REPUBLIC OF LATVIA

1. GENERAL RULES

1.1.From 01 JUL 2024, SJSC "Latvijas Gaisa Satiksme" provides a new service - the UAS geographical zone data set.

1.1.1. In accordance with Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/947 of 24 MAY 2019 on the rules and procedures for the operation of unmanned aircraft, when defining UAS geographical zones for safety, security, privacy or environmental reasons, Member States may:

a) prohibit certain or all UAS operations, request particular conditions for certain or all UAS operations or request a prior operational authorisation for certain or all UAS operations;

b) subject UAS operations to specified environmental standards;

c) allow access to certain UAS classes only;

d) allow access only to UAS equipped with certain technical features, in particular remote identification systems or geo awareness systems.

1.1.2. On the basis of a risk assessment carried out by the competent authority, certain geographical zones may be designated in which UAS operations are exempt from one or more of the ‘open’ category requirements.

2. UAS GEOGRAPHICAL ZONE DATA SET AVAILABILITY

2.1. The information on the UAS geographical zones, that are created in Republic of Latvia airspace, including their period of validity, is publicly available as digital data set in a JSON format as required by the Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/947 of 24 MAY 2019 on the rules and procedures for the operation of unmanned aircraft, European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) published Acceptable Means of Compliance (AMC) and EUROCAE Standard ED-269 Minimum Operational Performance Standard for UAS Geo-Fencing.

Effective UAS geographical zone data set is available for download on website https://ais.lgs.lv/page/UAS_geozones.

2.1.1. UAS geographical zone data set contains information about:

• UA flight restrictions and conditions over and in the vicinity of the objects of national and public interest.

2.1.2. UAS geographical zone data set does not contain information about:

• permanent airspace structure elements;
• temporary airspace structure elements;
• restrictions over and in the vicinity of aerodromes.

Information mentioned above will be available to users as UAS geographical zone data set in a JSON format in accordance with the Cabinet of Ministers regulation No. 248 on unmanned aircraft operations, section “IX. Final questions” specified deadlines.

2.2. Information about temporary active airspace structure elements is published with NOTAM or AIP Supplement, that is available on website https://ais.lgs.lv.

2.3. Information about permanently active airspace structure elements is available in Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP) on website https://ais.lgs.lv.

3. ELECTRONIC UNMANNED AIRCRAFT RESTRICTIONS VIEWER

3.1. SJSC "Latvijas Gaisa Satiksme" the “Electronic Unmanned Aircraft Restrictions Viewer” (eUARV) provides visualization of UAS geographical zones, both permanent and temporary elements of the airspace structure and its active time, that may affect the operation of UA flights, in a form of an interactive map. If a permission is required to perform UA flights, the procedures for the permission obtaining is indicated.

For example, eUARV represents:

• UAS geographical zones;
• permanent active airspace structure elements;
• temporary elements of the airspace structure for which UA flights are prohibited during their active operation (at a time when they are not active, UA flights may be operated);
• UA flight restrictions near certified aerodromes and certified heliports.

eUARV is available for users on website https://airspace.lv/drones or on website https://ais.lgs.lv by pressing the symbol:

3.2. The principles of Flexible Use of Airspace have been introduced into the airspace of the Republic of Latvia, which requires the remote pilot, when planning a UA flight, to consider that the activation of temporary airspace structure elements is known not earlier than one day in advance (airspace use plan for the next day is available by 1500 (1400) UTC at the latest).

Data/information in the eUARV is updated automatically every 5 minutes.

3.3. In the eUARV it is possible to filter out information referred to in the paragraph 3 of this AIC, depending on:

• UA total take-off mass;
• desired flight area (lateral and vertical limits);
• planned flight time.

Cancels AIC A 004/2020