NPA 2021-05

Standardised European rules of the air — Introduction of radiotelephony for the provision of aerodrome flight information service (AFIS) (Subtask 3)

Aerodrome flight information service (AFIS) is implemented with an increasing trend both in the European Union (EU) Member States and worldwide.

International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) global standards (i.e. Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) or Procedures for Air Navigation Services (PANS)) do not exist for AFIS. Regulation (EU) 2018/1139 (the Basic Regulation) defines the overall safety objectives for flight information service (FIS) as one of the air traffic services (ATS). Common rules for FIS, which include AFIS, have been established with the adoption of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/469, applicable as of January 27, 2022. The introduction of radiotelephony (RT) phraseologies for the provision of FIS/AFIS is necessary to ensure unambiguous air–ground voice communication, thus increasing safety. 

This Notice of Proposed Amendment (NPA), therefore, proposes the necessary amendments to ED Decision 2013/013/R adopting the AMC and GM to Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 923/2012 on Standardised European Rules of the Air (SERA), and more specifically to Appendix 1 to AMC1 SERA.14001, by introducing: 

  • a comprehensive set of AFIS RT phraseologies for air–ground voice communications between pilots and ATS units; 
  • some additional RT phraseologies applicable to both FIS and AFIS to address specific operational situations; and 
  • structural amendments to Appendix 1 to clearly indicate which RT phraseologies are applicable when different ATS are provided (ATC service and/or FIS, including AFIS), thus supporting their harmonised use in a safe manner. 

The amendments proposed by this NPA aim to maintain a high level of safety and to ensure harmonisation in the provision of FIS and AFIS.

A complete and clear set of RT phraseologies for the provision of FIS and AFIS will provide safety benefits throughout the EU, especially for cross-border flights which receive such services, by considerably reducing the possibility for misinterpretations in air–ground voice communications between ATS units and pilots.