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Airspace Change Process & Airspace Trials in the context of Modernising UK Airspace

Darren RhodesCivil Aviation Authority

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How the airspace looks today

Major Airport

2nd Tier Airport

Heathrow Hold

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All other flights

Heathrow

Gatwick

Luton Stansted

London City

British airspace

Belgian airspace

Dutch airspace

French airspace

How airspace looks today (2)

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Airspace Designed For A Different Era

Yesterday Today

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UK Airspace Requires Modernisation

Deal with current hotspots of congestion

Enable and facilitate continuous improvement in safety

Implement Single European Sky (SES) and International requirements

Take advantage of technological developments to improve efficiency

Be responsive to Government policy and decision-making (references in 2003 Air Transport White Paper, Transport Select Committee Report into Airspace, the Aviation Policy Framework and the Davies Commission Interim Report)

Respond to the DfT Environmental Guidance and deliver environmental benefits

Provide flexibility within the system to enable future development and advancements

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Purpose of the Future Airspace Strategy

The strategic drivers for FAS are: SAFETY, CAPACITY and the ENVIRONMENT

FAS is a strategic framework that will pull together a complex and diverse set of

policy and regulatory issues that will enable balanced judgements to be made that

are properly underpinned by cohesive and cogent policy formulation

This will, in turn, enable air navigation service providers (such as NATS) to create

an airspace structure that is fit for the future, effective, efficient and ensures that the

UK meets any international obligations that are placed upon it

There are environmental benefits that can be delivered but this needs some change

to happen

It is not a detailed implementation plan, although such plans will be driven by the

outcome of the FAS work

The Strategy sets the direction of travel – industry will have to deliver it within the

context of the regulatory framework

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Performance Based Navigation (PBN)

A key enabler that allows us to define routes differently and not to be reliant on fixed, ground-based navigation aids (VORs, NDBs, etc).

Aircraft Flight Management System (FMS) capable of flying the aircraft very accurately along these routes in a wide range of weather (wind) conditions.

Good for concentration

Could be good for dispersion/relief but there are not an unlimited set of options.

Allows us to modernise the airspace through systemisation – removes need for ATC intervention (radar vectors) which in turn has SAFETY and CAPACITY benefits.

PBN enables us to design-in Continuous Climb profiles (4-D tunnels in the sky)

Focus on better climb and descent profiles has ENVIRONMENTAL benefits

BUT……

Concentration can create noise canyons

Not an unlimited set of route options (waypoint capacity and safety (confusion) aspects)

Not all aircraft capable to the same PBN standard (RNAV5, RNAV1, RNP 0.3, etc)

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Gatwick

conventional navigation tracks 14 Nov – 10 Dec 2014

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Gatwick

RNAV departures14 Nov -10 Dec 2014

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RNAV – Fixed Radius Turn

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Current Environmental Guidance

Based on the Aviation Policy Framework (APF) and the Environmental Guidance to the CAA

consulted upon by the DfT in 2013 and published in January 2014.

Requires airspace designers to have regard for the following altitude-based priorities:

Above 7000’ AMSL focus on CO2 emissions.

4000’-7000’ – focus on noise & CO2 emissions.

Below 4000’ – focus should be noise.

Daytime noise 16hr Leq

Night time SEL noise footprints

Current policy is on concentration and not dispersion of aircraft.

Where possible major concentrations of people should not be over-flown.

Requires the CAA to have regard to AONBs and National Parks but does not preclude their

over-flight (where it is impracticable to do otherwise or where as a consequence you might not

achieve the preceding requirements).

Recognises the operational benefits of Continuous Descent and Continuous Climb profiles.

Specific procedures for Noise Designated Airports (LHR, STN, LGW)

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Airspace Trials

What are they? temporary, with a defined end date. Approved by the CAA on safety

and operational grounds. Why are they used?

designed to validate proposals for new routes, the use of new technologies or operating procedures

to develop the evidence base in relation to their impact on the environment

provide a valuable contribution to the efficiency and effectiveness of the UK airspace network

key component of the successful implementation of the Future Airspace Strategy

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Airspace trials consultation/engagement arrangements Because trials are short term or temporary by their nature:

Usually not be necessary or appropriate for the airspace change sponsor to consult on their proposals or to undertake the airspace change approval process

Impact of the proposed change on the environment should be considered by the sponsor prior to implementation and this information used to help the CAA to determine what level of consultation/engagement is required by the trial sponsor

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What Has Happened & When?

Gatwick RNAV departures ACP

Consultation conducted 19 July 2012 to 19 October 2012 (responses by 12 Nov)

Airspace Change Decision published 14 August 2013

Introduced 14 November 2013

Post Implementation Review has begun, to be completed as soon as practicable. Trials

ADNID departure trial started at Gatwick on 17 February 2014 – finished on 8 August 2014

Gather data on ability to create bigger angular separation between successive departures to the

south-west of Gatwick on westerly runway.

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What Has Happened & When? (2)

Gatwick (continued) ACP consultation

NATS’ Consultation on London Airspace Management Plan (LAMP) Phase 1a (15 October

2013 - 21 January 2014 – included Gatwick local area details below 4000ft)

Gatwick Airport LAMP Phase 1a Local Area Consultation (23 May 2014 - 14 August 2014)

Decision not to go ahead with Gatwick area proposals until later in the LAMP programme.

(Decision taken September 2014)

2nd runway

Gatwick’s consultation on 2nd Runway 4 April – 16 May 2014

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What Has Happened & When? (3)

Heathrow Rolling programme of departure trials affecting routes to the south-west and south-east of Heathrow

commenced 16 December 2013.

westerly DOKEN and easterly MIDHURST trial 16 December 2013 to 15 June 2014

test use of PBN on a single departure route

easterly trial Phase 2 28 July to 26 January 2015. Suspended 12 November 2014.

to assess the impacts of multiple routes using precision based navigation

westerly trial Phase 2, 25 Aug 2015 to 26 Jan 2015. Suspended 12 November 2014.

testing of departure routes and respite

easterly trial Phase 3, Feb 2015 to Aug 2015. Postponed

to test advanced airspace design based on learning from previous departure trials.

westerly trial Phase 3, Mar 2015 to Sep 2015. Postponed

to test advanced airspace design based on learning from previous departure trials.

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Thank You Questions