ICAO ATC Procedures for the Transition of Aircraft to/from EUR RVSM Airspace

[Reference: ICAO "Regional Supplementary Procedures for Europe" (Doc 7030 EUR)]

EUR RVSM Transition Airspace

1. Area of applicability

1.1 Transition tasks associated with the application of a 300 m (1 000 ft) vertical separation minimum within the EUR RVSM airspace shall be carried out in all or parts of the following FIRs/UIRs:

Ankara, Baku, Finland, Kharkiv, Kyiv, Minsk, Nicosia, Riga, Rostov, Simferopol, Tallinn, Tbilisi.

Note - The volume of airspace referred to in 1.1 shall be referred to as the "EUR RVSM transition airspace".

2. RVSM approved aircraft and non-RVSM approved State aircraft entering the EUR RVSM airspace from a non-RVSM environment

2.1 RVSM approved aircraft and non-RVSM approved State aircraft entering the EUR RVSM airspace from a non-RVSM environment shall be established at a flight level in accordance with:

a) the table of cruising levels, as published in ICAO Annex 2, Appendix 3, a); and/or

b) a flight level allocation scheme, if applicable; and/or

c) as specified in an inter-area control centre (ACC) letter of agreement.

2.2 Any changes from non-RVSM levels to RVSM flight levels shall be initiated by the first ACC/upper area control centre (UAC) providing ATC service to the aircraft within the EUR RVSM airspace and shall be achieved before the aircraft passes the transfer of control point to the adjacent ACC/UAC, unless otherwise specified in an inter-ACC letter of agreement.

3. Aircraft entering a non-RVSM environment from the EUR RVSM airspace

3.1 Aircraft entering a non-RVSM environment from the EUR RVSM airspace shall be established with the applicable vertical separation minimum.

3.2 The applicable vertical separation minimum shall be established by the last ACC/UAC providing ATC service to the aircraft within the EUR RVSM airspace and before the aircraft passes the transfer of control point to the adjacent ACC/UAC.

3.3 Such aircraft shall be established at a flight level in accordance with:

a) the table of cruising levels, as published in ICAO Annex 2, Appendix 3, b); and/or

b) a flight level allocation scheme, if applicable; and/or

c) as specified in an inter-ACC letter of agreement.

4. Non-RVSM approved civil operations

4.1 Non-RVSM approved civil aircraft operating from a departure aerodrome outside the lateral limits of the EUR RVSM airspace with a destination aerodrome within the lateral limits of the EUR RVSM airspace shall be cleared to a flight level below FL 290. Such flight level changes shall be initiated by the first ACC/UAC providing ATC service to the aircraft within the EUR RVSM airspace and shall be achieved before the aircraft passes the transfer of control point to the adjacent ACC/UAC.

4.2 Non-RVSM approved civil aircraft operating from a departure aerodrome to a destination aerodrome, both of which are within the lateral limits of the EUR RVSM airspace, shall be cleared to a flight level below FL 290.

4.3 Non-RVSM approved civil aircraft operating from a departure aerodrome within the lateral limits of the EUR RVSM airspace to a destination aerodrome outside the lateral limits of the EUR RVSM airspace:

a) shall be cleared to a flight level below FL 290; and

b) may be cleared to FL 290 or above by the last ACC/UAC providing ATC service to the aircraft within the EUR RVSM airspace, and such flight level changes shall be achieved before the aircraft passes the transfer of control point to the adjacent ACC/UAC.

4.4 Non-RVSM approved civil aircraft operating from a departure aerodrome to a destination aerodrome, both of which are outside the lateral limits of the EUR RVSM airspace, with a portion of the route within the lateral limits of the EUR RVSM airspace:

a) shall be cleared to a flight level below FL 290 or above FL 410 by the first ACC/UAC providing ATC service to the aircraft within the EUR RVSM airspace, and such flight level changes shall be achieved before the aircraft passes the transfer of control point to the adjacent ACC/UAC, in accordance with the flight level allocation scheme, if applicable, and/or as specified in an inter-ACC letter of agreement; and

b) may subsequently be cleared to a requested flight level within or through the EUR RVSM airspace by the last ACC/UAC providing ATC service to the aircraft within the EUR RVSM airspace, and such flight level changes shall be achieved before the aircraft passes the transfer of control point to the adjacent ACC/UAC.

5. European/North Atlantic (NAT) Interface - Non-RVSM Approved Aircraft

5.1 The State authorities responsible for Norway, Scottish, Shannon, London, France, Madrid and Lisboa FIRs may establish designated airspace within their FIRs for the purpose of transitioning non-RVSM approved aircraft operating to and from the NAT Region.

5.2 ACCs/UACs providing ATC service within airspace designated in accordance with 5.1 may clear such non-RVSM approved civil aircraft to climb or descend through RVSM airspace.

5.3 Climbs or descents through RVSM airspace, in accordance with 5.2, shall be achieved before the aircraft passes the transfer of control point to the adjacent ACC/UAC, if applicable, unless otherwise specified in an inter-ACC letter of agreement.

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