Trade groups gearing up for fight over FAA’s DRVSM plan

With the anticipated publication this month of an NPRM in the Federal Register, the FAA is laying the groundwork for implementation of domestic re

By Stephen Pope

May 15, 2008

With the anticipated publication this month of an NPRM in the Federal Register, the FAA is laying the groundwork for implementation of domestic reduced vertical separation minimums (DRVSM) in U.S. airspace between FL 290 and FL 410 in December 2004. But as the rule’s start date draws nearer, many in aviation circles are complaining that the FAA’s plan for DRVSM is flawed and that significant concerns must be addressed before going forward.

The National Air Transportation Association (NATA), whose members include air-taxi and charter operators, FBOs and maintenance facilities, wants the FAA to come up with a longer phase-in period for DRVSM. Although most Part 135 on-demand air charter operators conducting international operations have already obtained the required approvals, there is a large population of turbine aircraft that are not RVSM-compliant, the association said. There is also the concern that insufficient repair station capacity exists to meet the demand in such a relatively short timeframe.

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