UIR - Upper Information Region

[Smurfjet]

What is a UIR? Any reading material out there about it?

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

Simply the upper airspace. It used to be that airspace above FL250 but it's probably higher now?

QRX for an expert.....

[chevvron]

Above FL195 if Eurocontrol get their way!

[ILS 119.5]

The Upper Information Region in the UK starts at FL245 and extends vertically upwards with no upper limit. All Class A airspace under the juristiction of the military but a lot of it is delegated to the Civil ATC for obvious reasons. It covers the whole of the UK upper airspace.

[Smurfjet]

Is there an actual definition though? Like for FIR where it is defined as an airspace of defined dimensions in which Flight Information and Alerting services are provided etc...

I m asking because AFAIK we have none in North America and wondering what it is all about.

[Hooligan Bill]

The Upper Information Region in the UK starts at FL245 and extends vertically upwards with no upper limit. All Class A airspace under the juristiction of the military but a lot of it is delegated to the Civil ATC for obvious reasons. It covers the whole of the UK upper airspace.

It's actually Class B airspace, changing to Class C on 16th March 2006.

[Tsinapah]

Eurocontrol and the European Commission are busy working on a common European UIR definition accross Europe (it's part of the "single european sky").
The FL depends on the state. FL245 in the UK as mentioned before, FL195 in France.
BTW, in Tunisia, there is no seperation, and so no Upper Airspace.
Description of France UIR: http://www.sia.aviation-civile.gouv.fr/aip/enligne/METROPOLE/AIP/ENR/2/AIP%20FRANCE%20ENR%202.2.pdf
And chart: http://www.sia.aviation-civile.gouv.fr/aip/enligne/METROPOLE/AIP/ENR/6/AIP%20FRANCE%20ENR%206.2.pdf
And for service provided (FL195 to FL660 is classe C):
http://www.sia.aviation-civile.gouv.fr/aip/enligne/METROPOLE/AIP/ENR/1/AIP%20FRANCE%20ENR%201.4.pdf

[PPRuNe Radar]

All Class A airspace under the juristiction of the military but a lot of it is delegated to the Civil ATC for obvious reasons. It covers the whole of the UK upper airspace.

Where is it laid down as military owned airspace ?? It is a joint operation managed/regulated by the CAA and the MoD.

[Scott Voigt]

In the US we don't specify UIR's. We have high altitude sectors in the enroute facilities. They are normally starting at FL240 and up. We also don't do class B in the US like they do in the UK. Class B for us is around the major terminals and we use class A for FL180 and above. Class E for below class A.

regards

Scott

[songbird29]

The notion of UIR is a European invention dating back to the sixties of the past century. At the time it was a response to the introduction of jet aircraft. UIR's were established and fixed with the idea to set up a limited number of Upper ATC centres in Europe. But, fearing loss of sovereignty, the Brits and the French commonly lined up against the idea of creating supranational ATC centres, and effectively killed it. Only the Maastricht UAC is a survivor of the original ideas, and of course the airspace designation UIR which got its place on the maps and in the books, carved in stone.
Recently the European Union has resuscitated the fading notion of UIR's in a renewed attempt to get supranational units under the guise of Functional Airspace Blocks and privatisation. Again, their first achievement is a paper one: a uniform UIR bottom level all over Europe is the goal. How a uniform UIR relates to functional airspace is beyond me. It creates no more than another artificial border, without any practical meaning.
IMHO, the notion of UIR is a remnant of the past. It should be abandoned. What matters is a good flow of flight data between justifiable boundaries of ATC sectors, ATC centres and APP units.
Songbird

[Lon More]

Songbird29 For a self-styled ATC expert you seem to be strangely lacking in knowledge:8 as you completely ignore the creation of CEATS.
It all revolves around money; who gets the user charges.Germany re-nationalised the Karlsruhe Centre. Netherlands, although one of the initial members, delayed transfer until late 1980s and even then certain members of the RLD did their best to sabotage the transfer. The Irish took back Shannon whilst still in the planning stages.
Chevvron In the past the division level at Maastricht was FL195, and in fact has varied between 195 and 295. At one time a lower level was discussed, around 145.

[songbird29]

I seem to have stepped on your toes, Lon More. But there is no need for you to be defensive. I spoke of the artificial creation of UIR's, on top of FIR's. That is different from Division Levels between Centres, or between sectors on the smaller scale. There is no need for a UIR to create upper sectors, or upper-upper sectors, or medium upper sectors, or high altitude sectors. When traffic-wise and economically justified, a number of upper sectors may be grouped in one FDPS in an Upper ATC Centre like Maastricht UAC, or the planned CEATS in eastern Europe. But again, you don't need the notion of a UIR for that.
I maintain that UIR's are administrative remnants of the past. Don't mix up an administrative Upper Flight Information Region (UIR) with a live Upper Air Traffic Control Centre (UAC).
:)
Songbird