Because of the division of responsibility between States and ANSPs in the European context, the competent State Authority (NSA or NAA) often seeks to provide a clear direction to its ANSP, of which there could be several within a given State. Even without such ‘direction’, the ANSPs are usually required to provide a PBN Implementation Plan.
Over the past few years, EUROCONTROL has been increasingly asked by States to assist them in thinking through how to achieve the ICAO objectives set out in Resolution 37‐11. More recently, ANSPs in particular, have turned their attentions to the PBN Transition Plan required by Article 4 of the PBN IR and are asking for assistance in this field. Whilst it is not possible to provide a tailor made PBN transition plan outline for each request, and even less desirable to create a ‘one‐size fits all’ transition plan, what is possible is to provide a generic architecture showing one example of such a PBN Implementation/Transition Plan; this is what this document seeks to provide.
This document is complemented, more effectively, by forums such as the EUROCONTROL RNP Approach Implementation Support Group (RAiSG) and the Navigation Steering Group (NSG). Both groups have received and shared ICAO PBN Implementation Plans from various States in the context of ICAO Resolution 37‐11 and will undoubtedly support the Network Manager in coordination of PBN Transition Plans in the immediate future.
In response to these needs, this document provides a skeleton ‘architecture’ or ‘outline’ which could assist States and ANSPs formulate an ICAO PBN Implementation Plan and/or a PBN IR Transition Plan. (It has been noted that the distinction between an implementation plan and transition plan is debatable, except perhaps that the scope of the ICAO Implementation Plan is greater as it can cover more navigation specifications that those regulated by EU Regulations).
Therefore, this document is written for BOTH State and ANSPs. Whilst the State normally sets the strategy (see part A of this document), it is the ANSPs who need to provide the implementation or transition Plan (see Part B of this document) which needs to be approved by the State.
The finalsection (Section 3) is primarily compiled by the Service Provider and signed off (indicating agreement, acceptance and commitment of that document) by the State. This section is the culmination of the joint work created by the NSA and the ANSP. The Process identifies what is to be achieved in terms of PBN implementation and provides the answers to the questions why, what, where, who, when and how.
The skeleton architecture of this document is under a single document cover; however, this does not imply that a State and ANSP have to publish the Strategy & Transition Plan in a single document. In many instances, this would be an unlikely scenario. The single document structure has been done for guideline purposes only and this guidance material is designed in three sections: The State, The Service Provider and the Implementation Deliverables.