01/24 Volcanic ash

Reference documents:

1. Introduction

This AIC aims to provide operators, owners and maintenance organisations of aircraft operating into airspace that is known or suspected to be contaminated with volcanic ash. Its purpose is to raise awareness on the impact on aviation and to formulate recommendations for affected parties.

2. Key principles

The operator is responsible for the safety of its operations under the oversight of its respective State regulatory authority. The guiding principle for such operations is the use of a safety risk management approach, as described in ICAO Doc 9974 and EASA Safety Information Bulletin (SIB) 2023-13 Issued: 19 December 2023.

In order to consider whether to operate into airspace forecasted to be, or aerodromes known to be, contaminated with volcanic ash, the operator should have in place an identifiable safety risk assessment (SRA) within its Safety Management System (SMS).

In order to decide whether or not to operate into airspace forecasted to be, or aerodromes known to be, contaminated with volcanic ash, the operator’s SRA must be accepted by its State regulatory authority.

Safety control measures set out in ICAO Doc 9974 and EASA Safety Information Bulletin - SIB No.: 2023-13 Issued: 19 December 2023 are considered adequate to sufficiently facilitate acceptance, without further investigation, by a State whose airspace is forecast to be affected by volcanic ash. The State can be confident in the ability of operators from other States to undertake operations safely within its airspace. However, pursuant to Article 16 – Search of aircraft – of the Convention on International Civil Aviation (Doc 7300), other Contacting States may inspect the certificates and other documents, prescribed by the Convention, of an operator on landing or prior to departure.

3. Terminology

The following definitions are applicable in Norway regarding operation of aircraft in airspace contaminated with volcanic ash.

Area of Low Contamination: Airspace of defined dimensions where volcanic ash may be encountered at concentrations greater than 0,2 x 10-3 gr/m3, but less than or equal to 2 x 10-3 gr/m3. (Cyan)

Area of Medium Contamination: Airspace of defined dimensions where volcanic ash may be encountered at concentrations greater than 2 x 10-3 gr/m3, but less than 4 x 10-3 gr/m3. (Grey)

Area of High Contamination: Airspace of defined dimensions where volcanic ash may be encountered at concentrations equal to or greater than 4 x 10-3 gr/m3. (Red)

These definitions are consistent with ICAO EUR/NAT Volcanic Ash Contingency Plan (VACP) (ICAO EUR Doc 019/NAT Doc 006 Part II) and EASA Safety Information Bulletin - SIB No.: 2023-13 Issued: 19 December 2023

4. SRA application in Norway

4.1 The operator should complete the safety risk assessment as part of the SMS before initiating operations into airspace forecast to be, or aerodromes known to be, contaminated with volcanic ash in regard to the Commission Regulation (EU) 965/2012 - ORO.GEN.200(a)(3) Operations Manual Management System and GM2 ORO.GEN.200(a)(3).

During normal oversight of its operations, the CAA will evaluate the safety risk assessment as an identifiable process of the operator`s SMS.

4.2 An operator should satisfy its CAA regarding the accuracy and quality of the information sources utilised in its SMS and its own competence and capability to interpret such data correctly in order to reliably and correctly resolve conflicts that may arise among data sources.

5. Information

5.1 Areas of ash contamination will be displayed on the Volcanic Ash Concentration chart available from the VAAC London

Areas of ash contamination will also be displayed on the national Volcanic Ash Concentration chart made available at IPPC - Norwegian Aerodrome Info.