Brussels, 30/10/2007 (Agence Europe) - On Friday 26 October, the European Commission adopted a new regulation on air-ground voice channel spacing. The regulation, adopted as part of the programme to modernise the air traffic management system (“Single European Sky”, see EUROPE 8603) and in the light of International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) decisions, will mean that communications between control centres on the ground and planes will be based on 8,33 kHz channel spacing and extends the scope of existing legislation to all aeroplanes, including military (apart from operations and training). The Commission also plans to implement “data link” electronic communications systems, and will bring forward a proposal next year.
Increases in air traffic levels within the European network have required increases in air traffic management capacity. This has led to: - a demand for operational improvements, such as allocating new air traffic lanes on given flights; - and a demand for additional VHF assignments in the aeronautical sector service band (from 117,975 to 137 MHz). For various reasons (difficulties in satisfying the demand for VHF assignments), the ICAO decided to reduce the channel spacing from 25 to 8,33 kHz.
The Commission regulation will increase the number of accessible frequencies for communication of flight data (position, speed, altitude) between the plane and the control centre on the ground. It gives member states (which are responsible for allocating frequencies) three times more communication channels.
Under the new legislation, flight altitudes (in “flying level”, FL) from which planes will be required to use 8,33 kHz frequencies will be lowered to allow a greater number of planes, including military and freight, to fall within the scope of the legislation. Henceforth, the new rules for the allocation of VHF frequencies will affect all planes flying below 195 FL (19,500 feet, or 5,700 metres), instead of 245 FL (24,500 feet). Until now, seven countries (France, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy and the United Kingdom) had been following this procedure for planes flying above 245 FL.
The responsibility for equipping control centres and planes will fall on member states. They will also have to ensure that communications systems comply with the minimum joint rules to ensure their interoperability at Community level. The new regulation will come into force on 16 November.
The Commission is currently working on another regulation which seeks to equip all planes and control centres on the ground with electronic data transmitters - “data link”. The system, which works like email, will allow flight data to be transferred from the plane to the control centre on the ground. The idea is to set up an alternative communications system to the system of voice communication currently used in Europe. The Commission wants all types of planes and control centres on the ground to be equipped with such a system by 2011. The system should become operational from 2013 (at least in the countries of the central air zone, which includes France, Germany, the Benelux countries and the United Kingdom). Member states will have a time limit of four years, that is, until 2015, to refit their aircraft already operating. The regulation could be adopted at the end of 2008. (A.By.)