The European Union is revising its air transport regulations to allow the adoption of advanced collision avoidance systems on board commercial aircraft. The new rules, set to take effect on March 10, mandate that aircraft with more than 19 passenger seats or a maximum takeoff weight exceeding 5.7 tons must be equipped with either the ACAS Xa system or the updated ACAS II 7.1 version.

According to our partner outlet Aeroin, this marks the first major update to collision avoidance system regulations in Europe since the mandatory implementation of ACAS II 7.1 in 2015. The legislation states that authorizing ACAS Xa for use in European airspace aligns with best aviation practices, incorporating scientific and technological advancements.

What is ACAS Xa?

Developed by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) since 2008, ACAS Xa leverages advanced computational techniques that were unavailable when ACAS II was introduced. This new system aims to reduce unnecessary alerts while expanding its applicability to different types of aircraft. It is designed to be compatible with ACAS II 7.1, maintaining similar displays and alerts but featuring enhanced collision prevention logic and improved surveillance data processing.

While ACAS II relies on transponder interrogation and fixed rules to predict the position of potentially conflicting aircraft, ACAS Xa continuously analyzes millions of future scenarios using a probabilistic model and numerical lookup table to determine the best response. This allows for more precise alert adjustments, reducing false alarms and enhancing safety in congested airspace.

Temas

• FAA
• Europe

AUTOR

Andrea Buitrago

Corresponsal de Prensa de Colombia, Centroamérica y el Caribe. Escribo sobre aviones y música, creo contenido digital en redes y capturo cuanto avión se me cruce en el cielo o en la tierra.

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