Asia-Pac Drops LOA Requirement for ADS-B Ops

In a bit of good news for operators flying in flight information regions (FIRs) controlled by Hong Kong, Vietnam and Singapore, the regional ICAO office in Bangkok eliminated the requirement for operational approval for ADS-B Out, according to NBAA. Before this action, operators planning to fly above FL290 in these regions had to carry a letter of authorization from their regulatory authority. “In the guidance,” NBAA noted, “ICAO acknowledged that some states have no or insufficient operational approval processes, and the operational approval itself does not contribute to safe operations.” Although Indonesia is planning to require operational approval for FIRs that it controls, NBAA v-p of regulatory affairs Doug Carr explained, “This new ICAO letter will allow Indonesia and other states to relax their ADS-B [operational approval requirement] mandates.”