AEA responds to Nav Canada's proposal for ADS-B requirements in Canadian Airspace

SUMMARY: 

On March 12, 2019, the Aircraft Electronics Association sent a letter to Nicholas Robinson, Director General of Transport Canada, Civil Aviation, in regards to Nav Canada's proposal for ADS-B requirements in Canadian Airspace.

The AEA has been monitoring the process in Canada and providing feedback to the TCCA and Nav Canada. The AEA has several concerns regarding the implementation of ADS-B in Canada and outlined them in the letter.

To read the letter in its entirety, click here.

AEA COMMENTARY:
The AEA participated in a Jan. 11, 2019, teleconference where Nav Canada introduced its high-level plan for Canadian ADS-B. The information presented covered the cost/benefit analysis for commercial and general aviation; retrofitability; working with the Federal Aviation Administration to address privacy and security concerns; and harmonization with the EU and U.S. mandates.

Its three-phase approach includes:

  1. Phase 1: Jan. 1, 2021: Class A and Class E (above FL600) airspace. This date was identified as one year after the U.S. mandate and approximately six months after the EU mandate.
  2. Phase 2: Jan. 1, 2022: Class B.
  3. Phase 3: No sooner than 2023. Specific details were not provided.
The avionics performance standards are to be DO 260, 260A, or 260B or equivalent including broadcast antenna diversity for Phase 1 and 2. After 2024, the minimum will be DO-260B, and specific data elements will be required.

The proposal contains numerous incorrect assumptions. The AEA is concerned that the proposal will have a detrimental effect on general aviation as well as cross-border general aviation flights and tourism. In the letter to Transport Canada, the AEA outlines its request for a delay in implementation, a system with a combination of air and ground solutions, further industry consultation and the need for any ADS-B requirement to be published through the CARAC process. 

Nav Canada's proposal was covered in the  March Avionics News regulatory update, as well as a regulatory update on the AEA's website.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Contact Ric Peri, AEA vice president of government and industry affairs, by email at ricp@aea.net or by phone at 202-589-1144.

Regulatory