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Photo from NAV CANADAThe implementation of the Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) Out Performance Requirements Mandate for flying in the Canadian domestic Class A began today. Canada's air navigation service provider, NAV CANADA is applying the technology in two phases, Class A beginning Thursday and Class B starting May 16, 2024.
Now, aircraft that are equipped with an appropriate transponder will broadcast an exact position and altitude twice per second to a network of 66 satellites that will carry ADS-B receivers. The information will then be fed to surveillance displays used by NAV CANADA air traffic controllers. The ADS-B Out feature will allow controllers to support a more productive and sustainable method of routing for operators and improve the support of search and rescue operations.
"Following significant engagement with Transport Canada and industry stakeholders, the implementation of an ADS-B mandate in Class A airspace represents an important milestone in a phased approach to achieving the full potential offered by increased surveillance coverage," Assistant VP of Operational Support Jeff Dawson said.
The technology was first equipped in the Canadian Class A domestic airspace above 29,000 feet in 2019. In the U.S., aircraft operating in airspace requiring Mode C or Mode S transponders needed to be equipped with ADS-B Out by Dec. 31, 2019. The latest mandate is building on the success of its use in the airspace over the North Atlantic not previously surveilled. The next phase pertaining to Class B domestic airspace is expected to go into effect in May 2024 and other classifications of domestic airspace should have be phased in no sooner than 2028.RELATED STORIES:Canada issues flight planning requirements for space-based ADS-B mandateCanada will implement space-based ADS-B mandate in 2023
NAV CANADA has partnered with Aireon, which deployed the first global air traffic surveillance system using ADS-B receivers on a network of 66 low earth orbit satellites. The pair introduced the ADS-B Performance Report in support of the recent implementation. PAPR is designed to assist aircraft operators in receiving a report on the functionality of onboard ADS-B equipment. NAV CANADA will integrate the Aireon data into a searchable database online and allow users of the Canadian airspace to enter aircraft information and assess their system's functionality easily.
"The ADS-B mandate is also an important step towards Trajectory Based Operations (TBO)," Dawson said. "With exact aircraft positioning, separation measurement can switch from less efficient time-based standards to those using actual distance between aircraft. This approach to separation, based on a pre-determined four-dimensional flight path viewed in its entirety, will enable shorter, more predictable flight routes and reduce fuel consumption for aircraft operators."