active 2023-03-23 - Cardiff (EGFF) - West Airspace Deployment (SIDs/STARs/Agreements)

[VATSIM UK Operations]

Effective 23 March 2023

As part of the West Airspace Deployment that introduces systemised routes below FL245, significant changes are made to Cardiff traffic, affecting SIDs, STARs, agreements and delegated airspace.

Please note that links to charts in this post are only valid for the AIRAC of the effective date and so will be outdated 28 days later. After this time, please navigate to the AIP for up to date charts.

SIDs

A new SID is introduced to replace the ALVIN 1B (Runway 12 only). A chart is available here for the SID at the time of this airspace change.

SID	Runway	Initial Climb	To/Via
LEKCI 1B	12	6000 ft	East/P4

 

Departure Prenotes and Releases

 

All IFR departures continue to require a release from Cardiff RAD 1 (SID departures and non-standard traffic at/above 6000 ft) or RAD 2 (non-standard traffic below 6000 ft).

 

As a new requirement, traffic routing eastbound via either the LEKCI 1B or the BCN 1A routing P4 HAWFA L607 is subject to a ‘prenote’ to AC West when the aircraft is approved for pushback or startup. Cardiff Tower shall be responsible for issuing this prenote.

 

Departure Agreements

 

Cardiff Tower will transfer all SID departures to Cardiff RAD 1. Bristol will transfer traffic to Cardiff according to this table:

 

Runway / SID	From	Agreement
27 / BCN 1X	Bristol Tower	Climbing 6000ft, clear of aerodrome traffic
27 / EXMOR 1X	Bristol Tower
09 / BCN 1Z	Bristol Radar	Climbing FL130
09 / EXMOR 1Z	Bristol Radar

 

Cardiff RAD 1 will transfer traffic according to this table:

 

Direction	SIDs	To	Agreement
North via P69 DIZIM N864	BCN 1A / 1B BCN 1X / 1Z	AC West	Climbing FL150
West via P4/L9 (NICXI)	BCN 1A / 1B BCN 1X / 1Z	AC West	Climbing FL160
South via N92	EXMOR 1A / 1B EXMOR 1X / 1Z	AC West	Climbing FL160, to reach FL120 by 10 NM north of EGTE
South via N40 (Note 1)	EXMOR 1A / 1B EXMOR 1X / 1Z	AC West	Climbing FL160, to reach FL120 by SIDHO
East via P4/L607	BCN 1A	AC West	Climbing FL150 on own navigation. Directs are permitted no further than HAWFA. Must cross LEKCI above FL140, else coordination is required with Bristol.
	LEKCI 1B	Bristol Radar	Climbing FL80. Released for right turns and climb to FL150 within Cardiff airspace.

Note 1: Berry Head CTA 2 4 are only available Friday 1500 UTC to Monday 0645 UTC
 

Arrivals
New STARs are published for Cardiff corresponding to the new West airspace structure. The core STARs are:

 

STAR	RNAV	From	STAR Routing	Link
BAJJA 1C	1	Q63 (West)	BAJJA - FANFE - BCN - CDF	Chart
ICTAM 1C	5	L179 (East)	ICTAM - SAWPE - CONKO - OCTIZ - BRI - CDF	Chart
TOJAQ 1C	1	P16, FRA (South)	TOJAQ - COXPE - IZLAW - EXMOR - CDF	Chart
WEVBE 1C	5	N862 (North)	WEVBE - UBCAM - ACBAZ - KUKIS - CDF	Chart

 

Additional, non-standard STARs (see notes) are as follows:

 

STAR	RNAV	From	STAR Routing	Link
DAWLY 1C (Note 1)	5	N864 (South)	DAWLY - IZLAW - EXMOR - CDF	Chart
ELREW 1C (Note 2)	5	(North)	ELREW - DIZIM - BCN - CDF	Chart
FIFAH 1C (Note 3)	5	Q63 (West)	FIFAH - AMMAN - BCN - CDF	Chart

 

Note 1: DAWLY 1C is required for RNAV1 traffic cruising below FL100. Traffic above FL100 capable of RNAV1 shall be cleared/re-routed via TOJAQ.

Note 2: ELREW 1C is only used when gliding activity restricts the use of N862. We do not simulate this on VATSIM and therefore the ELREW 1C is not to be issued on VATSIM. Traffic shall be re-routed to WEVBE.

Note 3: FIFAH 1C is an RNAV5 alternative to BAJJA 1C, as navigation performance for RNAV5 traffic would not ensure the aircraft remains within controlled airspace. The fix FIFAH is not on Q63 and as such this STAR should not be issued unless traffic explicitly states they are unable RNAV1.

 

Arrival Agreements

 

Cardiff shall continue to work inbounds to Cardiff and Bristol through its delegated airspace. In addition, new agreements are established between London and Cardiff for traffic routing to EGBJ. London shall transfer traffic to Cardiff RAD 1 according to the following conditions:

 

Route	From	Agreement
TOJAQ 1B / 1C	AC West	Descending FL170. Released for descent to FL130, further passing north of EGTE.
DAWLY 1B / 1C	AC West	Individually coordinated.
WEVBE 1B / 1C	AC West	FL160 level by WEVBE
BAJJA 1B / 1C	AC West	FL180 level by FANFE
FIFAH 1B / 1C	AC West	FL170 level by FIFAH
To EGBJ via N864 (RNAV1)	AC West	FL170 level by WIGGU
To EGBJ via N92 (RNAV5)	AC West	FL170 level by EXMOR
To EGBJ via Q63	AC West	FL180 level by AXNEF

Cardiff shall transfer traffic to Bristol Radar according to the following conditions:

STAR(s)	To	Agreement
TOJAQ 1B DAWLY 1B	Bristol Radar	Descending to MSL. Released for descent within Cardiff airspace.
WEVBE 1B	Bristol Radar	Descending FL110 on own navigation to BRI. Released for descent to MSL within Cardiff airspace.
BAJJA 1B FIFAH 1B	Bristol Radar	Descending FL110 on a radar heading towards a point 3 NM south of ICCIN. Released for descent to MSL within Cardiff airspace.

Agreements from Bristol to Cardiff APC for Cardiff inbounds have not changed:

 

STAR	FF Runway	From	To	Agreement
ICTAM 1C	12	Bristol Radar	Cardiff RAD 1	Descending FL80, positioned on an appropriate radar heading and transferred when clear of conflicts.
ICTAM 1C	30	Bristol Radar	Cardiff RAD 2	Descending to 3500 ft on the Cardiff QNH level by 10 DME, positioned on a radar heading towards a 10 NM final

 

Airspace

 

The following two diagrams show revised Cardiff/Bristol delegated airspace. The Cardiff area of responsibility has expanded to align with new controlled airspace and Bristol is now delegated airspace up to FL135.

Edited March 18 by Kieran Hardern