Sept. 18, 2023
The FAA recently announced the B050 Area of Operations Atlantic Ocean – West Atlantic Route System, or ““WATRS,” will now be known as Atlantic Ocean – West Atlantic, or “WAT.”
The change was effective with the date of the Sept. 7 announcement. Review the announcement.
The new name is an effort to align Control Areas (CTAs) with ICAO regions. While many airspace users assumed “WATRS” was synonymous with the New York – West Oceanic CTA, WATRS spanned the New York – West Oceanic CTA, the San Juan CTA and the Atlantic portion of the Miami Oceanic CTA.
The change applies to all operators conducting flights under parts 91 subpart K, 121, 125, 125 letter of deviation authority and 135. Currently issued B050 authorizations – whether letters of authorization, management specifications or operations specifications – should be reissued within 24 months.
The FAA also advised MSpec/OpSpec/LOA B045, Extended Overwater Operations Using a Single Long-Range Communication System, will be revised after the agency clarifies related policy issues.
Operators should update international operations manuals and training materials to advise pilots of the new name and avoid the use of obsolete names. Operators should also expect contact from their principal operations inspectors for reissuance of the current authorization.
International operations procedures are ever changing. NBAA provides a number of member resources to keep operators and pilots informed on international news, including the highly regarded NBAA International Operators Conference, planned for March 26-28, 2024, in Orlando, FL.
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