Since October 1, 2026, updated procedures for the loss of radio communication have been in effect in Germany. The new announcement from the Federal Aviation Safety Administration (BAFA) supplements the rules applicable across Europe under SERA.14083 and replaces the previous NfL 2026-1-3969. For IFR pilots, specific requirements are particularly important regarding transitions, RNAV-STARs, and several major German airports. In addition to the well-known Squawk 7600, the new code 7601 is also gaining importance: it signals that an IFR pilot has completed a

The Federal Aviation Authority has republished the German requirements for visual approaches under instrument flight rules. A visual approach remains an IFR flight in which parts or the entire published instrument approach procedure are not flown. The key difference is a change in responsibilities: After issuing the clearance, the pilot assumes responsibility for obstacle clearance, while ATC generally continues to ensure the separation from other traffic. The new announcement also regulates visual approaches using radar guidance.,

The Federal Aviation Administration has published the German rules for Air Traffic Flow and Capacity Management (ATFCM) again. The announcement NfL 2026-1-4053 replaces the previous regulation from 2019 and describes how EUROCONTROL Network Managers and DFS manage traffic flows when demand exceeds the available capacity of airspace or airports. The rules regarding flight planning, CTOT slots (short-term slot changes), rerouting and possible flight suspensions are particularly relevant for IFR pilots. Who

Austria is preparing the introduction of the new ICAO procedure for assessing the load-bearing capacity of airfield structures. The previous ACN-PCN system will be replaced by ACR-PCR. The goal is to more accurately assess the load exerted by individual aircraft on the runways, taxiways and aprons. PCR values are already available for several major Austrian airports, including Vienna, Graz, Innsbruck, Klagenfurt, Linz and Salzburg. However, the specific date of introduction in Austria has not yet been announced. For pilots of smaller aircraft, the PCR values are available from the Austrian Aviation Authority (LBA).