Implementation of the regulatory needs in support of the SESAR deployment
Introduction of ACAS Xa for operations in the single European sky (SES) airspace & PBN specifications for oceanic operations
This Notice of Proposed Amendment (NPA) addresses two different subject matters in support of operations in the single European sky (SES): the use of airborne collision avoidance system (ACAS) Xa and the harmonised use of performance-based navigation (PBN) navigation specifications for oceanic operations.
ACAS Xa is one of the Single European Sky ATM Research (SESAR) solutions that has been standardised and adopted as an International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standard that aims to increase the already high level of safety in air traffic management (ATM).
In addition to proposing a regulatory change to enable the use of ACAS Xa in the SES airspace, this NPA includes regulatory changes proposing the introduction of the ACAS X technical specification order and the installation requirements for ACAS II and ACAS Xa. Air operations guidance material is also proposed to be amended to reflect the ACAS X operations and to ensure consistency with other regulatory provisions. The proposed amendments on ACAS X are expected to increase safety, transpose related ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) and improve harmonisation.
To ensure an effective transition to a PBN operational environment in the SES airspace, this NPA also proposes amendments to the airspace usage requirements in Regulation (EU) 2018/1048 to transpose additional ICAO PBN specifications in support of oceanic and remote continental operations, in particular the RNP 4 and RNAV 10 specifications. The guidance material to the Regulation is also proposed to be amended to be consistent with the regulatory requirements.
