**Fourth Meeting of the**

**Cross Polar Trans East Air Traffic Management Providers' Working
Group**

(Edmonton, Alberta, 18-20 September 2007)

**Agenda Item 3: Report on Relevant Outcomes from Other Pertinent
Meetings**

#### 

**Implementation of the Reduced Vertical Separation Minimum (RVSM) in
Sovereign Chinese Airspace**

(Presented by the United States)

+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| **SUMMARY**                                                           |
|                                                                       |
| The Air Traffic Management Bureau of the General Administration of    |
| Civil Aviation of China intends to implement the Reduced Vertical     |
| Separation Minimum (RVSM) on 22 November 2007 in all sovereign        |
| Chinese airspace. This marks the first use of RVSM in airspace where  |
| the meter is the unit of altitude. Planning has involved adaptation   |
| of existing global RVSM procedures to this metric-altitude airspace,  |
| development of a flight level allocation scheme which recognizes that |
| most aircraft can only fly at altitudes defined in feet, and          |
| coordination with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration.           |
| Application of the RVSM in Chinese airspace has potential importance  |
| for the overall planning process undertaken by the Trans-Polar        |
| Working Group.                                                        |
|                                                                       |
| Action by the Meeting is at section 4.                                |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+

**1. Introduction**

1.1 At the November 2006 Meeting of the Directors General of Civil
Aviation in the Asia and Pacific Region, Wang Liya, Deputy Director
General of the General Administration of Civil Aviation's AI Traffic
Management Bureau (CAAC ATMB), announced that China would introduce the
Reduced Vertical Separation Minimum (RVSM) into its sovereign airspace
in 2007. In presenting this decision, Mr. Wang noted that civil traffic
in China's airspace was increasing at a significant annual rate and
that, if this rate were sustained into the foreseeable future, annual
operations would soon be second only to those in the U.S. among all
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Contracting States. He
noted the demonstrable high-altitude airspace capacity increase
associated with RVSM application and cited the need to accommodate
increased civil aviation operations expected as a consequence of the
Olympic Games to be hosted by China in 2008.

1.2 At this meeting, China requested help with implementation from
States in the

Region and asked ICAO to activate the Region's RVSM Implementation Task
Force (RVSM/TF) toward that end.

1.3 China also proposed that work to assist RVSM implementation be the
top-priority 2007 task of the Joint Air Traffic Control Steering Group
(JATSG), an ongoing cooperative effort between the ATMB and the U.S.
Federal Aviation Administration's Air Traffic Organization (FAA ATO).
This proposal was adopted and planned RVSM-related JATSG work was
accelerated.

1.4 Refinements to China's planning led to identification of November
22, 2007 as the intended date for RVSM implementation.

1.5 The purpose of this information paper is to present the recent
developments, current status and near-term planning associated with
implementation of the RVSM in sovereign Chinese airspace.

# 2. Background

2.1 The RVSM/TF held its Thirtieth Meeting during March at the ICAO Asia
Pacific Office in Bangkok. At this meeting, it was agreed that States
from the Region, as well as several ICAO European Region States, would
cooperate with China in the RVSM implementation. The Meeting developed a
list of non-Chinese flight information regions which would be affected
by the implementation and outlined plans for changing associated letters
of agreement (LOAs) to reflect the use of RVSM in China and for
establishing transition procedures.

2.2 In May, a Special Coordination Meeting among States was held in
Beijing to advance LOA development and to receive an update on China's
RVSM implementation planning.

2.3 In late-July 31/early-August, RVSM/TF/31 was held in Bangkok. During
the Meeting, China presented its draft Aeronautical Information
Publication (AIP) supplement (SUP) covering RVSM and also provided
preliminary readiness and safety assessments. The AIP SUP identified the
domain of China RVSM as being all airspace between metric flight levels
S890 (8 900 meters) and S1250 (12 500 meters) within the sovereign
airspace of all Chinese FIRs, as shown in Attachment A. The Meeting
concluded that the implementation program had made significant progress
and that preliminary readiness and safety assessments showed promise.
The Meeting called on China to finalize all LOAs prior to RVSM/TF/32,
scheduled for 18 -- 21 September in Beijing.

2.4 In parallel, the ATMB and FAA ATO developed and carried out a series
of activities.

2.5 A group of senior air traffic specialists spent a week at Chinese
area control centers during April in order to review implementation
planning and share experience.

2.6 In June, approximately 30 air traffic managers and controllers
representing a cross-section of service-provision facilities in China
spent a week at the FAA's Forth Worth Air Route Traffic Control Center
observing RVSM operations, receiving instruction in FAA RVSM procedures
and conducting simulation-based RVSM training using Fort Worth's
facilities. Based on feedback and information sharing, both ATMB and FAA
specialists agreed that the one-week session was very valuable and that
the ATMB controllers had developed considerable familiarity with
application of the RVSM.

2.7 In January, a group of five ATMB specialists visited the FAA
Technical Center for familiarization and training in the establishment
and operation of a regional monitoring agency (RMA), as called for in
ICAO RVSM guidance material. Building on previous sessions in Beijing
and at the Technical Center in 2005 and 2006, the week afforded the
opportunity for in-depth discussions of various RMA functions. Among
topics covered were establishing and maintaining a database of State
RVSM approvals, assessing the approval-readiness of operators and
aircraft for RVSM implementation, monitoring aircraft height keeping
performance, and conducting an assessment of the safety of RVSM
implementation -- including estimation of safety risk and comparison to
the internationally applied safety criterion, the Target Level of Safety
(TLS).

2.8 In June, a group of Technical Center specialists held a session with
Chinese colleagues in Beijing in order to review readiness-assessment
topics and the treatment of large height deviations observed during
pre-implementation safety oversight activities.

2.9 Chinese specialists spent the week of 20 August at the Technical
Center to conduct a review of the draft readiness and safety assessments
prepared for RVSM/TF/32. During this period, FAA participants provided
constructive criticism of the draft material and, where possible,
conducted independent checks of results shown in the documents.

2.10 The next section of this information paper will describe the novel
flight level allocation scheme (FLAS) which will accompany introduction
of the RVSM into sovereign Chinese airspace, and will present the
current status of implementation tasks.

## 3. Discussion

3.1 *Chinese RVSM FLAS*

As noted previously, introduction of the RVSM in China will mark the
first use of the vertical standard in airspace where the meter is the
unit of altitude. A June 2007 system-wide sample of traffic operating in
Chinese airspace has indicated that aircraft types manufactured in
Europe and the Americas account for more than 98 percent of the
operations. Such aircraft types actually determine and maintain altitude
using the foot as the unit of vertical position, with crews using
conversion tables to translate an ATC-assigned metric flight level into
an equivalent foot-based altitude. This conversion process does not
result in a commanded altitude exactly equal to the foot-equivalent of
the metric flight level, since commanded altitude may be selected only
in increments of 100 feet.

In recognition of the aircraft-type profile described in the previous
paragraph, the draft AIP SUP presented by China at RVSM/TF/31 requires
that all operations in Chinese airspace where the RVSM will be applied
will be flown using the foot as the unit of altitude.

The draft AIP SUP provides a conversion table of metric flight levels to
foot-based flight levels which is mandatory for use by all aircraft
which will operate in China RVSM airspace. The AIP SUP also describes
the manner in which these levels will be allocated by
direction-of-flight.

Attachment B presents a diagram of this FLAS, showing the metric flight
levels which will be used when China implements the RVSM and the
corresponding mandated foot-based flight levels which all aircraft will
use.

Attachment C presents the same information in more readable tabular
form.

As will be noted from the table in Attachment C, the practical effect of
requiring all operations to be conducted in feet using the published
meter-foot flight level conversions is that 1000 feet is the planned
vertical separation between aircraft at adjacent flight levels in China
RVSM airspace.

####### Status of Tasks Required To Be Completed Prior to RVSM Implementation

As noted, RVSM/TF/32 will meet in Beijing during the period 18 -- 21
September. The intent of the meeting is to review progress and endorse a
decision to implement RVSM as planned on 22 November or to delay if
conditions warrant.

The Meeting will review analysis of the readiness of operators, where
such readiness refers to having State approval for RVSM operations. The
readiness goal established by the ATMB is that 90 percent of the
operations currently operating in the altitude band within which the
RVSM will be applied will have State RVSM approval by 22 November.
Results published in advance of the Meeting indicate that this goal will
be met.

The Meeting will also review the results of a safety assessment
conducted by the ATMB. The goal of this assessment is demonstration that
a quantitative safety criterion, the TLS, will be satisfied, as called
for in relevant ICAO RVSM guidance material. Again, results published in
advance of the meeting indicate that this goal will be met.

It was agreed at RVSM/TF/31 that China should endeavor to complete LOAs
with all adjacent FIRs by the opening of RVSM/TF/32. No information is
available at this time on the status of LOAs.

China has already informed the ICAO Asia Pacific RVSM Implementation
Task Force that necessary controller training, update of aeronautical
publications and related items will have been accomplished in a timely
manner before 22 November.

China has scheduled coordination meetings with relevant segments of the
civil aviation industry in advance of the planned implementation date.

## 4. Recommendation

4.1 The Meeting is invited to review the contents of this information
paper as a means of updating itself regarding the plan for
implementation of the RVSM in sovereign Chinese airspace on 22 November
2007.

Attachment A

![](media/image1.wmf)

**Figure A. Chinese Flight Information Regions With Shaded Area Showing
Sovereign Chinese Airspace Where the Reduced Vertical Separation Minimum
Will Be Introduced**

Attachment B

![](media/image2.wmf){width="6.0in" height="6.177083333333333in"}

**Flight Level Allocation Scheme To Be Applied In Sovereign Chinese
Airspace After Implementation of the Reduced Vertical Separation Minimum
Shown in Both Meters and Feet**

Attachment C

+-----------------+-----------------+-----------------+-----------------+
| 000^o^ --       |                 | 180^o^ --       |                 |
| 179^o^ T        |                 | 359^o^ T        |                 |
+-----------------+-----------------+-----------------+-----------------+
| Flight Levels   |                 | Flight Levels   |                 |
+-----------------+-----------------+-----------------+-----------------+
| m               | ft              | m               | ft              |
+-----------------+-----------------+-----------------+-----------------+
| ETC.            | ETC.            | ETC.            | ETC.            |
|                 |                 |                 |                 |
| ↑               | ↑               | ↑               | ↑               |
|                 |                 |                 |                 |
| 14900           | 48900           | 15500           | 50900           |
|                 |                 |                 |                 |
| 13700           | 44900           | 14300           | 46900           |
|                 |                 |                 |                 |
| 12500           | 41100           | 13100           | 43000           |
|                 |                 |                 |                 |
| 11900           | 39100           | 12200           | 40100           |
|                 |                 |                 |                 |
| 11300           | 37100           | 11600           | 38100           |
|                 |                 |                 |                 |
| 10700           | 35100           | 11000           | 36100           |
|                 |                 |                 |                 |
| 10100           | 33100           | 10400           | 34100           |
|                 |                 |                 |                 |
| 9500            | 31100           | 9800            | 32100           |
|                 |                 |                 |                 |
| 8900            | 29100           | 9200            | 30100           |
|                 |                 |                 |                 |
| 8100            | 26600           | 8400            | 27600           |
|                 |                 |                 |                 |
| 7500            | 24600           | 7800            | 25600           |
|                 |                 |                 |                 |
| 6900            | 22600           | 7200            | 23600           |
|                 |                 |                 |                 |
| 6300            | 20700           | 6600            | 21700           |
|                 |                 |                 |                 |
| 5700            | 18700           | 6000            | 19700           |
|                 |                 |                 |                 |
| 5100            | 16700           | 5400            | 17700           |
|                 |                 |                 |                 |
| 4500            | 14800           | 4800            | 15700           |
|                 |                 |                 |                 |
| 3900            | 12800           | 4200            | 13800           |
|                 |                 |                 |                 |
| 3300            | 10800           | 3600            | 11800           |
|                 |                 |                 |                 |
| 2700            | 8900            | 3000            | 9800            |
|                 |                 |                 |                 |
| 2100            | 6900            | 2400            | 7900            |
|                 |                 |                 |                 |
| 1500            | 4900            | 1800            | 5900            |
|                 |                 |                 |                 |
| 900             | 3000            | 1200            | 3900            |
|                 |                 |                 |                 |
| －              | －              | 600             | 2000            |
+-----------------+-----------------+-----------------+-----------------+
| m               | ft              | m               | ft              |
+-----------------+-----------------+-----------------+-----------------+

**Table for Conversion of Metric to Imperial Flight Levels Mandated for
Use After Implementation of Reduced Vertical Separation Minimum in
Sovereign Chinese Airspace**