EASA issues Crimea safety warning

The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) published on April 3 a Safety Information Bulletin (SIB) which addresses the potential safety risks encountered by aircraft operators which may use the airspace of Crimea. The confusion lies over which country has rights over air traffic control services (ATS) in the region. Russia has indicated in a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) that it intended to provide ATS, while Ukrainian authorities have also indicated that they were renaming several sectors of the Simferopol FIR as Odessa 4-6 and Dnipropetrovs’k 5-6, after Ukrainian cities. Ukrainian authorities have advised airlines that air routes over and around the Crimea peninsula were now effectively closed, “given the unacceptable action from the Russian Federation to interfere with the legitimate provision by Ukraine of air navigation services within the Simferopol FIR.”

EASA and European air navigation service provider Eurocontrol are concerned the confusion over who is providing air traffic control services may pose a risk to flight safety.

“Due to the unsafe situation where more than one ATS provider may be controlling flights within the same airspace from 3 April 2014, 0600 UTC onwards, consideration should be given to measures to avoid the airspace and circumnavigate the Simferopol FIR with alternative routings,” it said. “EASA strongly recommends to the national aviation authorities of the EASA member states that all aircraft operators are made aware that the airspace should be avoided.”