Uniform standards at 14 German airports
The new procedures apply at all major commercial airports with instrument landing systems in the categories CAT II and CAT III, including Berlin Brandenburg, Bremen, Dresden, Düsseldorf, Erfurt-Weimar, Frankfurt/Main, Hamburg, Hanover, Cologne/Bonn, Leipzig/Halle, Munich, Münster/Osnabrück, Nuremberg, Saarbrücken and Stuttgart.
In future, a standardised set of procedures will be introduced at these airports, covering the entire chain from landing to taxiing. The aim is for pilots, ground staff and air traffic controllers to act according to the same principles, which have been harmonised across Europe, as soon as the runway visual range (RVR) falls below defined limits.
Definitions and categories of low visibility operations
DFS distinguishes between several graduated scenarios:
Low Visibility Operations (LVO):
Flight operations with runway visibility below 550 metres or a decision height of less than 200 feet. This includes take-offs, landings and taxiing movements where visual orientation is restricted.
Low Visibility Take-Off (LVTO):
Take-off procedures that are used with a runway visibility of less than 550 metres are applied. At some of the airports mentioned, these procedures are already used at an RVR of 600 metres or less activated to ensure smooth operation.
Guided Take-Off:
A specially monitored start at extremely low visibility - down to 75 metres RVR - in which the pilot no longer has to judge the take-off run solely by visual orientation, but with the help of the ILS landing course transmitter controls. This procedure is only used for appropriately certified aircraft and crews.
When do the low-visibility procedures apply?
The activation of the so-called Low Visibility Procedures (LVP) depends on visibility and cloud base. They become effective as soon as the runway visibility ≤ 1000 metres or the main cloud base ≤ 300 feet amounts to.
In this phase, preparatory measures are taken, including
- Activation of the emergency power supply for all relevant landing aids,
- Keeping the Sensitive and Critical Areas of the ILS of vehicles, persons and technical equipment,
- Checking the lighting and signalling systems.
If the visibility drops further below 600 metres or the cloud base below 200 feet, the actual LVO operation comes into force. Additional measures are then activated:
- Switch off the glide angle lighting and the EFAS system (Enhanced Flight Approach System),
- Switch on the runway and taxiway centreline lighting,
- Activation of red side bar and stop bar lighting,
- Use of increased separation and taxiing distances by air traffic control.
Communication via ATIS and radiotelephony
Air traffic control informs pilots about the status of operations in low visibility via the ATIS (Automatic Terminal Information Service) or the radiotelephone. Standardised messages are used, for example:
- “LOW VISIBILITY PROCEDURES IN OPERATION, CAT II AND III AVAILABLE”
→ The LVP are active, CAT-II and CAT-III approaches are possible. - “LOW VISIBILITY TAKE-OFF PROCEDURES RUNWAY (number) IN OPERATION”
→ Special low visibility take-off procedures apply to the specified runway. - “LOW VISIBILITY PROCEDURES IN OPERATION, CAT III AND GUIDED TAKE-OFF AVAILABLE FOR RUNWAY (number)”
→ Particularly restricted operation; take-offs with instrument guidance are permitted.
These messages are automatically integrated into the ATIS announcements as soon as the relevant threshold values are reached.
Protection of ILS signals - the critical factor
One of the central innovations concerns the Protection of the ILS system signals. The instrument landing system is the most precise navigation procedure for approaches in fog and enables landings in conditions with minimal visibility. Strict rules apply to ensure that the radio beams of the ILS transmitters are not disturbed by vehicles or aircraft on the ground:
- With visibility below 1500 metres or a cloud base below 400 feet may move within 2 nautical miles There must be no other aircraft or vehicle on the runway that could interfere with the signals.
- The so-called Sensitive areas and Critical Areas around the landing course transmitters must remain completely free.
- If an aircraft rolls over the critical area after landing, subsequent pilots must be informed by radio with “EXPECT SHORT-TIME ILS INTERFERENCE” be warned.
- During the LVP, no vehicle may be in the critical area as soon as an approaching aircraft on final approach is within 4 NM of the threshold - otherwise a missed approach will be instructed immediately.
These regulations prevent interference with the ILS signals from leading to imprecise approaches or system warnings in the cockpit.
New standards for smooth operating processes
DFS emphasises that the new procedures not only improve safety, but also the Air traffic efficiency in fog is improved. Thanks to clearly defined processes and early activation of the LVP, delays can be reduced and launches better coordinated.
At major airports such as Frankfurt, Munich and Düsseldorf, landings after CAT IIIb Today, landings are already routine - i.e. landings at a decision height of zero feet and a visibility down to 75 metres. The new DFS procedures ensure that such high-precision approaches will be even more stable and safer in future.
Conclusion
With the entry into force of the new DFS regulations on 27 November 2025 Germany receives a modernised, Europe-wide coordinated concept for flight operations in low visibility. It takes into account the latest technical standards, international best practices and the requirements of busy airports.
For pilots, this means even more precise approaches, clearly defined procedures in fog and significantly increased operational safety. For passengers, on the other hand, it often goes unnoticed how complex and highly precise the interaction between aircraft, technology and air traffic control becomes when there is only a grey wall outside - and yet everything lands safely on the runway.
Source references:
NFL (the link requires a subscription to Eisenschmidt)
