LoA GMMM-LEXX
Introduction
Purpose
The purpose of this Letter of Agreement (LoA) is to define the coordination procedures between the FIRs of Madrid (LECM), Casablanca (GMMM) and Canarias (GCCC) for the Provision of Air Traffic Services.
The procedures in this LoA are for use on the VATSIM Network only and should never be adopted for real world use.
General Procedures
- Traffic shall be transferred to the neighboring sector 10nm before reaching its boundary.
- Traffic shall be transferred complying with the separation guidelines as of RVSM. (5nm horizontally / 1000ft vertically).
- In case of having a sequence of traffic, all with the same destination. Extra 5nm shall be applied horizontally. Making a total horizontal separation of 10nm.
- In case of traffic being transferred while climbing or descending. Traffic shall be transferred 3000ft before reaching its Cleared Flight Level.
Cruising Flight Levels
- Everything going towards mainland Spain will fly an EVEN Flight Level.
- Everything going towards the Canary Islands will fly an ODD Flight Level.
Sector Layout
Neighbouring Airports with Coordinated Descent
Tanger (GMTT)
The location of Tanger airport makes coordination quite challenging as 90% of the descent of planes inbound from the north will be handled by Spanish ATC. In consequence the arrival shall be given by Spanish ATC as well. All transfers regarding planes inbound Tanger from Spanish ATC will be done directly to Tanger Approach (121.2) if online, otherwise to Casablanca Radar.
Arrivals
| RWY 28 (Preferential) | RWY 10 | Altitude @ FIX | Transfer Point | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABIRO | ABIRO 2A | ABIRO 1A | FL100@BAMBA | 10nm prior BAMBA |
| NOLRO | NOLRO 2A | NOLRO 1A | FL60@ADKIM | 10nm prior ADKIM |
| LAMAD | LAMAD 2A | LAMAD 1A | FL100@GALTO | 10nm prior GALTO |
Departures
All Departures towards Spanish Airspace will be instructed to climb to FL100 and 3000ft before reaching that altitude will be transferred to the appropriate Spanish ATS.
Tetouan (GMTN)
Just like Tanger, Tetouan is quite a challenging airport when it comes to coordination as well. Tetouan doesn’t receive as much traffic so the arrival procedures are quite a bit easier. Tetouan does not have any STAR procedure and only one runway has an established approach procedure.
Arrivals
Arrivals shall be instructed to descent to FL70 and be transferred 10 nm before reaching GALTO to Tetouan Tower (procedural) 119.0.
Departures
Departures will be instructed to climb to FL60 and will be transferred to the appropriate Spanish ATS 3000ft before reaching the cleared flight level.
Málaga (LEMG)
The sunny airport in Costa del Sol might not be as challenging as Tanger when it comes to ATC coordination but still is situated close enough for it to have some coordination to be done between the two ATS providers.
Arrivals
| RWY 13/12 (Preferential) | RWY 31 | |
|---|---|---|
| PIMOS | PIMOS 1Q | PIMOS 1J |
| PEKOP | PEKOP 2Q | PEKOP 1Z |
| VJF | VJF 2K | VJF 2J |
Gibraltar (LXGB)
The strategically well-situated British airport makes coordination quite complicated. As a reminder, Gibraltar is controlled by VATSIMUK.
Arrivals
Arrivals from the south to Gibraltar are unlikely but possible. There are two possible entries:
- Via BAMBA, in which case arrival will be provided by Spanish controllers and later on transferred to Casablanca for further descent. From BARPA to PIMOS the ATC service will be provided by Gibraltar Approach. If offline, traffic may be told to switch over to Unicom.
- Via GALTO, in which case the arrival will be provided by Casablanca and later on transferred directly to Gibraltar Approach.
Melilla (GEML)
For the purpose of simplification Casablanca has delegated a box of airspace around Melilla to the Area Control Center of Seville. Thanks to that, planes transiting from Spain to Melilla won’t have to change unnecessarily between Frequencies.
As seen in the image below, this delegation of airspace goes from surface up to FL60. From FL70 onwards, this airspace is controlled by Casablanca
Moroccan Sahara
ATC coverage and services provided
FIR/UIR Canarias
| Vertical Limits | ATS Unit | Airspace Classification |
|---|---|---|
| SFC-FL145 | N/a | G |
| FL145-195 | Canarias Radio | C |
| FL195-660 | Canarias Radio | C |
Radar surveillance is not available, in consequence, procedural control is used by means of position reports.
Local Airports
There are two main airports in the Moroccan Sahara: Dakhla international airport (GMMH), and Hassan 1st international airport (GMML) in Laayoune. Both airports are controlled by Morocco and have their approach stations.
Traffic coming from the north and heading to GMML shall remain under Casablanca Radar. However, traffic with destination GMMH shall be transferred from Casablanca Radar to Canarias Radio “GCCO_CTR” 10nm before the waypoint “SOLNA”. GCCO_CTR makes the handoff to GMMH_APP when cleared to FL120.
Amendment History
| Revision | Effective Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/07 | 01st July 2022 | Staff, Logo and Moroccan Sahara operation’s updated |
| 1 | 10 January 2020 | First Publication |
Validity
This Letter of Agreement is valid from the 01st of July of 2022 and has a validity of 2 years from which point a revision must be conducted.
- Morocco vACC & Operations Director – Réda FAIZ.
- Spain vACC Director – Óskar Berenguer.
- Spain vACC Operations Director – Toni MONNER.