14 July 2023
Airspace in the vicinity of Southampton is one of the most highly infringed in the country with 118 reported airspace infringements of the Southampton CTR/Solent CTA last year.
To 21 June 2023, the number of reported airspace infringements this year has reached 51 and week on week infringements continue to occur, according to the Wessex Local Airspace Infringement Team.
To help pilots negotiate the area, there’s a new ‘hotspot’ narrative on the Airspace & Safety Initiative website, including a podcast (listen below) and leaflets to download.
The primary function of Southampton Air Traffic Control (ATC) is to provide a service to aircraft arriving to and departing from Southampton International Airport (and some Bournemouth Airport associated traffic), as well as those aircraft that wish to enter, operate in or transit through the Southampton/Solent controlled airspace.
Solent Radar is also responsible, by virtue of delegated airspace, for part of some lower levels of the London Terminal Control Area (LTMA) (those that lie immediately above the Solent CTA), together with providing a function to certain Farnborough departures.
“This creates a busy environment, where extensive co-ordination takes place beyond what may be apparent by just listening to the radio,” says the Airspace & Safety website.
“Commercial Air Transport aircraft can be operating as low as 500 feet above the base of controlled airspace. The complexities associated with the diverse controlling and airspace management/coordination tasks means that any airspace infringement may not only compromise safety but have an impact on the operations at three airports.
“An infringing aircraft that is not radar identified by Solent Radar becomes unknown traffic. A separation standard of 3nm laterally or 3,000 feet vertically is required between that aircraft and IFR aircraft operating within Southampton/Solent controlled airspace. All infringements pose a significant risk to safety and controller’s workload.”
The resources available for pilots include:
