Should an aircraft temporarily not meet RVSM requirements due to equipment problems, is it possible to obtain an exemption from the European RVSM requirements for such aircraft for transit purposes?
With regards to an in-flight degradation of aircraft equipment to the extent that the vertical navigation performance requirements for the European RVSM airspace cannot be maintained, the ICAO Regional Supplementary Procedures for Europe (Doc 7030/4) specify that: • the pilot is required to inform ATC as soon as possible of any such circumstances; • the pilot shall obtain a revised ATC clearance prior to initiating any deviation from the cleared route and/or flight level, whenever possible. When a revised ATC clearance could not be obtained prior to such a deviation, the pilot shall obtain a revised clearance as soon as possible thereafter; • ATC shall consider the aircraft as non-RVSM approved, and take action immediately to provide a minimum vertical separation of 600 metres (2000 feet) or an appropriate horizontal separation from all other aircraft concerned that are operating in the European RVSM airspace; and • ATC shall normally clear a civil aircraft rendered non-RVSM approved o
