Article 3a Determination of the need for the provision of air traffic services

ELEMENTS TO DETERMINE THE NEED FOR AIR TRAFFIC SERVICES PROVISION The determination of the need for air traffic services provision in a given area and/or aerodrome may be subject to consideration and evaluation of a great number and typology of elements, such as:

(a)a mixture of different types of air traffic with aircraft of varying speeds (conventional, jet, etc.) might necessitate the air traffic services provision, whereas a relatively greater density of traffic where only one type of operation is involved would not;

(b)meteorological conditions might have considerable effect in areas where there is a constant flow of air traffic (e.g. scheduled traffic), whereas similar or worse meteorological conditions might be relatively unimportant in an area where air traffic would be discontinued in such conditions (e.g. local visual flight rules (VFR) flights);

(c)open stretches of water, mountainous, uninhabited or desert areas might necessitate the air traffic services provision even though the frequency of operations is extremely low;

(d)the complexity of the airspace concerned; and

(e)the language(s) to be used in air-ground communications, in the case of AFIS.

NON-ATS (AIR TRAFFIC SERVICES) AERONAUTICAL STATIONS

(a)Description of non-ATS aeronautical stations Where a Member State determines that no requirement exists for the air traffic services provision at an aerodrome and its vicinity or in other airspace, a universal communication (UNICOM)-type aeronautical station may be established (with call signs like RADIO, UNICOM, name of the aero club, etc.). Such a station should be established following the Member State arrangements, to facilitate the activities of aircraft (for example, a frequency used by pilots to announce their intentions at an aerodrome where air traffic services are not provided). It may be established in an airspace where Member States have decided that whilst en-route flight information service will be provided by a designated and certified flight information service provider, there is no requirement for mandatory two-way radio communication. In such cases, the Member State should ensure that the aeronautical station does not provide air traffic services, but acts as an informal facility for exchanges on, for example, aerodrome conditions or other activities at the aerodrome.

(b)Promulgation of information for non-ATS aeronautical stations The arrangements established for non-ATS aeronautical stations should ensure that information regarding their availability are included in the relevant parts of the AIP. The information should include, as a minimum, the following:

(1)identification of the aerodrome, where applicable;

(2)location and identification of the aeronautical station, where applicable;

(3)hours of operation of the aeronautical station, where applicable;

(4)language(s) used;

(5)detailed description of the facilitation provided and its limitations;

(6)special procedures for application by pilots; and

(7)any other pertinent information.

(c)Identification of non-ATS aeronautical stations Where a non-ATS aeronautical station is established:

(1)the station should normally be identified by the name of the aerodrome at which they are providing air-ground or air-air communication, or by the name of a nearby town or city or geographic feature or area, or by the name of the aero club it facilitates; and

(2)the name of the station should be complemented by the suffix ‘RADIO’, as established in Section 5.2.1.7.1.2 of ICAO Annex 10 Volume II.