A continuous climb operation (CCO) (1) is an aircraft operating technique, enabled by airspace design, procedure design and ATC clearances in which departing aircraft climb without interruption, to the greatest possible extent, by employing optimum climb engine thrust at climb speeds until reaching the cruise flight level. The optimum vertical profile takes the form of a continuously climbing path.

Operating at optimum flight levels is a key driver to improving fuel efficiency and minimise carbon emissions as a large proportion of fuel burn occurs during the climb phase.

Many major airports now employ PBN procedures which can enable both CCO and continuous descent operations (CDO) and, in a large number of cases, judicious airspace and procedure design has resulted in significant reductions in environmental impacts. This is particularly the case where the airspace design has supported CCO and CDO.

CCO does not adversely affect safety and capacity and will produce environmental and operational benefits including reductions to fuel burn, gaseous emissions and noise impact.

It is important that monitoring and measuring of CCO execution is defined across ECAC using harmonised definitions to avoid misleading interpretations of performance measurement. It is equally important that CCO execution is measured across ECAC, as far as practicable, using a harmonised methodology and parameters. Whilst reporting can be undertaken at the local level according to local legislation and requirements, when CCO execution is reported on an international basis, this measurement should always be based upon a harmonised method, parameters and metric. The proposed methodology (4) identified by the European TF on CCO/CDO is detailed at http://www.eurocontrol.int/articles/continuous-climb-and-descent-operations.

NOTES:
(1) Since the publication of ICAO Doc 9993, the term Continuous Climb Operation (CCO) has generally replaced the term CCD (Continuous Climb Departure).
(2) In principle, it is not required to implement CCO on a 24/7 basis, but it should be facilitated to the extent possible, according to local conditions.
(3) Being a Local objective to be applied at individual airports according to their local needs, this objective does not have a mandatory implementation deadline. As reference guidance the expected date for deployment of Block 0 modules in the ICAO GANP, to which this objective is linked through ASBU B0-CCO, is 2013-2019.
(4) At the time of publication of this document, the methodology released in 2016 by the CCO/CDO TF1 is currently being reviewed by the CCO/CDO TF2.

NOTE FOR MILITARY AUTHORITIES: It is the responsibility of each military authority to review this Objective IN ITS ENTIRETY and address each of the SLoAs that the military authority considers RELEVANT for itself. This has to be done on top and above of the review of "MIL" SLoAs which identify actions EXCLUSIVE to military authorities.

Edition

2022

Stakeholders

Air Navigation Service Provider / Airport Operator / Airspace Users

Type

SESAR

Scope

Local/Airport

Status

Active