Or I should say “spruced down”…

Version 2024-1, applicable from 20 March 2025 is out and about and ready for the reading, so here’s what is changing.

No more blue spruce routes

Join me in chapter 3 where a bunch of changes have occurred. Most noticeable are the removal of the northerly “blue spruce” routes.

I’m talking all these routes here. They have vanished.

All that’s left are some Tango routes (T16, T13, T25, T213, T290 and T9) in the bit near Spain.

Not sure if you miss them?

Well, the northerly routes were handy for non HF equipped aircraft as some of them had VHF coverage so did not require HF. They were also used by aircraft which didn’t meet the navigation requirements for HLA airspace – you only needed one LRNS plus normal short-range navigation equipment (VOR, DME, ADF)

While we’re in chapter 3

The GOTA has a new corner added on in the top left bit. The new coordinates are 6523N 06238W – 6530N 06000W – 654236N 0582356W – 6500N 05745W – 6330N 05540W – 6330N 05500W – 5352N 05458W – 5700N 05900W – 582816N 0602104W – 6100N 06300W – 6519N 06300W – 6523N 06238W

You’re right, looking at a picture is much easier. Here’s a comparison of new and old.

What else?

Let’s see. They changed “aircraft” to “aeroplanes”. Not that exciting… but maybe it means more “aircraft” are expected to operate in the NAT HLA in the not to distant future??

There’s a natty new table which is very helpful in Chapter 1

What you need and where

You must have TCAS 7.1, SSR Mode A/C and be RVSM approved between FL285 and FL420.

If you are lacking data link and/or communication and/or the required navigation equipment (2 LRNS) for NAT HLA then you can use The NAT Corridors or fly at levels above or below the NAT HLA levels.

Basically, you ca be approved to operate in the NAT HLA if you still have a) an ATS surveillance service, b) VHF (and you’re in VHF rage) and c) you can navigate along a track. The corridors are the Iceland-Greenand one, the Azores, or the Bodo corridors.

That’s chapter one done.

And theennnnnnn?

Chapter 2 just has some amended examples in it. Chapter 3 we already talked about. Chapter 4 is boring, Chapter 5 says if you’re outside VHF you must have 2 LRCS, one of which must be HF and the other HF or SATVOICE or CPDLC. Actually that’s not really a change, just reworded a bit.

CPDLC where CPDLC is used and VHF is unavailable, is the primary comms method. It might also be if its a VHF region with congested frequencies. Get yourself onto CPDLC before entering the region to make sure its all good.

Chapter 6 says something about how augmenting pilots are expected to be involved in pre-flight planing and route amendments (if they’re on duty), but at the very least, two crew should independently crosscheck things. Most GNEs are due to programming errors (not checking the right ones are entered, not following the proper checking procedures, not cross checking)

Also, we should all avoid casual R/T procedures because miscommunications between flight crew and controllers has led to GNEs. So talk propers!

Oh, and check in with Reykjavik OCA no earlier than 15 minutes. It was 20 minutes last year.

Squawk 2000 10 minutes after passing the OEP unless you’re in Reykjavik CTA or transitioning through Bermuda radar areas (New York OAC provides radar control in a 180nm radius of Bermuda).

Chapter 7 is much the same. Same with chapter 8.

Chapter 9 specifies them 2 LRNS you need and has some updates on what to do if you lose stuff.

• One fails before entry: consider landing at a suitable airport, heading back to where you came from, diverting down one of the corridors of getting a new clearance (above or below the NAT HLA)
• One fails after entry: Keep going, tell ATC, but also assess the prevailing circumstances (ie what have you got left and will you make it), consider flying above/below along a corridor. Don’t do anything without ATC clearance.

Here we go, big black lines in Chapter 10 (which was renumbered as Chapter 9, and this is now what was chapter 11. This is confusing). Anyway, a whole lot of stuff on space hazards, space weather, what to do if space stuff occurs and the issues GPS interference might have on NAT HLA ops.

Chapters 12 and 13 have been deleted. The new chapter 11 is the old chapter 14 (not much change). 12 same. 13 has a chunk on ‘Monitoring of communication and surveillance performance’ but it’s not really new, it still says RSP180 and RCP240 required.

So there you go

It comes into force on 20 March 2025.

You can find the new and the old ones right here on the ICAO website. Don’t take my word for all this, go read them yourself!