ICAO CIRCULAR 359 PDF

PURPOSE AND SCOPE

The purpose of this circular is to provide guidance to States and operators when developing instrument flight rules (IFR) procedures, including an RNP instrument path followed by a visual path defined by waypoints, to promote stabilized approach and prescribed visual manoeuvring to a designated runway.

Substituting a visual approach by an RNP (VPT) supplemented by the area navigation capabilities of the aircraft is often used as a way to improve the safety of the operation by providing track and vertical path guidance, thereby assisting with the safe completion of the approach.

In other cases, such procedures may be developed for environmental or efficiency reasons, where the publication of a preferred track for aircraft conducting a visual approach can be used to reduce noise impact to local residents, or to provide ATC with a predictable and repeatable path to assist with scheduling arrivals.

The intent of the guidance is two-fold. Firstly, best practice is presented in order to ensure that a well-defined systematic approach to the development and implementation of the procedure is used, and to provide guidance on the assessment and testing process needed for a safe operation. Typical approval processes are also described for operators wishing to make use of the procedures. Secondly, the guidance is intended to provide some consistency in the development and publication of the procedures. Lack of standardization of visual procedures supplemented by the use of RNAV systems has resulted in some confusion regarding the requirements to safely fly such procedures.

The guidance is presented in two parts. Part I looks at the process for developing procedures jointly with the ANSP and a lead operator, which are intended to be published and subject to ATC clearances. Part II deals with operator proprietary procedures, which are intended solely for internal use and which remain transparent to the local ANSP.