Subpart F

NOTAM

 

173.251 Origination and issue of NOTAM

The holder of AIS certificate shall take into consideration the following     requirements when originating and issue a NOTAM:

(a)   A NOTAM shall be originated and issued promptly whenever the information to be distributed is of a temporary nature and of short duration or when operationally significant permanent changes, or temporary changes of long duration are made at short notice, except for extensive text and/or graphics ;

 (b)  A NOTAM shall be originated and issued concerning the following information:

(1) Establishment, closure or significant changes in operation of aerodrome(s)/heliport(s) or runways;

(2)  Establishment withdrawal and significant changes in operation of aeronautical services (AGA, AIS, ATS, COM, MET, SAR, etc);

(3) Establishment or withdrawal of electronic and other aids to air navigation and aerodromes/heliports. This includes, interruption or return to operation, change of frequencies, change in notified hours of service, change of identification, change of orientation (directional aids), change of location, power increase or decrease amounting to 50 per cent or more, change in broadcast schedules or contents, or irregularity or unreliability of operation of any electronic aid to air navigation. And air-ground communication services;

(4) Establishment, withdrawal or significant changes made to visual aids;

(5) Interruption of or return to operation of major components of aerodrome lighting systems;

(6)   Establishment, withdrawal or significant changes made to procedures for air navigation services;

(7)   Occurrence or correction of major defects or impediments in the maneuvering area;

(8)   Changes to and limitations on availability of fuel, oil and oxygen;

(9)   Major changes to search and rescue facilities and services available;

(10) Establishment, withdrawal or return to operation of hazard beacons marking obstacles to air navigation;

(11) Changes in regulations requiring immediate action e.g. prohibited areas for SAR actions;

(12) Presence of hazards which affect air navigation (including obstacles, military exercises, displays, races and major parachuting events outside promulgated sites);

(13) Erecting or removal of; or changes to, obstacles to air navigation in the take-off / climb, missed approach, approach areas and runways strip;

(14) Establishment or discontinuance (including activation or deactivation) as applicable, or changes in the status of prohibited, restricted or danger areas;

(15) Establishment or discontinuance of areas or routes or portions thereof where the possibility of interception exists and where the maintenance of guard on the VHF emergency frequency 121.5MHZ is required;

(16) Allocation, cancellation or change of location indicators;

(17) Significant changes in the level of protection normally available at an aerodrome for rescue and fire fighting purposes. NOTAM shall be originated only when a change of category is involved and such change of category shall be clearly stated ;( see ECAR parts139.335 (b);

(18) Presence or removal of, or significant changes in, hazardous conditions due to snow, slush, ice or water on the movement area;       

(19) Outbreaks of epidemics necessitating changes in notified requirement for inoculations and quarantine measures;

(20) Forecast of solar cosmic radiation, where provided;

(21) An operationally significant change in volcanic activity, the location, date and time of volcanic eruptions and/or horizontal and vertical extent of volcanic ash cloud, including direction of movement, flight levels and routes or portions of routes which could be affected;

(22) Release into the atmosphere of radioactive materials or toxic chemicals following a nuclear or chemical incident, the location, date and time of the incident, the flight levels and routes or portions thereof which could be affected and the direction of movement;

(23) Establishment of operations of humanitarian relief missions, such as those undertaken under the auspices of United Nations, together with procedures and/or limitations, which affect air navigation. and

(24) Implementation of short-term contingency measures in cases of disruption, or    partial disruption, of air traffic services and related supporting services.

(25) The need for origination of a NOTAM should be considered in any other circumstance which may affect the operations of aircraft.

(c) The following information shall not be notified by NOTAM:                                                                                                                                                                                          

(1)   Routine maintenance work, on aprons and taxiways which does not affect the safe movement of aircraft;

(2)   Runway marking work, when aircraft operations can safely be conducted on other available runways or the equipment used can be removed when necessary;

(3)   Temporary obstructions in the vicinity of aerodromes/heliports that do not affect the safe operation of aircraft;

(4)   Partial failure of aerodrome/heliport lighting facilities where such failure does not directly affect aircraft operations;

(5)   Partial temporary failure of air-ground communications when suitable alternative frequencies are known to be available and are operative;

(6)   The lack of apron marshalling services abroad traffic control;

(7)   Unserviceability of location, destination or other instruction signs on the aerodrome movement area;

(8)   Parachuting when in uncontrolled airspace under VFR when controlled, at promulgated sites or within danger or prohibited areas; and

(9)   Other information of a similar temporary nature.

(d)   As soon as the information received notification shall be given for the activation of established danger, restricted or prohibited areas and of activities requiring temporary airspace restrictions other than for emergency operations. notice of any subsequent cancellation of the activities or any reduction of the hours of activity or the dimensions of the airspace should be given as soon as possible.

 (e)  NOTAM notifying unserviceability of aids to air navigation, facilities or communication services shall give an estimate of the period of unserviceability or the time at which restoration of service is expected.

(f)    When an AIP Amendment or an AIP Supplement is published in accordance with AIRAC procedures, NOTAM shall be originated giving a brief description of the contents, the effective date and the reference number to the amendment or supplement. This NOTAM shall come into force on the same effective date as the amendment or supplement and shall remain valid in the pre-flight information bulletin for a period of fourteen days.

 

173.253 NOTAM specifications:

 (a)  Each NOTAM shall contain the information as in ICAO NOTAM format as specified in appendix 6.

 (b)  Text of NOTAM shall be composed of the significations/uniform abbreviated phraseology assigned to the ICAO NOTAM Code complemented by ICAO abbreviations, indicators, identifiers, designators, call signs, frequencies, figures and plain language;

 (c)  When NOTAM is selected for international distribution, English text shall be included for those parts expressed in plain language;

(d)   Information concerning snow, slush, ice and standing water on aerodrome/heliport pavements shall, when reported by means of a SNOWTAM, contain the information as in the ICAO SNOWTAM Format as specified in appendix 2.

 (e)  Information concerning an operationally significant change in volcanic activity, a volcanic eruption and/or volcanic ash cloud shall, when reported by means of an ASHTAM, contain the information in the order shown in the ASHTAM Format as specified in appendix 3.

(f)    The NOTAM originator shall allocate to each NOTAM a series identified by a letter and a four-digit number followed by a stroke and a two-digit number for the year. The four-digit number shall be consecutive and based on the calendar year;

 (g)  When errors occur in a NOTAM, a NOTAM with a new number to replace the erroneous NOTAM shall be issued;

(h)   NOTAM is originating and issued for Cairo FIR by the NOTAM office and distributed in three series identified by the letter A, B and C;  

(i)    The series A of NOTAM shall contain:

(1)   Aeronautical information regarding facilities, services and procedures of interest to international civil aviation, and information related to airports as specified in AIP A.R.E. It includes also all information related to AIP amendments. This series is given national and international distribution.

(2)   The series B of NOTAM shall contain aeronautical information elated to aerodromes) as specified in AIP A.R.E and given national and international distribution to adjacent FIRS only

(3)   The series C of NOTAM shall contain aeronautical information of concern to aircraft other than those engaged in international civil aviation and given national distribution and not published in A or B series of NOTAM and only includes information on some aerodromes as specified in AIP A.R.E; and

(4)   Is not published in A or B series of NOTAM.

(j)    Each NOTAM shall be as brief as possible, deal with only one subject and one condition, and be compiled so that its meaning is clear without reference to another document;

(k)   When a NOTAM contains information that requires an amendment to the Egyptian AIP or an AIP supplement, the NOTAM shall contain a cross-reference to the affected Egyptian AIP text or AIP Supplement;

(l)    When a NOTAM is issued which cancels or replaces a previous NOTAM, the series and number of the previous NOTAM shall be indicated. The series, location indicator and subject of both NOTAM shall be the same. Only one NOTAM shall be cancelled or replaced by a NOTAM;

(m)  Location indicators included in the text of a NOTAM shall conform to those approved by ICAO and included ICAO documents 7910 as well as Egyptian AIP.

(n)   A curtailed form of location indicator shall not be used;

(o)   Where no location indicator is assigned to the location, the name of the place, spelt in accordance with 173.61(b)(9), shall be entered in plain language; and

(p)   The NOTAM checklist required for item 173.105(6) shall:

(1)   Issue as a NOTAM over the Aeronautical Fixed Service (AFS) at interval of not more than one month using the NOTAM format .One NOTAM at least shall be issued for each series.

(2)   Refer to the latest AIP amendments, AIP supplements and the internationally distributed AIC; and

(3)   Shall have the same distribution as the actual NOTAM series to which they refer and shall be clearly identified as checklist.

(q)   A monthly printed plain-language list of valid NOTAM, including indications of the latest AIP Amendments, AIC issued and a checklist of AIP supplement shall be prepared with a minimum of delay and forwarded by the most expeditious means to recipients of the integrated aeronautical information package.

(r)    Each NOTAM shall be transmitted as a single telecommunication message. 

 

173.255 Distribution of NOTAM

(a)      International NOTAM offices shall be connected to the aeronautical fixed service (AFS) and these connections shall provide for distribution in printed form.

(b)     Each International NOTAM office shall be connected through the aeronautical fixed service (AFS), to the following points within the territory for which it provides service:

(1)   Area control centers and aeronautical information centers.

(2)   Aerodromes/heliports at which an information service is established in accordance with Subpart B.

(c)   Each NOTAM shall be distributed on the basis of a request and shall be prepared in conformity with the relevant provisions of the ICAO communication procedures; Selective distribution lists should be used when practicable;

(d)   International exchange of NOTAM shall take place only as mutually agreed between the international NOTAM offices concerned. The international exchange of ASHTAM and NOTAM where States continue to use NOTAM for distribution of information on volcanic activity, shall include volcanic ash advisory centers, and shall take account of the requirements of long-range operations.

(e)   These exchanges of NOTAM between international NOTAM offices shall, as for as practicable, be limited to the requirements of the receiving States concerned by means of separate series providing for at least international and domestic flights.

(f)    A predetermined distribution system for NOTAM transmitted on the AFS in accordance with Appendix 5 of this part shall be used whenever possible, subject to the requirements of (D) above.

(g)   When a NOTAM exchanged as specified in d is sent by means other than the AFS, a six-digit date-time group indicating the date and time of NOTAM origination. And the identification of the originator shall be used, preceding the text.

(h)   A.R.E shall select the NOTAM that are to be given international distribution.