Report title:

Assessment of Navigation Infrastructure in support for the

Operationalization of SAATM (A feasibility study)

1 Table des matières

1. Introduction.........................................................................................................................................2
1.1 Background..................................................................................................................................2
1.2 Purpose of the document............................................................................................................3
1.3 Reference Documents.................................................................................................................3
2 Review of SAATM and Priority (PILLAR) domains related to the study................................................3
2.1 What is the SAATM and Why it is important...............................................................................3
2.2 PILLAR 4: Aviation Infrastructure.................................................................................................3
2.2.1 Planning for future traffic growth........................................................................................3
2.2.2 Single African Sky Architecture is established....................................................................3
2.3 Status of Implementation of SAATM to date...............................................................................4
3 Assessment of the Structure the African Airspace...............................................................................5
3.1 Flight information regions characterization.................................................................................5
3.1.1 Controlled airspaces............................................................................................................5
3.1.2 Oceanic airspaces.................................................................................................................5
3.2 Distribution of Navigation Infrastructure.....................................................................................5
3.3 Analyzing the distribution of the Infrastructure relative to the airspace blocks..........................5
3.4 Assessing the potential of DME-DME inter-connectivity and existing Gaps................................5
3.5 Assessing the VOR Coverage and existing Gaps...........................................................................5
4 Gap filling strategies for Optimal routing to support SAATM..............................................................5
4.1 Required Number of DMEs and DVOR for optimal routing..........................................................5
4.2 A review from previous JPOs studies on potential SBAS coverage..............................................5
4.3 Comparison of DME/DME vs SBAS for optimal routing in Africa.................................................5
1. Introduction
1.1 Background
The AUC Agenda 2063 is a 50-year continental framework that’s founded on the AU vision of
“an integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens and representing a
dynamic force in the international arena”. It was developed through a people-driven process and
was adopted, in January of 2015.

In order to ensure effective implementation, the First Ten Year Plan of Agenda 2063 has been
developed and adopted for implementation. Covering the period 2014-2023, it is the first of a
series of five ten-year implementation plans to be developed to realize the vision of the “Africa
We Want by 2063”.

As part of the implementation of the Agenda 2063, a number of flagship projects that refer to
programmes and initiatives which have been identified as key to accelerating Africa’s economic
growth and development have been identified. One of those projects is the establishment of a
single African air-transport market (SAATM), whose implementation commenced as part of the
ten year 2014- 2023 plan.

JPO has been identified as one of the important actors in the support of the implementation of
SAATM in Africa, specifically in the following two priority area for PILLAR 4 (AVIATION
INFRASTRUCTURE);

 Planning for future traffic growth

 Single African Sky Architecture is established.

The study herein below has been developed as part of the planned JPO work programme in result
area – R2 (“The contribution expected from the JPO to the continental planning and development
of GNSS services is made”). It will cover the following areas;

 SAATM and Priority (PILLAR) domains related to the study

 Assessment of the Structure the African Airspace blocks with emphasis on the
Navigation Infrastructure
 Gap filling strategies for Optimal routing to support SAATM
1.2 Purpose of the document

This document provides an assessment of the coverage gained from navigation infrastructure to
support the various PBN-based operations on the continent, with the view of identifying the gaps
and proposes strategies that can be adopted to fill such gaps as a way of enabling
operationalization of SAATM. It has been developed as part of JPO/ RXX/WPXXX/
deliverable.

1.3 Reference Documents

 The SAATM Handbook

 Establishment and Operationalization of the Single African Air Transport Market
(SAATM) Prioritized Action Plan: 2019-2020
 EGNOS in Africa Support Programme II – Support to the JPO: Phase 3 (T0+24) -
Baseline objectives
 AFRICA-INDIAN OCEAN REGION (AFI) - Air Navigation Plan

2 Review of SAATM and Priority (PILLAR) domains related to the

study
2.1 What is the SAATM and Why it is important

Launched in January 2018, SAATM is the flagship project of Africa’s integration Agenda 2063
that aims to open Africa’s skies and improve intra-African air connectivity. A total of 32 African
countries made solemn commitment to implement SAATM. There were 11 countries which
signed the pact at the launch in January 2018. The project builds on the Yamoussoukro Decision
from 1999, when African ministers responsible for civil aviation agreed to deregulate air
services, put in place mechanisms for fair competition and dispute settlement and liberalize
frequencies and tariffs.

2.2 PILLAR 4: Aviation Infrastructure

2.2.1 Planning for future traffic growth

2.2.2 Single African Sky Architecture is established
2.3 Status of Implementation of SAATM to date

The African Union (AU) Commission aims to have at least 40 AU member states join the Single
African Air Transport Market (SAATM) by the end of 2019
Currently, 28 member states are in the market, covering more than 700 million persons, the AU
Commissioner said, stating that all member states would be in the market by 2021.
"Member states in the market have taken measures to harmonize their bilateral air service
agreements (BASAs) with 16 countries signing memorandum of implementation, removing all
restrictions in their BASAs to make them compliant with the provisions of the Yamoussoukro
decision on the liberalization of air transport markets in Africa
the SAATM is expected to have great impact on successful implementation of the African
continental free trade area (AfCFTA), and the protocol on free movement of persons, which are
also priority flagship projects of the AU Agenda 2063," the AU Commissioner has noted.
The successful establishment and operationalization of the SAATM is vital to achieve AU's
long-term vision of an integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa,

28 SAATM States constitute 51

percent of the AU member States and
had a
total population of more than 750
million people in 2018, accounting
for 61% of
the population on the African
continent.
18 Member States of SAATM signed
MoI to remove restrictions in existing
BASAs (bilateral air services
agreements) that are contrary to the
YD.
3 Assessment of the Structure the African Airspace

3.1 Flight information regions characterization

The operation of multinational air navigation services is well established within the AFI Region. The
introduction of multi-national air navigation services does not dilute the principle that a State has the
responsibility of overseeing the provision of air navigation services and that it shall maintain that
responsibility within its sovereign airspace as well as within the airspace over the high seas for which it
has accepted the responsibility for the provision of services.

Each Contracting State is responsible for the provision of facilities and services in its territory under
Article 28 of the Convention as well as within the airspace over the high seas for which it has accepted
the responsibility for the provision of services.

Controlled airspaces including Oceanic airspaces

FLIGHT INFORMATION REGIONS (FIR)/UPPER INFORMATION REGIONS (UIR) OF THE ICAO AFI REGION

NO. FIR/UIR REMARKS

1. Accra Accra FIR/UIR covers the airspace over the following
States: Benin, Ghana and Togo
2. Addis Ababa Addis Ababa FIR/UIR covers the airspace over the following
States: Ethiopia and Djibouti
3. Antananarivo Antananarivo FIR/UIR covers the airspace over the
following States: Madagascar and Comoros
4. Asmara Asmara FIR covers the airspace over Eritrea
5. Beira Beira FIR/UIR covers the airspace over Mozambique
6. Brazzaville Brazzaville FIR/UIR covers the airspace over the following
States: Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo,
Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and Sao Tome and Principe
7. Bujumbura Bujumbura FIR covers the airspace over Burundi.
Note: Bujumbura FIR extends up to FL245. The airspace
above FL245 is under the responsibility of Dar es Salaam
FIR/ACC
8. Cape Town Cape Town FIR/UIR is one of three FIRs/UIRs in South
Africa.
9. Dakar Dakar FIR/UIR covers the airspace over the following
States: Burkina Faso, Côte D’Ivoire, Gambia, Guinea Bissau,
Mali, Mauritania and Senegal
10. Dar es Salaam FIR Dar es Salaam FIR/UIR covers the airspace over Tanzania.
The airspace above FL245 over Burundi and Rwanda falls
under the responsibility of Dar es Salaam FIR/ACC.
The airspace above FL245 between coordinates 04°42'S
40°00'E, 04°42'S 44°00'E and 08°30'S 44°00'E in Dar es
Salaam FIR falls under the responsibility of Nairobi FIR/ACC
11. Entebbe Entebbe FIR/UIR covers the airspace over Uganda
12. Gaborone Gaborone FIR/UIR covers the airspace over Botswana
13. Harare Harare FIR/UIR covers the airspace over Zimbabwe
14. Johannesburg Johannesburg FIR/UIR is one of three FIRs/UIRs in South
Africa. It also covers the airspace over Lesotho and
Swaziland
15. Johannesburg Oceanic Johannesburg Oceanic FIR/UIR is one of three FIRs/UIRs in
South Africa
16. Kano Kano FIR/UIR covers the airspace over Nigeria
17. Khartoum Khartoum FIR/UIR covers the airspace over Sudan, as well
as South Sudan
18. Kigali Kigali FIR covers the airspace over Rwanda, up to FL245.
The airspace above FL245over Rwanda falls under the
responsibility of Dar es Salaam FIR/ACC.
19. Kinshasa Kinshasa FIR/UIR covers the airspace over the Democratic
Republic of Congo
20. Lilongwe Lilongwe FIR/UIR covers the airspace over Malawi
21. Luanda Luanda FIR/UIR covers the airspace over Angola
22. Lusaka Lusaka
23. Mauritius Mauritius FIR/UIR covers the airspace over Mauritius
24. Mogadishu Mogadishu FIR/UIR covers the airspace over Somalia
 25. Nairobi Nairobi FIR/UIR covers the airspace over Kenya.
The airspace above FL245 between coordinates 04°42'S
40°00'E, 04°42'S 44°00'E and 08°30'S 44°00'E in Dar es
Salaam FIR falls under the responsibility of Nairobi FIR/ACC
26. N’djamena N’djamena FIR/UIR covers the airspace over Chad, Central
African Republic, Cameroon and Niger
27. Niamey Niamey FIR/UIR covers the airspace over Mali, Niger, Benin
and Burkina Faso
28. Roberts Roberts FIR/UIR covers the airspace over Guinea, Liberia
and Sierra Leone
29. SAL SAL FIR/UIR covers the airspace over Cape Verde
30. Seychelles Seychelles FIR/UIR covers the airspace over Seychelles
31. Windhoek Windhoek FIR/UIR covers the airspace over Namibia
Source: AFI Air Navigation Plan APIRG/20 – WP/17 Appendix F

3.1.1 MAJOR TRAFFIC FLOWS IDENTIFIED IN THE AFI REGION

The Regional Implementation Concept defined by the APIRG is linked to ATM improvement for the AFI
region and the CNS requirements this generates. ATM improvements have been defined based on the
major international traffic flows identified in the homogenous areas as set out on the table below. The
method of identifying homogeneous ATM areas involves consideration of the varying degrees of
complexity and diversity of the worldwide air navigation infrastructure.
Area Homogeneous Areas FIRs involved Type of area covered Remarks
of and/or Traffic flows
routin
g
(AR)
AR1 Europe – South America Dakar Oceanic, Sal Oceanic Oceanic en-route low density in Major traffic
(EUR/SAM) Oceanic southern part and oceanic high flow EUR//SAM
density in northern part
AR2 Atlantic Ocean interface Accra, Dakar, Oceanic en-route low Homogeneous
between the AFI, NAT Johannesburg Oceanic density ATM
and SAM Regions Luanda, Sal
AR3 Europe – Eastern Africa Addis Ababa Continental en-route/ Major traffic
routes Antananarivo, Asmara, oceanic low density flow
Including the area of the Dar-es-Salaam, Entebbe, AFI/EUR
Indian Ocean Khartoum, Mauritius,
Mogadishu, Nairobi,
Seychelles
AR4 Europe to Southern Africa Beira, Brazzaville, Continental en-route Major traffic
Cape Town, Gaborone, low density flow
Harare, Johannesburg, AFI/EUR
Kano, Kinshasa, Lilongwe,
Luanda, Lusaka,
N’Djamena, Niamey,
Windhoek
AR5 Continental Western Accra, Dakar, Kano, Continental/oceanic Homogeneous
Africa including coastal N’Djamena, Niamey, low density area
areas Roberts AFI
 AR6 Trans-Indian Antananarivo, Bombay, Continental high Homogeneous
Johannesburg Oceanic, density
Male, Mauritius,
Melbourne, Seychelles
Source: AFI Air Navigation Plan APIRG/20 – WP/17 Appendix F

KEY

Column
1. Area of routing (AR) Sequential number of area of routing
2. Homogeneous Areas and/or Traffic Brief description and/or name
flows
3. FIRs involved List of FIRs concerned
4. Type of area covered Brief description of type of area, examples:
Oceanic or Continental
High or low density
Oceanic en-route or Continental en-route
5. Remarks Homogeneous ATM Area and/or Major Traffic Flow and
Region(s) concerned
3.2 Distribution of Navigation Infrastructure
The navigation infrastructure should meet the requirements for all phases of flight from take-off to final
approach and landing. According to the AFI Air Navigation Plan, Planning of aeronautical radio
navigation services should be done on a total system basis, taking full account of the navigation
capabilities as well as cost effectiveness. The total system composed of station-referenced navigation
aids, satellite-based navigation systems and airborne capabilities should meet the performance based
navigation (PBN) requirements for all aircraft using the system and should form an adequate basis for
the provision of positioning, guidance and air traffic services. Account should be taken of the fact that
certain aircraft may be able to meet their navigation needs by means of self-contained or satellite-based
aids, thus eliminating the need for the provision of station-referenced aids along the ATS routes used by
such aircraft, as well as the need to carry on board excessive redundancies. PIRGs are responsible for the
development of the Regional PBN Plan. States’ PBN Plans should be consistent with the Regional PBN
Plan.

3.3 Analyzing the distribution of the Infrastructure relative to the airspace blocks

Block 0

Block 0 is composed of Modules containing technologies and capabilities which have already been
developed and can be implemented today. These include; Optimization of approach procedures
including vertical guidance, Improve traffic flow through sequencing (AMAN/DMAN), Safety and
efficiency of surface operations (A-SMGCS levels 1-2) and enhanced vision systems (EVS), Improved
operations through enhanced en-route trajectories, Initial capability for ground surveillance, Improved
access to optimum flight levels through climb/descent procedures using ADS-B, Improved flexibility and
efficiency in descent profiles using continuous descent operations (CDOs), Improved flexibility and
efficiency departure profiles – continuous climb operations (CCO).

Block 1

The Block 1 Modules introduce new concepts and capabilities supporting the future ATM System,
namely: Flight and Flow Information for a Collaborative Environment (FF-ICE); trajectory-based
operations (TBO); System-Wide Information Management (SWIM) and the integration of remotely
piloted aircraft (RPA) into non-segregated airspace. Specifically enabling the optimized airport
accessibility, improved airport operations through departure, surface and arrival management, remotely
operated aerodrome control, and improved operations through optimized ATS routing, Ground-based
safety nets on approach.

Block 2

The Modules comprising Block 2 must satisfy one of the following criteria: represent a natural
progression from the preceding Module in Block 1, and support the requirements of the operating
environment in 2025. Specifically enabling the linked arrival management and departure management
(AMAN/DMAN), and new collision avoidance system.

Block 3
The Modules comprising Block 3 must satisfy at least one of the following criteria: represent a natural
progression from the preceding Module in Block 2; support the requirements of the operating
environment in 2031; and represent an end-state as envisaged in the Global ATM Operational Concept.
Specifically enabling the integration AMAN/DMAN/SMAN, Traffic complexity management and full 4D
trajectory-based operations.

3.4 Assessing the potential of DME-DME inter-connectivity and existing Gaps

For most DME facilities which operate in association with VORs, the same geographical separation
criteria established for the VOR as indicated in 3.5 are equally applicable.

3.5 Assessing the VOR Coverage and existing Gaps

1) For VORs located in the AFI region required to serve flights up to FL 500 (using 100 kHz channel
spacing in odd tenths of a megahertz in the band 111.975 - 117.975 MHz), a geographical separation of
550 NM for co-channel and 220 NM for adjacent channel frequency assignment should be used.

2) For VORs in congested areas where older receivers (with a 100 kHz spacing) operate in a mixed 100
kHz - 50 kHz channel spacing environment, geographical separation for adjacent channel should be
greater than 500 NM.

3) For VORs required for use in terminal areas (40 NM/FL 250), geographical separation should be 200
NM for co-channel and 60 NM for adjacent channel.

4) For VORs required for use in final approach and landing (25 NM/FL 100), geographical separation
should be 130 NM for co-channel and 30 NM for adjacent channel if a frequency spacing of 100 kHz is
used.

5) It is recognized that in applying the concept of reduced service volumes to overcome difficulties in
VOR frequency deployment in any given area of congestion, there may be a special requirement to
exceed the minimally set service volume to accommodate a certain portion of airspace or certain
operational procedures. In such case, an "expanded service volume" covering the airspace or
operational procedure in question could be established and provided with special frequency protection.
This could be done, in general, on a case-by-case basis.

4 Gap filling strategies for Optimal routing to support SAATM

4.1 Required Number of DMEs and DVOR for optimal routing

4.2 A review from previous JPOs studies on potential SBAS coverage
4.3 Comparison of DME/DME vs SBAS for optimal routing in Africa