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Flexible use of airspace (FUA)

The concept of Flexible Use of Airspace (FUA) was introduced in the Republic of Bulgaria in 1999.

FUA concept is in accordance with the requirements of Commission Regulation (EC) No 2150/2005 of 23 December 2005, laying down common rules for the flexible use of airspace, and the fulfillment of the country’s obligations, assumed with the membership in the European Union, NATO and other international agreements.

The FUA main objective is to improve the performance of the airspace use, while considering the needs of all civil and military users.

FUA concept is based on three interconnected levels of civil-military coordination with regard to airspace organization:

  • Strategic Level 1;
  • Pre-Tactical Level 2;
  • Tactical Level 3.

The FUA strategic level is conducted by ASM Council (ASMC). ASMC is advisory body to the Minister of Transport and the Minister of Defense supporting activities for defining and realizing the airspace management policy and for full implementation of FUA.

The main ASMC tasks include the development of state policy for strategic planning and allocation of the airspace, defining of the structures for FUA, specifying rules and procedures for negotiation at pre-tactical level, rules for coordination between the civil and military ATS units at tactical level, etc.

For conduction of activities, which create risks for the civil aviation, special use airspace structures are being designated, where aircraft flights are subject to restrictions. Such structures are prohibited, restricted, dangerous, temporary segregated and temporary reserved areas. Considering that most of these structures are organized for the needs of the military, the dynamic management of the airspace structures is conducted in close coordination between the designated by the state ANSP and the competent structures of the Ministry of Defense.

The Pre-Tactical Level is conducted by Air Space Management Cell (AMC), which is a continuously acting, civil-military executive body of ASMC.

AMC is a continuously acting, joint civil-military body ensuring the functioning of the Unified System for Civil and Military Airspace Management at Pre-Tactical Level 2.

Main AMC tasks:

  • Allocate at planning level the airspace structures among users, in accordance with the defined by ASMC priorities;
  • Define the availability of temporary segregated areas and conditional routes;
  • Produces and distribute the airspace use plan for the next day (24 hours).

The Airspace Use Coordination Centre (AUCC) is currently the main body at Tactical Level 3. The AUCC tasks are related to:

  • Activation and deactivation of the temporary segregated, restricted and dangerous areas and conditional routes, per the approved daily airspace use plan;
  • Designation of reduced coordination areas;
  • Coordination between users in the cases of joint use of airspace.

Organizes (permits and prohibits), according to a set procedure, the shooting at hailstorm clouds from anti-hail polygon sites.

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