— Purpose

The purpose of this Aeronautical Information Circular (AIC) is to provide notification to Aircraft Operators (AOs) and background information concerning the planned expansion of the SEE FRA area and the cross border operations between SEE FRA and Baltic FRA.

 — Introduction

The SEE FRA concept builds on and is a successful continuation of existing FRA implementations (SEE FRA and Moldova FRA) in the airspaces of Bratislava CTA, Bucuresti CTA, Budapest CTA, Sofia CTA and Chisinau CTA.

SEE FRA expansion together with cross border operations between SEE FRA and Baltic FRA will represent a further step in optimizing flight operations by expanding to H24 the cross-border FRA operations in the airspaces of Bratislava CTA, Bucuresti CTA, Budapest CTA, Chisinau CTA and Sofia CTA, respectively Vilnius CTA and Warsaw CTA and will provide further operational, environmental and cost benefitsin an region 1million square kilometres large over Europe and High Seas.

In the area combined from SEE FRA and Baltic FRA areas AOs will continue to be able to flight plan user preferred trajectories and thereby will obtain benefits from planning and execution of flights. The SEE FRA and BALTIC FRA areas will also increase the compatibility between the flight plan and the trajectory flown, hence increasing the predictability for a given flight. This new implementation will bring high improvements in terms of distance, fuel and emissions savings.

 — Lateral limits

The application of the SEE FRA Cross-border Concept will encompass the horizontal boundaries of Bratislava CTA, Bucuresti CTA, Budapest CTA, Chisinau CTA and Sofia CTA in their full extent as published in ENR 2.1, in relevant State AIP.

The application of the Cross-border operations between SEE FRA and BALTIC FRA will encompass the border between Warsaw CTA and Bratislava CTA as published in ENR 2.1, in relevant State AIPs.

 — Vertical limits

The vertical limits of the SEE FRA area will be as follows:The application of the SEE FRA Cross-border Concept will encompass the horizontal boundaries of Bratislava CTA, Bucuresti CTA, Budapest CTA, Chisinau CTA and Sofia CTA in their full extent as published in ENR 2.1, in relevant State AIP.

• Bratislava CTA: FL245 - FL660;
• București CTA: FL105 - FL660;
• Budapest CTA: 9500FT - FL660;
• Chisinau CTA: FL095 - FL660;
• Sofia CTA: FL175 - FL660,
• cross-border operations between SEE FRA and Baltic FRA: FL245 - FL660.

 — Applicability Period

The SEE FRA and SEE FRA-Baltic FRA cross border operations applicability are planned H24.

 — Navigation Performance

There will be no change in required navigation performance. The existing ATS route network in Chisinau FIR and Sofia FIR will be retained.

 — Eligible Flights

All overflying, arriving, departing aircraft that plan at least a portion of their route within the limits of SEE FRA and Baltic FRA (lateral and vertical) will be eligible for SEE FRA and Baltic FRA operation.

 — Flight Planning Procedures

Segments between SEE FRA Horizontal Entry, SEE FRA Intermediate and SEE FRA Horizontal Exit points shall be indicated by DCT in ITEM 15: Route of the flight plan in accordance with ICAO Doc 4444.

Example: [Entry Point] DCT [Intermediate point] DCT [Intermediate point] DCT [Exit Point]. There will be no limitations on the DCT segments length.

A SEE FRA Intermediate point could be an en-route radio navigation aid or defined 5LNC published as (I) in relevant columns of ENR 4.1 / ENR 4.4, respectively in each State AIP.

In order to minimize the impact on the ATM systems, as a minimum, the route portion in ITEM 15 of FPL through SEE FRA area shall contain at least one FRA significant point in each FIR.

Flights with their trajectories crossing the border between Warsaw CTA and Bratislava CTA are not obliged to file their flight plan with the existing point on the respective border.

 — Implementation

Implementation is planned for 24th February 2022.

 — Further Information

Further information regarding SEE FRA and SEE FRA – Baltic FRA cross border operations will be available from relevant ANSPs in Bulgaria, Hungary, Moldova, Romania and Slovakia, respectively Lithuania and Poland. AIP changes will be published according to AIRAC procedures.

 — Contact Details

For further information concerning this AIC and the SEE FRA you may contact:

 — SEE FRA - BALTIC FRA

See figure 1.

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