ATC
WWII-era North Atlantic Blue Spruce Routes Removed
Blue Spruce involved airspace between Iceland and Greenland
OpsGroup NAT chart depicting Blue Spruce Routes
© OpsGroup

The International Civil Aviation Organization updated the North Atlantic Tracks (NAT) to reflect the elimination of the Blue Spruce routes, which date back to World War II but are now rarely used. According to flight operations information specialist OpsGroup, aircraft with a single long-range navigation system (LRNS) will have to transit the NAT via Gander Oceanic airspace and the Iceland-Greenland Corridor.

Taking effect today, the changes were made through the latest update of NAT Doc 007, the main guidance for operations over the North Atlantic. OpsGroup explained that the Blue Spruce routes, which “have been around since forever,” go between Greenland and Iceland and were designed for aircraft with limited navigation capabilities.

Loading…