PREVIOUS BULLETINS Still Current:

LZZZ/Austria has issued AIC 4/16 outlining the near future use of more direct Free Route Airspace. 

UIBB/Bratsk Don't go. No fuel. Until 31MAR.

EZZZ/Baltic Sea Based on several concrete examples of missing flight plans, the Russian Federation, Finland and Estonia agreed to define 7 new waypoints for State aircraft operations over the High Seas that could be used, to replace the current string of LAT/LONG coordinates, to facilitate all future FPLs between St. Petersburg FIR and Kaliningrad FIR. The ICAO Secretariat assigned the following 5LNCs: PISIS-PIDINPISIM-PIRUX-PINIX-PIVAX-PIPOM. All involved States (Russian Federation, Estonia, Finland and Latvia) agreed to implement/publish these waypoints (all over the High Seas), for the 30 MAR 2016 AIRAC date. Read the High Seas Airspace article.

LOWW/Vienna has a couple of new RNP AR (Authorisation Required) approaches to RWY 16 and 34 on test.

UKZZ/Ukraine Did you know that there was reduced horizontal separation in Ukraine airspace (RHSM)? Neither did we. Check out AIC 02/16.

UBZZ/Azerbaijan is part of the IFPS (Integrated Flight Plan System) zone as of AIRAC 1601 on 07JAN2016. Azerbaijan will delegate responsibility for the provision of flight planning services for IFR/GAT flights within the Baku FIR to the Network Manager's Integrated Initial Flight Plan Processing System. For more info see Azerbaijan AIC 01/2016 Series A, AIP ENR 1.10, AIP ENR 1.11 and NOTAM A0126/15.

EZZZ/Europe Due to the introduction and continuation of border controls in the European Union, travellers to Denmark, Belgium and other EU countries will need to present travel documents to enter from another Schengen country. The security checks will likely cause travel delays for EU and non-EU travellers into the Schengen area. Belgium has instituted border controls at its borders with France. The security checks will remain in place until at least 23MAR.

EHAM/Amsterdam has changed the callsign of Schiphol Start-up to “Schiphol Planner”.

UZZZ/Simferopol FIR EASA published an updated SIB 2015/16 regarding the use of Simferopol FIR on 17FEB. The key change is the phased reintroduction of the use of Simferopol FIR for international transit traffic, on the basis of an evaluation of the high seas portion of the airspace (ie. outside the 12nm territorial limit of the Crimean Peninsula). This airspace provides routes UL851 and UM856 (Odesa South Sector), which since 17FEB are suggested by EASA for use by overflying traffic.

EZZZ/Europe New Wake Turbulence Categories will begin a slow introduction in Europe on 22MAR at Paris Airports LFPG/De Gaulle and LFPB/Le Bourget, where the current four (Light, Medium, Heavy, Super) will become six. Those six new categories are Light, Medium (with Lower and Upper), and Heavy (with Lower, Upper and Super). The rules are part of the RECAT-EU project, with the intention of squeezing more traffic into busy European Airports by applying more precise turbulence separation rules. The separation minima are determined specific to each Aircraft Pair. For example, at the moment, an A330 following a B777 (Heavy behind heavy) requires 4 miles in trail. With the new rules, that is reduced to 3nm. An A320 can now follow 4 miles behind a B777, instead of the current 5nm. There are no Flight Planning Changes (continue to use /L,M,H,J for the ICAO Category). For crews, you'll notice the smaller separation, but there are no changes to callsigns or pilot obligations - for now. Read full article.

UUBW/Moscow Ramenskoye, which previously served as a military airfield, is scheduled to open to civilians as an International Airport on 15MAR2016. The airport will be Moscow’s fourth largest and is expected to serve approximately 1.9 million passengers per year. Russian Railways is planning on constructing a direct rail link between the facility and Moscow. Read the full article.

Italy Some health and aviation authorities have begun targeting business aircraft to be treated with insecticide – similar to requirements that have been in place for commercial aircraft arriving from certain points of origin. The most prominent to date is Italy, which has reported several recent cases of the Zika virus affecting people who returned from trips to South America and the Caribbean. A “Certificate of Residual Disinsection” is now required for all aircraft operating in Italy, following recommended WHO and International Civil Aviation Organization Annex 9 procedures. Italy had originally limited the certificate requirement to aircraft arriving from Zika-affected countries, but “within 36 hours that changed” to all countries. Authorities in Costa Rica are requiring that aircraft arriving from affected countries be sprayed on arrival – with crew, passengers and luggage aboard – with an insecticide provided by the local agriculture department. 

UKLV/Lviv FIR, Ukraine A new Notam (A0193/16) is issued to extend the ban in Ukrainian Airspace of any aircraft operator registered in the Russian Federation until 09MAY.

ENGM/Oslo Oslo Airport has started supplying Air BP Biojet via its regular fuel hydrant system, naming three large European airlines as launch customers. It is now is supplied from the main fuel farm, via common storage and distribution facilities, without the need for segregated infrastructure. Previously, it had to be provided by fuel truck. 

EHAM/Amsterdam has raised the minimum vectoring altitude from 1200ft to 1600ft, which seems to spell an end to those super efficient 3 mile final approaches to 06. Still the best Terminal ATC in Europe.

Europe EASA has launched a 2 person cockpit survey to open discussion on the impact of their new recommended practice of always having 2 crew members in the cockpit.

Eurocontrol NOP Changes There are some significant changes to the daily Eurocontrol Briefings effective 01FEB. Network News is no longer, and the D-1 daily conference is also gone. Instead, an Initial Network Plan is published each day at 1700Z on the Network Operations Portal. 

United Kingdom The UK Registered Traveller Service, which is the equivalent of the US Global Entry program, was expanded to include a few more countries: Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan. Additionally, Bristol and Cardiff will be added to the list of participating airports.
 
UHSS/Yuzhno is closed daily between 0330-0500Z due to preventative maintenance. No end date has been issued.