- Document
- GOV-02A
- Revision
- 1.0
- Effective
- 28 September 2026
- Issued
Aerodrome Operations
Revision: 1.0 Effective: 28 September 2026
Scope
This document carries the aerodrome detail of Fleet and Operations, GOV-02. It categorises every aerodrome the Airline serves, sets the qualification a pilot in command holds before operating to each category, and publishes the company procedures and restrictions that apply at the aerodromes that need them. The authoritative list of aerodromes served remains the Network Overview in Hubs and Network Planning, GOV-03.
It applies to every flight the Airline operates, to every aerodrome in the Network Overview, and to every aerodrome nominated as an alternate on a flight plan.
Definitions
In this document:
- Published procedure means an instrument approach, departure, arrival or holding procedure, or an operating restriction, published for an aerodrome by the authority responsible for it.
- Company procedure means a procedure designed, validated and published by the Airline under this document.
- Company restriction means a limitation the Airline places on its own operation at an aerodrome in addition to the published procedures.
Precedence
A published procedure governs wherever one exists. A company restriction adds to a published procedure and never relaxes it. Where a company restriction and a published procedure differ, the more restrictive applies.
A company procedure is flown only at an aerodrome, or on a runway, for which no published procedure exists. It ceases to apply from the effective date of a published procedure covering the same aerodrome and runway, and is withdrawn from this document at its next revision.
Nothing in this document displaces the authority of the pilot in command, established in Human Resources and Organization, GOV-08, to decline an approach, a departure or an aerodrome.
Aerodrome Categories
Every aerodrome is placed in one of three categories:
- Category A is an aerodrome with an approved instrument approach procedure, at least one runway with no performance-limited procedure for take-off or landing, published circling minima not higher than 1,000 ft above aerodrome level, and night operations capability.
- Category B is an aerodrome that does not meet Category A, or that requires extra consideration by reason of non-standard approach aids or approach patterns, unusual local weather, unusual characteristics or performance limitations, surrounding terrain, or any other relevant consideration.
- Category C is an aerodrome that requires consideration beyond Category B, including every aerodrome at which the Airline flies a company procedure.
The Director of Flight Operations sets the category of each aerodrome before the Airline first operates to it, reviews every category once a year, and reviews a category without delay on any change to its runways, equipment, published procedures or surroundings. A category is raised with immediate effect and lowered only at a revision of this document.
Qualification
A pilot in command operates to an aerodrome only when qualified for its category:
- Category A. No qualification beyond the type rating and route competence.
- Category B. Briefed, or self-briefed through the Airline's programmed briefing for that aerodrome, before the first operation to it.
- Category C. Briefed on the aerodrome, and trained on its procedures in a flight simulator or having visited it as an observer on the flight deck, before the first operation to it.
A qualification is recorded in the pilot's training record. It remains valid for 12 months and is renewed by operating to the aerodrome within that period, or by repeating the qualification. A Category C qualification is not waived for any reason.
At a Category C aerodrome the pilot in command is the pilot flying for every take-off and landing.
Aerodrome Table
| IATA | ICAO | Aerodrome | Category | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AER | URSS | Sochi | C | Terrain to the north and east, one-direction operation, missed approach toward high terrain |
| SUI | URAS | Sukhum | C | No published instrument procedure, company procedures apply |
| SJJ | LQSA | Sarajevo | C | Terrain on all sides, steep approach, seasonal fog |
| NAL | URMN | Nalchik | B | Main Caucasus range within 25 nm to the southwest |
| MRV | URMM | Mineralnye Vody | B | Isolated peaks above 4,500 ft within 10 nm |
| OGZ | URMO | Beslan | B | Main Caucasus range within 25 nm to the south |
| ASR | LTAU | Kayseri | B | Aerodrome elevation 3,463 ft, terrain above 12,500 ft within 15 nm |
| DAM | OSDI | Damascus | B | Terrain above 7,000 ft within 25 nm |
| PRN | BKPR | Pristina | B | Terrain above 8,000 ft within 25 nm |
| MED | OEMA | Medina | B | Aerodrome elevation 2,151 ft, terrain on all sides, high temperatures |
| KRR | URKK | Krasnodar | A | No special consideration |
| VKO | UUWW | Moscow Vnukovo | A | No special consideration |
| DME | UUDD | Moscow Domodedovo | A | No special consideration |
| LED | ULLI | St. Petersburg Pulkovo | A | No special consideration |
| SAW | LTFJ | Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen | A | No special consideration |
| AMM | OJAI | Amman | A | No special consideration |
| FRA | EDDF | Frankfurt | A | No special consideration |
| STN | EGSS | London Stansted | A | No special consideration |
| ORY | LFPO | Paris Orly | A | No special consideration |
| AMS | EHAM | Amsterdam | A | No special consideration |
| JED | OEJN | Jeddah | A | No special consideration |
Altimetry
The Airline flies the transition altitude and transition level published for each aerodrome. Where an aerodrome has none published, it flies the company values below. A value published by the aerodrome's own authority replaces the company value from its effective date.
| Aerodrome | Transition Altitude | Transition Level | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sochi (AER) | 13,800 ft | FL148 | Published |
| Sukhum (SUI) | 13,800 ft | FL148 | Company, the values published for Sochi |
Alternates
Sochi and Sukhum lie 62 nm apart on the same coast and share the same weather. Neither is nominated as the alternate for a flight to the other. A flight to either nominates Krasnodar (KRR) or another aerodrome outside the coastal strip.
Company Procedure Design
A company procedure is designed to the criteria of ICAO Doc 8168, Procedures for Air Navigation Services, Aircraft Operations, with the following additional margins:
- Terrain. Obstacle clearance is assessed against a terrain survey of every point within 25 nm of the aerodrome and within 5 nm either side of every segment.
- Unsurveyed obstacles. Every minimum altitude carries 300 ft above the required obstacle clearance, for masts and structures the survey does not record.
- Rounding. Every minimum altitude is rounded up to the next 100 ft.
- Turns. Where terrain lies on one side of an aerodrome, every turn in the missed approach, the engine failure procedure and the holding is made away from it.
- Validation. A company procedure is flown in a flight simulator by the Chief Pilot, 737 Fleet, before its first use, and is reviewed once a year and on any change to the aerodrome.
The Director of Flight Operations approves every company procedure.
Sochi
Sochi (AER) is operated on its published procedures, subject to the following company restrictions.
- Runway use. Landings are made from the sea on runway 02 or 06, and take-offs toward the sea on runway 20 or 24, as the published procedures provide.
- Missed approach. The published missed approach is flown without delay from the missed approach point. Terrain rises above 1,000 ft within 2 nm straight ahead of runways 02 and 06, and no straight-ahead extension of the missed approach is flown.
- Performance. An approach is commenced only where, at the planned landing weight, the aircraft achieves the climb gradient of the published missed approach for the minima in use with one engine inoperative. Where it does not, the landing weight is reduced or minima with a lower published gradient are used.
- Tailwind. The tailwind component for landing does not exceed 10 kt. No landing is made with a tailwind on a contaminated runway.
- Windshear. Windshear is briefed before every arrival and departure. An approach is not commenced while windshear is reported on the final approach, and a go-around is flown on any windshear warning.
- Circling. No circling approach is flown.
Sukhum
Sukhum (SUI) has no published instrument procedure. It is operated on the company procedures in this section.
Aerodrome Data
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Runway | 12/30, 45 m wide |
| Runway true track | 123T and 303T |
| Distance used for performance | 3,140 m, until declared distances are published |
| Aerodrome elevation | 65 ft |
| Threshold 12 | 42 52.03N 041 06.56E |
| Threshold 30 | 42 50.96N 041 08.82E |
| Threshold elevation | Taken as 65 ft at both ends until surveyed values are published |
| Lighting | Category I approach and runway lighting |
An instrument landing system is installed. It is not used for approach guidance until a procedure for it is published by the aerodrome's authority, or designed and validated by the Airline under this document.
Minimum Sector Altitudes
Bearings are true, measured from the aerodrome.
| Sector | Minimum Altitude |
|---|---|
| 290T clockwise to 130T, the land sector | 10,500 ft |
| 130T clockwise to 290T, the sea sector | 2,200 ft |
Company Fixes
| Fix | Position | Use |
|---|---|---|
| SUPIT | 43 06.00N 040 12.00E | Route fix off Pitsunda |
| SUKNW | 43 00.09N 040 49.30E | Initial approach fix, runway 12 |
| SUKIF | 42 57.40N 040 55.06E | Intermediate fix, runway 12, and the holding fix |
| SUF12 | 42 55.20N 040 59.78E | Final approach fix, runway 12 |
| SUKSW | 42 44.71N 041 01.92E | Missed approach and engine failure fix |
| SUKSS | 42 42.20N 041 17.35E | Initial approach fix, runway 30 |
| SUKSE | 42 45.57N 041 20.28E | Intermediate fix, runway 30 |
| SUF30 | 42 47.78N 041 15.59E | Final approach fix, runway 30 |
Route to and from Sochi
The direct track between Sochi and Sukhum crosses the Gagra range and is not flown. The company route runs over the sea: Sochi, SUPIT, SUKNW. The minimum altitude is 3,800 ft between Sochi and SUPIT and 2,500 ft between SUPIT and SUKNW. The departure from Sochi and the arrival into it follow the published procedures.
Approach, Runway 12
- SUKNW at or above 3,000 ft.
- SUKIF at or above 2,000 ft.
- SUF12 at 2,000 ft, then a 3.0 degree descent path to a threshold crossing height of 50 ft, on a final approach track of 123T.
Approach, Runway 30
- SUKSW at or above 3,000 ft.
- SUKSS at 3,000 ft.
- SUKSE at or above 2,000 ft.
- SUF30 at 2,000 ft, then a 3.0 degree descent path to a threshold crossing height of 50 ft, on a final approach track of 303T.
Missed Approach
Climb on the runway track to 1,000 ft, then turn toward the sea, right from runway 12 and left from runway 30, direct to SUKSW, climbing to 3,000 ft. From SUKSW proceed direct to SUKIF and hold.
Holding
At SUKIF, inbound track 123T, right turns, one-minute legs, at 3,000 ft. The holding lies wholly over the sea.
Engine Failure After Take-off
Climb on the runway track to 1,000 ft, then turn toward the sea, right from runway 12 and left from runway 30, direct to SUKSW, climbing to 3,000 ft. From SUKSW proceed direct to SUKIF and hold, or return for landing.
Departure to Sochi
From runway 30, climb on the runway track to 1,000 ft, then direct to SUKIF, SUKNW and SUPIT. From runway 12, climb on the runway track to 1,000 ft, turn right direct to SUKSW, then direct to SUKIF, SUKNW and SUPIT. The minimum altitudes of the company route apply.
Operating Minima
| Operation | Minima |
|---|---|
| Approach with vertical guidance | Decision altitude 500 ft, visibility 2,000 m |
| Approach with lateral guidance only | Minimum descent altitude 700 ft, visibility 2,400 m |
| Circling | By day only, on the sea side of the runway only, minimum descent altitude 1,000 ft, visibility 3,600 m |
| Take-off | Visibility 800 m |