First phase of the collaboration between MOLDATSA and EUROCONTROL on the optimisation of performance-based navigation procedures at Chișinău International Airport, has been completed. This collaboration clearly demonstrates the added value brought to the ANSPs in particular and to the Network in general by maximising the efficiency of PBN procedures while maintaining the highest levels of safety and reducing the environmental impact of air traffic.

A team made up of EUROCONTROL and MOLDATSA experts and air traffic controllers (ATCOs) has developed a comprehensive set of new Standard Instrument Departures (SIDs), Standard Terminal Arrival Routes (STARs), and Instrument Approach Procedures (IAPs) that advance the Performance-Based Navigation (PBN) concept.

The team ensured that operational needs and strategies have been fully considered in the new designs. The first phase of this project has now been successfully completed, with a selection of these new procedures to undergo flight evaluations and validation using certified flight simulators in the course of 2025. This will gather essential data needed to obtain the approval of the Moldavian Civil Aviation Authority. The ultimate objective is to officially publish these new PBN procedures in the Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP), with a target date set for the first quarter of 2026.

EUROCONTROL is ready to support other aviation organisations interested in embarking on a similar boundary-changing collaboration using PBN.