APPLICABLE ACTIVITIES
MODIFICATION OF AN AERONAUTICAL MINIMUM
What are the aeronautical minima concerned
According to the requirement of FPD.OR.100, point (a) of Regulation (EU) 2017/373, a provider of flight procedure design services shall perform the design, documentation and validation of the flight procedure(s), subject, if necessary, to the approval of the competent authority in this respect prior to their implementation and use.
In this context, aeronautical data and aeronautical information used by the FPD service provider shall comply with the accuracy, resolution and integrity requirements specified in the aeronautical data catalogue in accordance with Appendix 1 of Annex III (Part-ATM/ANS.OR).
As required by Appendix 1 of Annex III (Part-ATM/ANS.OR) to the aeronautical data catalogue, the following aeronautical data shall be affected by obstacles within an area:
3) data on ATS and other routes
Minimum obstacle clearance altitude (MOCA) - is the minimum altitude for a defined route segment that provides the required obstacle clearance altitude;
Minimum Area Altitude (AMA) - The minimum altitude to be used in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), which provides a minimum obstacle clearance within a specified area, normally consisting of parallels and meridians.
Minimum vectoring altitude (MVA)
4) data on instrument flight procedures
Obstacle crossing altitude/height (OCA/H):
- Altitude - The lowest altitude used to establish compliance with the appropriate obstacle clearance criteria;
- Height - The lowest height relative to the elevation of the relevant runway threshold or aerodrome elevation, as applicable, used to establish compliance with the appropriate obstacle clearance criteria.
Minimum Sector Altitude (MSA) - The lowest altitude that can be used and which provides a minimum safety height of 300 m (1 000 ft) above all obstacles in an area within a sector of a circle of 46 km (25 nm) radius and centred on a radio navigation aid
Minimum obstacle clearance altitude (MOCA) - Minimum altitude for a defined route segment providing the required obstacle clearance altitude
In this context, the following provisions shall apply:
RACR-CPPZI, current edition
Eligibility of the application (who can apply)
According to the requirement of Art. 17 para. (3) of the Air Code in force, aerodrome administrators, aircraft operators or public administration authorities may request a provider of air traffic control services, in duly justified situations and in conditions where the safety and performance of air traffic is not affected, to modify the system of flight procedures published for the airspace area where the latter provides air traffic control service. Modification of a flight procedure system means the permanent or temporary modification of one or more flight procedures applied in an airspace area, the cancellation of a procedure with or without its replacement by another procedure, or, where appropriate, the introduction of a new flight procedure in that airspace area.
To whom the request is addressed
According to the requirement of Art. 17 para. (2) of the Air Code in force, the aeronautical agents certified and designated to provide air traffic control services in the flight information region - FIR Bucharest have the obligation to ensure the design, publication, maintenance and periodic review, in accordance with the applicable European and/or specific national regulations, of the flight procedures for the airspace areas where they are designated to provide air traffic control, including the procedures related to performance-based navigation, necessary for the safe performance of the flight activities in the respective airspace area.
In accordance with Article 2(2) of Government Decision No 74/199, the object of activity of the Autonomous Directorate “Romanian Air Traffic Services Administration” - ROMATSA also includes ensuring, directly or through contracts concluded with third parties, the design, maintenance and periodic review, in accordance with the applicable European and/or specific national regulations, of flight procedures and air space structures, for the airspace areas where it is designated to provide air traffic control services.
Activities carried out
1. Applicant provides ROMATSA with the necessary data
According to the requirement 2.3, Chapter II of RACR-CPPZI edition in force, the applicant, in order to design new instrument flight procedures or to modify existing ones, carries out the following activities:
a) send to the IFP process coordinator the request for modification or design of new instrument flight procedures, which must contain at least the following information:
1. the nature of the change or new procedure;
2. the reason for the request;
3. the benefits of the modification or the new instrument flight procedure;
4. potential users of PFIs;
5. the date of operational implementation and the consequences of the delay;
6. resource planning;
7. whether it has carried out preliminary coordination activities with other stakeholders and what is the outcome thereof;
Note:
According to requirement 3.5.4, Chapter 3 of the RACR-ZSAC, the current edition, proposals for modification or cancellation of instrument flight procedures or minimum altitudes will be based on aeronautical studies prepared taking into account the requirements of the Romanian Civil Aviation Regulation RACR-CPPZI “Requirements for the design and approval of instrument flight procedures” and specific ICAO regulations, only by providers of instrument flight procedure design services certified in accordance with the provisions of Implementing Regulation No 373/2017 laying down common requirements for providers of air traffic management/air navigation services and other functions of the air traffic management network and their oversight, repealing Regulation (EC) No 482/2008, Implementing Regulations (EU) No 1034/2011, (EU) No 1035/2011 and (EU) 2016/1377, and amending Regulation (EU) No 677/2011, as amended.
These studies shall be taken into account by the flight procedure designer and by ROMATSA as IFP coordinator for the development of the approval documentation referred to in paragraph 4.7.2, Chapter IV of RACR-CPPZI current edition.
The studies shall be prepared in accordance with ROMATSA requirements and may contain both the information requested in point a) above and the detailed analysis of the impact on the current flight/route procedures system, proposals for amendments, justification of the proposed amendments and the method of calculating the proposed minima in relation to the existing obstacle situation and the existing operational environment. Also, if new instrument flight procedures or aeronautical minima are being designed/approved/implemented in the study area, the study should also analyse the impact on the system of future flight procedures/routes
2. ROMATSA applies the IFP process
According to requirement 2.1(a), Chapter II of RACR-CPPZI, current edition, aeronautical agents certified and designated to provide air traffic control services in FIR Bucharest:
a) have the obligation to ensure, directly or by contracting external services, the design, publication, maintenance and periodic review, in accordance with the applicable specific regulations, of the flight procedures for the airspace areas where they provide air traffic control, including the procedures related to performance-based navigation;
3. The applicant shall pay the costs of the LRU process.
4. ROMATSA requests the change of minima as part of the process of changing flight procedures
According to the requirement 6.1.2, Chapter VI of the RACR-CPPZI edition in force, the coordinator of the IFP process, in order to approve the instrument flight procedure, submits to the AACR the following:
- the application for approval of the instrument flight procedure;
b) the approval documentation of the flight procedure on the basis of which the AACR conducts the instrument flight procedure specific approval analysis (hereinafter referred to as the approval documentation).
Note:
ROMATSA may request the modification of the minima as a result of one or more requests corroborated and targeting the same area of interest.
The Minimum Obstacle Clearance (MOC) of 300 m (1 000 ft) is a minimum height and therefore ROMATSA can set minimum safety heights above this value of 300 m.
The value of 300 m (1 000 ft) or more applies as needed and should not be a standard value applicable to an area of interest.
5. AACR approves or rejects minimum changes
AACR carries out the analysis process provided in Chapter VI of RACR-CPPZI edition in force and according to art. 6 par. (1) let. e) of the AACR Air Code approves or rejects the minimum changes and sends the conclusions to ROMATSA
6. ROMATSA requests the modification of the functional ATM/ANS system
7. The AACR approves or rejects the amendment
8. ROMATSA requests approval of AIS base (AIP amendment)
9. AACR approves or rejects the AIS basis
10. ROMATSA publishes the AIP amendment containing the amended minima.
Note: The minimum estimated time to go through all these activities under the condition that all applicable requirements are met is 200 calendar days.