Flight Operations in RVSM Airspace FAA, Aircraft Operators Team Up for Fuel Efficiency

One issue aircraft operators face, which is arcane on the surface but has enormous safety and cost ramifications, is the authorization required from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to fly in what is known as Reduced Vertical Separation Minimum (RVSM) airspace – the airspace between 28,000 feet and 41,000 feet. This authorization is important because these are typically the altitudes where jet aircraft are the most fuel efficient.

In recent years, the FAA has recognized, however, that improved technology has made it feasible to safely condense vertical separation to 1,000 feet at cruising altitudes above 28,000 feet, but only so long as all aircraft flying at those altitudes are properly equipped and maintained and that flight crews are properly trained to ensure that the more accurate equipment is being used properly. This article serves to answer what aircraft operators can expect when they try to get the proper authorization from the FAA to cruise at this altitude.