Existing ICAO recommended practices concerning emergency descent procedures provide guidance to pilots and ATS units in the event of an emergency descent. However, these provisions are outdated. Updates are needed to handle modern scenarios.

Proposal was to switch TCAS to TA mode as the descending aircraft may not be able to respond correctly to any generated RA and therefore the other aircraft involved will be given a more aggressive evasive manoeuvre. There is no consensus across the pilot community on this proposal. Airbus claims that if an aircraft is descending at 10000’ per min or greater, the TCAS automatically goes to standby.