Global aviation body urges overhaul of IFR/VFR for automated skies

A global push to modernize how aircraft share the sky reached a new peak on August 12, 2025, when the CATS Global Council proposed replacing century‑old IFR/VFR rules with a performance‑based system built for high automation, drones, and human‑machine teaming. The proposal lands alongside fast‑moving regulatory steps: the FAA’s August 7, 2025 notice to create Part 108 for routine beyond‑visual‑line‑of‑sight (BVLOS) drone flights and Part 146 to certify Automated Data Service Providers, Europe’s SESAR 2025 strategic plan to roll out the “Digital European Sky” to 2045, and new ICAO APAC guidance embedding automation into day‑to‑day operations. Together, they mark a turn toward data‑driven, machine‑to‑machine traffic management—without an overnight rewrite of global flight rules.

What the CATS proposal aims to achieve

The CATS Global Council proposal seeks a harmonized, performance‑based replacement for IFR/VFR that can scale with drones, eVTOLs, and other Innovative Air Mobility users. Key objectives include:

• Flight intent sharing across all airspace classes.
• Continuous separation and conformance monitoring.
• A design that builds automation in from the start, enabling reliable human‑machine teaming.

Regulators are moving in phases rather than adopting a single sweeping rule. In the United States 🇺🇸, the FAA’s BVLOS/xTM rulemaking would:

• Open routine low‑altitude operations under Part 108.
• Bring automated services—starting with UTM and later extensible Traffic Management (xTM)—under federal oversight via Part 146.

Europe’s SESAR 2025 plan prioritizes:

• Trajectory‑based operations (TBO).
• Dynamic airspace and machine‑to‑machine exchanges to reduce routine voice communications.
• Human‑machine teaming at the core of operations.

Across the Asia‑Pacific, ICAO’s ATM Automation Implementation and Operations Guidance (Edition 1.5, June 2025) adds:

• Arrival/Departure Manager (A/DMAN) functions.
• Cybersecurity levels.
• Training and safety assessment expectations.

Regional working papers also stress data integrity in flight plans to cut nuisance alerts and improve safety nets.

Current regulatory status — no global rewrite yet

• ICAO has not adopted new “digital” flight rules.
• European regulators have not announced legal changes to IFR/VFR.
• The FAA’s proposal remains a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), not a final rule.

The clear direction, however, is to:

• Embed automation through performance standards.
• Regulate digital service providers.
• Migrate routine operations to machine‑to‑machine exchanges while retaining human authority for exceptions and complex scenarios.

A phased approach in the United States and Europe

The FAA’s plan would move BVLOS from waivers to routine permissions by setting performance requirements for:

• Detect‑and‑avoid capabilities.
• Command‑and‑control (C2) link integrity.
• Safe operational volumes under Part 108.

Simultaneously, Part 146 would, for the first time, regulate Automated Data Service Providers that deliver:

• Strategic deconfliction.
• Conformance monitoring.
• Intent sharing.

The FAA also proposes conforming amendments across Title 14 CFR and a noise approach tailored to UAS operating under Part 108. Public comments are invited through the FAA docket process.

SESAR’s 2025 edition of the European ATM Master Plan does not rewrite IFR/VFR. Instead, it sets a long rollout to 2045 with priorities:

• More automation support and TBO.
• Dynamic airspace configurations.
• Virtualization of services and cloud delivery.
• Resilient communications, navigation, and surveillance.

In simple terms: routine tasks move from voice to automated exchanges, and people supervise and decide when exceptions or safety risks appear. This mirrors earlier NASA and RTCA discussions about evolving IFR/VFR through faster digital planning and service virtualization.

In the Asia‑Pacific, ICAO’s ATMAS Task Force endorsed Edition 1.5 in June 2025, bringing A/DMAN into regional practice and setting baseline cyber and safety expectations. Companion communications/navigation/surveillance papers emphasized better use of flight plan fields—such as flight rules and cleared flight levels—to improve safety nets and Departure Manager performance.

Why this matters to travelers, students, and workers

Even if you never see a drone overhead, these changes affect the travel environment:

• Airports and air traffic units adopting data‑centric operations aim to reduce voice bottlenecks.
• Faster recovery from disruptions and more predictable flows can benefit international students, seasonal workers, and family visitors.
• Analysis by VisaVerge.com suggests these operational gains could support more stable travel schedules that people rely on for visa windows, onboarding dates, and school starts.

For example:

• Fewer nuisance alerts and better data quality reduce controller workload.
• More predictable operations reduce missed connections and ripple effects that threaten time‑sensitive entries.

Stakeholder positions and the path forward

• The CATS Global Council argues the legacy IFR/VFR split limits scale in a world of mixed users and heavy automation.
• Regulators in the United States and Europe favor gradual change: certify digital providers, adopt performance rules, and build automation into services without risking safety through a rushed rewrite.

Both approaches aim for a common destination: a data‑first system where:

• Flight intent is richer.
• Conformance is monitored continuously.
• Oversight focuses on system performance and cybersecurity.

What automation means for operators, crews, and travelers

If the FAA finalizes its NPRM, U.S. operators should expect a shift from one‑off waivers to clear, testable metrics. Practical steps include:

1. Assessing fleet readiness for detect‑and‑avoid and C2 link performance under Part 108.
2. Planning airworthiness acceptance pathways that match mission profiles.
3. Preparing operational risk assessments aligned with performance‑based requirements.
4. For prospective Automated Data Service Providers under Part 146:
   • Map services to approval criteria.
   • Build quality management and safety assurance processes.
   • Align interfaces with UTM/xTM data standards.

SESAR’s plan signals changes in Europe:

• Controllers and crews will team with automation, with routine tasks handled by machine‑to‑machine links and voice reserved for exceptions.
• Expect new skill sets, stronger cyber hygiene, and updated safety management systems.

In APAC:

• Adoption of A/DMAN and better flight plan data promises fewer nuisance alerts—less “false crying wolf”—which reduces controller workload and improves predictability at busy airports.

For migrants, families, students, and employers:

• The human impact is straightforward: more predictable operations reduce missed connections and the ripple effects that can threaten time‑sensitive entries.
• Immigration paperwork itself doesn’t change here, but the travel environment around it becomes more stable.

Near‑term and medium‑term milestones

Near‑term (watch for):

• FAA action on Part 108 and Part 146, enabling scaled BVLOS and bringing automated services under federal oversight.
• SESAR deployment projects testing TBO and dynamic airspace in core networks.
• APAC follow‑through on Edition 1.5 training and cybersecurity levels as airports and ANSPs roll out new tools.

Medium‑term (expect):

• Broader movement toward xTM that blends crewed and uncrewed operations under formal service oversight—possibly inspired by the FAA model.
• Continued ICAO discussions on whether and how to modernize IFR/VFR at the global level.
• If the CATS Global Council proposal gains traction, ICAO may scope performance‑based flight rules—but any adoption would likely take years.

Where to find current procedures

Stakeholders seeking current procedures can consult the FAA Air Traffic Publications portal for official updates to the Aeronautical Information Manual and related references:

• https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications

That portal remains the baseline for day‑to‑day operations in the United States 🇺🇸 while future rules advance.

The bottom line: the world is moving from voice‑heavy control to data‑centric service, with IFR/VFR under review and automation becoming standard. The path is phased, not sudden—and for travelers, migrants, and employers, the payoff could be steadier journeys through crowded skies.