Radar monitoring is one of the functions in the provision of an air traffic control service. For the purposes of this policy, it has been considered in two areas, namely: arrival / departure phase and the en-route phase. The need to establish parameters for radar monitoring has arisen from the increasing use of self navigation.
IFATCA Policy is:Route spacing standards should not be reduced below those that would otherwise be required purely because of the use of radar monitoring. Radar monitoring should not be used as the means of providing separation with obstacles (terrain clearance) where aircraft are on their own navigation and below the Minimum Radar Vector Altitude (MRVA). Any escape procedure shall provide adequate terrain clearance from the point the aircraft is below the MRVA to the lowest defined altitude at which any such procedure can be initiated. States are required to assure this. Any introduction of Performance Based Navigation (PBN) routes that are closely spaced should be subjected to safety analysis. Such a safety analysis may result in hazards being identified that require automated monitoring assistance for the controller to adequately mitigate the hazard. Any introduction of closely spaced routes should ensure that controllers can, upon identification or notification of a deviation, carry out the necessary action so that the required separation minimum is not likely to be infringed. |
See: WP 92 – Istanbul 2007, WP 91 – Arusha 2008, Resolution B20 – WP 60 – Virtual 2022
See also: WP 101 – Ottawa 1994 and WP 102 – Ottawa 1994 |
Last Update: July 28, 2022