The purpose of this Circular is to inform users about the harmonization of the Transition Altitude (TA) to 10,000' in all Terminal Control Areas (TMA) of the Brazilian Airspace Control System (SISCEAB).
The provisions outlined in this AIC apply to all SISCEAB units and users who reference or utilize Aeronautical Information Publications as part of their operational procedures.
TRANSITION ALTITUDE: The altitude at or below which the vertical position of an aircraft is controlled by reference to altitudes.
2.1. Brazil is divided into 5 (five) FIR: Amazônica (SBAZ), Atlântico (SBAO), Brasília (SBBS), Curitiba (SBCW) and Recife (SBRE).
2.2. Currently, TAs are harmonized by TMA; this means that all aerodromes in a TMA use a single TA. However, 8 (eight) different TAs are used in SISCEAB.
2.3. At the Amazônica FIR, TAs of 3000', 4000' and 18000' are used. The Amazônica TMA (SBWA) has the highest TA of SISCEAB which is used at the Tabatinga airport (SBTT). This value was defined to harmonize the TA value of Leticia airport (SKLT) in Colombia with the TA of Tabatinga airport (SBTT). Figure 1 shows the 11 (eleven) TMAs of the Amazônica FIR with their respective TAs.
2.4. At the Recife FIR, TAs of 4000', 5000' and 7000' are used. Figure 2 shows the 10 (ten) TMAs of this FIR with their respective TAs.
2.5. At the Brasília FIR, TAs of 5000', 6000', 7000' and 8000' are used. Figure 3 shows the 7 (seven) TMAs of this FIR with their respective TAs.
2.6. At the Curitiba FIR, TAs of 3000', 4000', 5000', 6000', 7000', 8000' and 9000' are used. Figure 4 shows the 13 (thirteen) TMAs of this FIR with their respective TAs.
3.1. ICAO Doc 8168 Vol. III (Aircraft Operating Procedures) establishes that where two or more closely spaced aerodromes are located so that coordinate procedures are required, a common transition altitude shall be established.
3.2. Furthermore, as far as possible, a common transition altitude should be established:
3.3. It should be noted that transition altitudes shall be published in Aeronautical Information Publications and in Air Navigation Procedure charts.
3.4. In view of the ICAO recommendations and with a view to increasing safety and reducing the workload of Air Traffic Controllers and pilots, among other benefits, as detailed in item 4, it is established that the TA for SISCEAB TMAs will be 10,000'.
3.5. Exceptions may occur due to the specific operational needs of the Air Navigation Service Provider (ANSP). For example, a TMA in Brazil may adopt a TA other than 10,000' if it is necessary to harmonize the TA with that of an adjacent international TMA.
4.1.1. TA harmonization increases Safety levels, especially for TMAs that currently have different TAs and are adjacent. This is the case of the Aracaju TMA (SBXA) with a TA of 4000' and the Salvador TMA (SBXS) with a TA of 7000' (Figure 5). An aircraft flying at level 060 inside the Aracaju TMA (SBXA) would be using QNE setting, while another aircraft at 5000' at the Salvador TMA (SBXS) would be using QNH setting. Depending on the altimeter setting, the separation may be less than 1,000'.
4.1.2. Currently, as there are several TAs, the environment is heterogeneous, and the crew needs to check the TA every time they fly to a new location. A uniform TA reduces the possibility of errors when changing the altimeter setting, since the TA will be the same for all SISCEAB TMAs.
Harmonizing the TA at 10,000' reduces crew workload by allowing altimeter settings to be made at more appropriate stages of the flight. At higher altitudes, the crew has a lower workload compared to the last approach segments, especially in places where ATC guidelines must be followed to intercept the final approach segment.
The harmonization of TAs becomes increasingly important when executing PBN procedures with Baro VNAV Vertical Guidance, as poorly set QNH can lead to a loss of terrain separation.
5.1. There are currently 41 (forty-one) TMAs in the area of jurisdiction of SISCEAB, three of which are international TMAs: Amazônica, Foz do Iguaçu and Passo de Los Libres.
5.2. Given the high number of procedure charts that need to be updated, it has been decided that TA updates will be made as needed and in accordance with PROCAR, which is managed by ICA.
5.3. All TAs for the SISCEAB TMAs are expected to be updated by February 3, 2030, which is five years after the implementation of this AIC. This timeline aligns with the requirement that Air Navigation Procedure charts be updated at least every five years, as outlined in ICAO Doc 8168 Vol. II (PANS-OPS).
6.1. This AIC shall come into force on 08 MAY 2025.
6.2. Cases not covered by this Circular must be resolved by the Head of the DECEA Operations Subdepartment.