Explanatory Statement – Flight Information Areas
Purpose: All changes to airspace are given legal effect by the raising of a valid Legislative Instrument, signed by the appropriate delegate. The permanent description of airspace is published in the AIP MAP products (as defined in ICAO Annex 15) and in the Designated Airspace Handbook (DAH). The DAH is issued on an alternating approximate 24/28 week cycle. The DAH lists and describes, in tabular form, the lateral and vertical limits and any other pertinent details of airspace volume.
The attachment to this instrument is a duplicate of the section of the DAH, which becomes effective 07 June 2007, describing Australian Flight Information Areas.
Operation: These regions encompass the entire airspace overlying continental Australia out to 12 nautical miles beyond the coastline plus other airspace allocated by ICAO to Australia. Flight Information Areas is airspace of defined dimensions, excluding controlled airspace, within which flight information and alerting services are provided by an Air Traffic Service unit.
Impact: The impact on this determination of Australian flight information areas is expected to be nil as these regions are in existence solely for the delineation for the Flight Information Centre’s area of responsibility.
The Office of Best Practice Regulation (OBPR) determined this instrument appeared unlikely to have direct or significant indirect impact on businesses and therefore confirmed a Regulation Impact Statement would not be required.