The FAA has issued a Revised Aircraft Equipment Suffix Table For FAA Flight Plans which takes effect September 1, 2005. this revision is the fourth and final revision “to enable operators to better indicate aircraft Advanced RNAV and RVSM capabilities using aircraft equipment suffixes.” Starting September 1, “/J”, “/K” “/L” or a newly defined “/Q” will be filed to indicate Advanced RNAV and RVSM capabilities while “/W” will continue to indicate RVSM capability only. The revised table also contains significant changes to the definitions of “/E”, “/F” and “/Q” and will replace that currently posted in the February 17, 2005 edition of the Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM).
According to the FAA, ATC uses the flight plan equipment suffix information in connection with issuance or denial of clearance into RVSM airspace, application of a 2,000 foot vertical separation minimum in RVSM airspace to aircraft that are not authorized for RVSM, but are in one of the limited categories of Non-RVSM operators/aircraft that the FAA has agreed to accommodate, and determining whether an aircraft has “Advanced RNAV” capabilities and can be cleared to fly procedures for which that capability is required.
