DUSHANBE, May 24, Asia-Plus - One of problems facing civil aviation in the post-Soviet areas is use of air space, Aziz Nabiyev, the head of the airports and air space department of Tajik Ministry of Transport and Communications (MoTC), remarked at the 18th joint session of the Coordination Council of CIS Heads of National Body for Use Air Space and the Coordinating Expert Group Eurasia in Dushanbe on May 24.

The two-day joint session is discussing issues related to laying legal foundation of functioning of the system of organization of air traffic, training of personnel, development of international air lines structure, etc.  

Telling the session, Nabiyev noted the problem of usage of air space exists everywhere.  According to him one of solutions to that problem could be to introduce reduced vertical separation minimum (RVSM) that would allow flying control officers managing air traffic more effectively.  

“To introduce this system airport installs special equipment on runway that allows flying control officers precisely judging distance,” Tajik official said.  

RVSM reduces the vertical separation between flight level (FL) 290–410 from 2000 ft to 1000 ft and makes six additional FL’s available for operation.  The additional FL’s enable more aircraft to fly more time/fuel efficient profiles and provides the potential for enhanced airspace capacity.  RVSM operators must receive authorization from the appropriate civil aviation authority.  RVSM aircraft must meet required equipage and altitude-keeping performance standards.  Operators must operate in accordance with RVSM policies/procedures applicable to the airspace where they are flying.

Nabiyev also noted that that other problem is the fact not all flying control officers have good command of English.  

The session participants include heads of air-navigation services from Belarus, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.  Representatives from Azerbaijan and Ukraine are attending the session as observers.