUG2016 in Skopje and neighbouring areas has resulted in over 20 deaths. Some roads, including part of the Skopje ring-road, are closed. Alternative routes are available, but traffic may be slow moving. You should travel with extreme care.

LTZZ/Turkey Per new dictat from the DGAC in Turkey, all Ambulance flights entering Turkish airspace are to report “ACTIVE AMBULANCE FLIGHT” on first contact with Turkish ATC.

DIZZ/Cote D’Ivoire Effective 15SEP2016 Ivory Coast will withdraw the following HF frequencies: BOUAKE 5710KHz, 1578KHz; DALOA 5701KHz, KHOROGO 6673KHz; Man 5710.5 KHz; ODIENNE 6673 KHz; SAN PEDRO 6012KHz

EDDV/Hannover has special runway configurations on 14AUG due to (yet another) bomb from WW2 being removed. Between 1100-1400Z all approaches to 27L/09R are suspended.

VVZZ/Hanoi ACC reports that a lot of flights operating through the Hanoi ACC area of responsibility have not been submitting flight plan messages to VVHNZRZX or VVHNZQZX. In order to avoid missing / delay of FPL messages, copy these AFTN addresses when submitting your FPL’s.

EGZZ/United Kingdom 8AUG Rail staff in southern England, including London, began a five-day strike, which will reduce rail services by 40 percent. Travellers should expect major delays and large-scale traffic disruptions

BGSF/Kangerlussuaq Daily Closures between 09AUG and 30AUG for runway work. Double check NOTAMR A0295/16 for complete list of timings. Only Medivac, Search and Rescue and PPR confirmed operations allowed.

KTEB/Teterboro Landing Fees here are to increase by about 25% on September 1st. Comments regarding the fee changes can be submitted to The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and must be received by 10AUG2016.

Measles Myanmar/Taiwan On August 6th health officials confirmed a measles outbreak in the Sagaing region, a mountainous area located in northern Myanmar, bordering eastern India. We have also received report from Taiwanese health officials confirming a link between two cases of measles and Taipei’s Songshan International Airport (RCSS/TSA). The two cases, which were first detected on 15JUL, involved an airline ground crew worker and a passenger who traveled to the airport.

SECU/Cuenca, Ecuador Operations at Cuenca airport will be suspended from mid-August 2016 for 3 weeks to 1 month due to the need for additional runway works.

OMDB/United Arab Emirates On 04AUG both runways at Dubai International Airport (OMDB/DXB) resumed full operations following the 03AUG 777 accident. Expect delays and some cancellations as the airport is still struggling to catch up.

UTZZ/Turkmenistan and UAZZ/Kazakhstan On 04AUG Turkmenistan temporarily closed its border with Kazakhstan, citing security concerns. Officials stated that the closure will last for five days. Turkmenistan instituted a similar border closing on 20JUL. Authorities did not release details on the purported security concerns that prompted 04AUG closure.

UZZZ/Russia 03AUG Polish officials stated that they did not have a specific date to reopen visa-free border traffic between Poland and the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad. Security concerns associated with the NATO Summit and Roman Catholic Church’s World Youth Day led officials to temporarily restart border checks at Poland’s borders. Residents of border areas, however, will be able to travel across the border for cultural, social or family reasons.

UNKL/Yemelyanovo Runway11/29 is closed for all types of aircraft THU 0600-0700, WED FRI 0610-0710, MON TUE SAT SUN 0500-0700, 01SEP until 29OCT

View the full International Bulletin 10AUG2016

South Sudan off limits 13JUL The security situation in Juba, and South Sudan, has deteriorated in the last week, with HSSJ/JUB becoming off limits due to fighting. Read the article.

New Zealand airport strike off 13JUL A planned strike by Aviation Security across airports in New Zealand, which would have led to wide scale disruption, has been called off at the last minute. Read the article.

BGBW/Narsarsuaq Current hours are Monday to Saturday 1000-1900Z. If you want to plan a visit outside these hours, or even use BGBW as an alternate, get permission from bgbw@mit.gl in advance. There will be additional costs, especially heavy on a Sunday.

SBZZ/Brazil is the latest country to wield the threat of shooting down aircraft. Last month we reported on the same language from Sudan, in reference to overflight permits. Brazil’s firm stance is in relation to the Olympic Games, and says that unidentified aircraft that violate the protected airspace around facilities of the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. “We are not playing,” said Defence Minister Raul Jungmann. This is more of concern to a lost C172 than commercial flights (unlike Sudan, which is the reverse), but worth being aware of.

EGPZ/Poland has effectively dispensed with the Schengen agreement for now, expect full border controls at all international airports (ie. Passport check, Gendec).

EGPZ/Scottish FIR The military are carrying out some GPS jamming trials over the ocean from 12-29JUL. If you’re operating in the region of Benbecula VOR, especially west of it, be aware that your GPS might stop working.

OAKX/Kabul Aircraft in the eastern sections of the Kabul FIR can expect some radio issues, as a comm unit (VSAT at Ghanzi) is out of action. The advice from ATC in Afghanistan is to keep trying the assigned frequency until within range of a different transmitter; in the meantime, a bit of SLOP, IFBP and TCAS should keep you out of trouble. See full article.

MKZZ/Jamaica Significant increase in the number of confirmed cases of Dengue fever in Jamaica during the first half of 2016. Dengue fever is endemic to Latin America and the Caribbean and can occur throughout the year.

ENZZ/Norway FIR Plans are afoot to raise the transition altitude to 18,000ft. It’s an age old question, why does Europe have different TA’s, and the US has just one? Together with surrounding countries, and the Irish FAB, this looks to be changing – but it may take a little while. See Norway AIC 7/16.

YBBB/Brisbane FIR (and Melbourne) will be updating their software on the night of 20JUL, with a hefty 6 hour outage of CPDLC and all the other good stuff.

OAMS/Mazar-E-Sharif Fuel payment is now only accepted in cash.

NZZZ/New Zealand A planned strike by two airport workers’ unions and New Zealand’s Aviation Security Service (Avsec) will now not go ahead. The unions sought increases in compensation, and negotiations on their demands will take place in the coming weeks. Read the article

EYPH/Paluknys is a new location indicator for the airport in Lithuania.

ZBDS/Edros – Ejin Horo, China will open to foreign flights this month. We did battle with AIP China for 30 mins to get further info but lost the fight. If you know more, tell us and we’ll share.

HSZZ/South Sudan The ceasefire announced on 11 July is holding. Juba International Airport (HSSJ/JUB) is open to charter operations; however, commercial flights have yet to resume. U.S. government aircraft evacuated personnel on 12 July; however, a security message issued by the embassy later in the day advised U.S. citizens to continue to shelter in place and not attempt to travel to the airport. Meanwhile, other countries, such as Japan, Uganda, and Germany plan to send military aircraft to evacuate their nationals.

SEZZ/Ecuador A large earthquake (6.4) struck on 10JUL just east of Muisne, on the northwest coast of Ecuador. The quake had a shallow depth and followed 10 minutes after another earthquake that had a magnitude of 5.9. Although strong tremors were reported in Esmeralda and Quito, there were no immediate reports of damage. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center did not issue a tsunami warning following the quake.

UZZZ/Mt. Klyuchevskoy, Russia continues to produce ash that extends up to 25,000 feet. Movement is towards the east at 10 knots.

PZZZ/Pacific Two hurricanes to monitor: The National Hurricane Center is issuing advisories on Hurricane Celia, located more than 1000 miles west-southwest of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula, and on Tropical Storm Darby, located several hundred miles west-southwest of Manzanillo, Mexico. Tropical Storm 05E (Darby) is on a strengthening trend…and may reach category 1 hurricane stage over the open ocean in a couple of days. For now both are expected to remain offshore.

DGZZ/Ghana African Union nationals whose countries do not have a visa-free agreement with Ghana are now eligible for a 30-day visa-on-arrival for business and tourism. The visa-on-arrival program will be piloted for three months starting at Kotoka Airport and will be extended to other ports of entry in the future. Travellers can extend their visa upon expiry in Ghana, and business travellers can apply for a longer-term visa at a Ghanaian consular post.

BIZZ/Iceland ATC Strike continues, primarily affecting BIKF/Keflavik, BIRK/Reykjavik, and BIRD/Reykjavik Oceanic for International Operators. Restrictions on landing, eastbound, and westbound overflying traffic. Read the article

LTBB/Istanbul FIR If you’ve got some time on your hands, have a look at the Greece-Turkey great NOTAM argument of 2016. This is an almost annual performance, the equivalent of a street argument between two kids.. If you’re busy, just skip all of it when they appear on your Pre Flight Briefing for Turkey or Greece (which they will).

View the full International Bulletin 13JUL2016

Unsafe Airspace – new summary issued 08JUN Today Flight Service Bureau published International Ops Notice 02/16 – “Unsafe Airspace”.

New China ADIZ – South China Sea 08JUN There have been several media reports this week that China is preparing to set up a new ADIZ in the South China Sea. Read the article.

KCLT/Charlotte New SIDS and STARS for aircraft arriving and departing to the Northeast have been added to CLT as of May 31. Also, construction of a new ATC tower has also broken ground, the new tower will be equipped with NextGen systems that include STARS (Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System), ADS-B (Automatic Dependant Surveillance – Broadcast) and AEFS (Advanced Electronic Flight Strip System.

CZZZ/Western Canada has been experiencing fuel shortages due to recent wildfires in the oil patch. Please check with local handlers for any fuel constraints.

KZMA/Miami FIR NASA is planning on launching a Delta IV rocket on 09JUN. Please check KZMA FIR NOTAMS for restrictions.

KZZZ/USA Tropical Storm Colin has passed Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina before moving out over the Atlantic.

CYQY/Sydney, Nova Scotia has added 2 fire trucks and increased staffing levels to provide ARFF CAT 6 or 7, time of day pending. CYQY has issued NOTAM 1A3425/16 covering those hours.

LLZZ/Israel has signed an agreement with Eurocontrol and will allow the country and it’s users to benefit from the services that Eurocontrol provides. This is excellent news for filing out of LLBG and transiting to or over Europe as this will help streamline the process significantly and coordination will only have to be with Eurocontrol for any changes.

RCTP/Taipei has resumed operations on June 3 after operations were suspended due to flash flooding. The airport has also lost power numerous times due to the unstable power supply following days of severe flooding. While the power cuts rendered the terminal’s air conditioning system inoperable, the airport experienced only minor delays.

VNKT/Kathmandu has been experiencing problems with the VHF ATC equipment. Aircraft on approach and Area Control freqs may experience increased squelch and at times leaving ATC without comms.

HSZZ/Sudan has warned it will shoot down any aircraft that infiltrates it’s airspace that has not obtained the proper permission and/or following proper procedures. If you need to transit this airspace please make sure you have all the required documentation.

FHSH/St Helena has reportedly delayed the airport opening indefinitely, due to safety concerns – severe turbulence and windshear were commonplace during testing trials by a B737-800.

China Beijing – The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC), which supervises relations across the Taiwan Strait, on Friday issued a yellow travel alert for Beijing after the first H7N9 flu infection case for this year was confirmed in the Chinese capital.

Malaysia Malaysian officials fired several officials on charges connected to a security breach at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (WMKK/KUL). Security officials stated that airport security officials collaborated with human trafficking syndicates to bypass the airport’s passport verification system. The investigation discovered that, since 2010, airport officials purposely disrupted the immigration system at certain times of the day on several occasions. Malaysian officials will publish a report with the full findings.

Angola The World Health Organization (WHO) reported on 27 May 2016 that 301 people have died in Angola’s yellow fever outbreak, which began in December 2015. The number of suspected cases is now 2,536. The outbreak began in Luanda and has since spread to areas throughout the country, particularly along the coast and in the central regions, despite a large-scale vaccination program. Cases linked to the Angolan outbreak have also been reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Kenya and China.

Jamaica is now charging a $35 US departure tax for all air passengers.

Uzbekistan British FCO cautions when travelling with medicines; you can be detained on arrival if you’re in possession of certain medicines, including codeine; you should always carry a doctor’s prescription with you.

France – the Air France pilots’ union announced a work stoppage for 11-14 June, coinciding with the first week of the Euro 2016 soccer championship. The strike has been planned in protest over pay disputes, and the union has stated that it may observe further strikes. Further details are likely to emerge, as the situation is developing.

Yemen On 28MAY, approximately 20 gunmen stormed Aden International Airport (OYAA/ADE). A 90-minute gunfight followed the attack, during which one civilian was killed by a stray bullet. Authorities regained control of the situation and detained the gunmen’s suspected leader.

Nepal A nationwide general strike is planned on Thursday 09JUN2016 across the county. Protest can occur at short notice anywhere. Stay cautious and stay away from these areas.

View the full International Bulletin 08JUN2016

New Canada Entry Rules 10FEB CXXX/Canada Starting 15 MAR 2016, visa-exempt foreign nationals who fly to or transit through Canada will need an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA). Exceptions include U.S. citizens and travellers with an existing visa, and commercial aircrew. Read more …

Winter Storms clear Newfoundland 10FEB Nova Scotia and Newfoundland (CYQX, CYHZ, CYYT) have two severe Winter Storms passing through this week; Halifax will see up to 40cm of snow, affecting diversion choices on the North Atlantic. The visualisation above shows the US Winter storm at the end of January.

MKJK/Kingston FIR Jamaica, has ongoing issues with radar coverage and serviceability, leading to ad-hoc flow management procedures including 15 minute en-route separation, and 10 minute arrival separation at international airports. Latest update indicates this will continue throughout February. We have had several reports from international airlines of delays averaging around 1 hour on departure. Further reports welcome to bulletin@fsbureau.org.

SKED/Bogota ACC, Colombia is applying 20 minute spacing for northbound flights heading into Jamaican airspace due to the increasing delays there.

SPIM/Lima FIR Peru have published new Aircraft Interception procedures for Civil Aircraft. Probably worth a look – although, we must warn you, they are in Spanish only, and exceptionally lengthy. Maybe just double check that overflight permit and keep in touch with ATC instead.

North Atlantic As mentioned last week, effective 04FEB MNPS Airspace is replaced by HLA/High Level Airspace on the North Atlantic. A popular topic. RNP4 or RNP10 now required. Read our International Ops Notice 01/2016 or our blog post: Did you know MNPS is over?

NVVV/Port Vila, Vanuatu Several airlines have suspended operations here effective 01FEB16 over concerns as to the condition of the runway. Airport remains open without restriction.

PACD/Cold Bay has no Jet A1 Fuel avaiable until 29FEB

HRYR/Kigali‘s runway is closed on a nightly basis from 0200-0700 local time (0000-0500 UTC) until 31MAR for repairs.

North Korea launched a long range rocket at 0031Z on 07FEB. According to preliminary reports, the rocket passed over the Japanese island of Okinawa and landed in the Pacific Ocean. US military officials stated that the rocket did not pose a threat to the United States or allies in the region. South Korean media reported that North Korea is preparing for another nuclear test and has the technology necessary for an inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM).

AYPY/Port Moresby has a number of common VHF frequencies out of service because of a Telecomms fault. ATC advise to call them on HF HF 5565, 8861, 6622, or 8837, if able.

View the full International Bulletin 10FEB2016