South China Sea Traffic Flow Review Group Meeting 12

The South China Sea Traffic Flow Review Group (SCSTFRG) was formed 10 years ago to improve airspace capacity and resolve the use of non-standard FLAS/FLOS (flight level allocation system/flight level orientation system) in the South China Sea (SCS) airspace. Due to the complex airspace structure and lack of surveillance and communication in some areas, progress has been slow. However, in recent years some of the original routes and procedures based on RNAV 10 have been revised using RNP 4 and RNP 2 standards. With a consequent reduction in longitudinal spacing from 10 minutes to 50NM or 30NM.

The SCSTFRG/12 meeting was held 11-12 November 2024 at the ICAO Asia-Pacific Office in Bangkok. During the meeting progress in the reduction of longitudinal spacing was reported by several States; including Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines Singapore and Vietnam.

Vietnam will conduct a review of the airspace in their central area to include a study on the A1 parallel routes over DaNang, as proposed by Hong Kong, China and Thailand, and the busy crossing routes Q1 and Q2. They will advise ICAO of the outcome of this study once it is completed.

The ICAO Regional Office encouraged States to participate in the comprehensive program of SWIM (System Wide Information Management) and FF-ICE Flight & Flow Information for a Collaborative Environment (FF-ICE) meetings, seminars and workshops. They also encouraged states to adopt the ICAO Global Air Navigation Plan (Doc 9750/GANP) and to implement Trajectory Based Operations TBO, UPR which is a route developed to provide the optimal lateral path based on the actual aircraft weight and performance data in the forecast conditions, and FRA (free route airspace) in the Region within the coming 10 years.

IFATCA noted that instead of working to replace the current non-standard FLAS/FLOS procedures with current ICAO standards, it would be more productive to redesign all of these non-standard procedures by utilising the new systems and practices and implementing an airspace structure utilsing SWIM and FF-ICE, as planned by ICAO.

IFATCA presented a conceptual plan for the introduction of FRA in the SCS to replace the current complex airspace structure and the removal of the non-standard FLAS/FLOS procedures. It was based on the Japan CARATS plan which utilises SWIM and FF-ICE practices with a vertical split of airspace at FL335. This would enable the phased introduction of FRA in the upper area of SCS airspace fully compliant with the Asia/Pacific Seamless ATS Plan and with no requirement for level transitions with adjacent FIRs.

Indonesia presented details of the UPR operation for flights between Singapore and Jakarta, whereby operators can file their optimum track and level for each flight with flexible crossing points at their FIR boundary.

On the final day of the meeting, an FRA Implementation Workshop was held with representatives from Eurocontrol (including Frédéric Deleau, EVP Europe), explaining how the majority of their airspace transitioned from a complex route structure to FRA. The operational management of traffic in FRA, the essential support tools that are provided to controllers and the close coordination with the aircraft operators which is a necessary requirement.