L9 MEA between Bristol and CPT
For a flight from Filton to Cambridge this afternoon I filed DCT MALBY L9 KENET LOREL2L STAR (via WCO) at FL70, which seems to get accepted by IFPS and respect the airway MEAs, which rise to FL90 west of MALBY and also east of KENET.
Bristol told me that London required me at FL90 to use the airway, and FL90 wasn't a problem on the day. Is this really the case for a Cambridge (Stansted) STAR or is there just an expectation that L9 eastbound normally overflies the TMA and so requires FL90?
(I appreciate that FL70 is a PITA in the TMA, but unpressurised with icing above there's sometimes no choice.)