Identification of standard departure and standard arrival routes and associated procedures

(a)When identifying standard departure and standard arrival routes and associated procedures, it shall be ensured that:

(1)the system of designators shall permit the identification of each route in a simple and unambiguous manner;

(2)each route shall be identified by a plain language designator and a corresponding coded designator; and

(3)in voice communications, the designators shall be easily recognisable as relating to a standard departure or standard arrival route and shall not create any difficulties in pronunciation for pilots and ATS personnel.

(b)When composing designators for standard departure and standard arrival routes and associated procedures, the following shall be used:

(1)a plain language designator;

(2)a basic indicator;

(3)a validity indicator that shall be a number from 1 to 9;

(4)a route indicator that shall be one letter of the alphabet; the letters ‘I’ and ‘O’ shall not be used; and

(5)a coded designator of a standard departure or standard arrival route, instrument or visual.

(c)Assignment of designators

(1)Each route shall be assigned a separate designator.

(2)To distinguish between two or more routes that relate to the same significant point (and are therefore assigned the same basic indicator), a separate route indicator as described in point (b)(4) shall be assigned to each route.

(d)Assignment of validity indicators

(1)A validity indicator shall be assigned to each route to identify the route that is currently in effect.

(2)The first validity indicator to be assigned shall be the number ‘1’.

(3)Whenever a route is amended, a new validity indicator, which consists of the next higher number, shall be assigned. The number ‘9’ shall be followed by the number ‘1’.