Temporary accommodation due to COVID-19 for non-NAT DLM compliant aircraft in the NAT airspace

This AIC-I replaces AIC-I 09/20 30 JUN.

Ref. ICAO State Letter EUR/NAT 20-0187.TEC (NAE/SUL) and EUR/NAT 20-0296.TEC (NAE/CUP). In accordance with these ICAO State letters, there is an agreement to allow accommodation of non-DLM compliant aircraft in the area of NAT DLM applicability.

The objective of this proposal is to offer more flexibility to aircraft operators when planning their NAT operations in the evolving COVID-19 crisis. There may be situations where aircraft operators may need to dispatch non-DLM compliant aircraft to operate in the NAT.

NAT SPG (System Planning Group) has established the NAT Datalink Mandate Temporary Accommodation Project Team (DLMTA PT). DLMTA PT’s recommendation to the NAT SPG is to extend the measures for another period.

The accommodation will be in effect from 1 October 2020 until the AIRAC date of 25 February 2021 or until 50 % of 2019 traffic levels, if reached before proposed AIRAC date.

Reduced traffic volume accommodates more flexibility in the NAT airspace. Therefore, dispatchers and pilots are encouraged to file and request their optimal profiles at all stages of the flight, for example, optimal route, flight plan step climbs, pilot-requested cruise climbs and ‘ECON’ speeds, available following the recent NAT implementation of operations without assigned fixed speed (OWAFS).