Description

The airspace of the North Atlantic (NAT), which links Europe and North America, is the busiest oceanic airspace in the world. In 2012 approximately 460,000 flights crossed the North Atlantic and that volume of traffic continues to increase. Direct Controller Pilot Communications (DCPC) and ATS Surveillance are unavailable in most parts of the NAT Region. Aircraft separation, and hence safety, are ensured by demanding the highest standards of horizontal and vertical navigation performance/accuracy and of operating discipline.

This article is intended to provide an overview of the communication equipment requirements and applicable procedures for the NAT region.

Voice Communication

Electromagnetic waves in the VHF band propagate in a straight line. Due to the earth curvature, it is often not possible to use it for communicaiton in some parts of the oceanic airspace. Therefore, alternative solutions need to be employed, e.g.: