Introduction and General Policies

(a) Air traffic control (ATC) may apply 50 nautical mile (NM) lateral separation (i.e., lateral spacing) between airplanes authorized for Required Navigation Performance (RNP) 10 or RNP 4 operating in the Gulf of America. 50 NM lateral separation may be applied in the following airspace:

(1) Houston Oceanic Control Area (CTA)/Flight Information Region (FIR).

(2) Gulf of America portion of the Miami Oceanic CTA/FIR.

(3) Monterrey CTA.

(4) Merida High CTA within the Mexico CTA/FIR.

(b) Within the Gulf of America airspace described above, pairs of airplanes whose flight plans indicate approval for PBN and either RNP 10 or RNP 4 may be spaced by ATC at lateral intervals of 50 NM. ATC will space any airplane without RNP 10 or RNP 4 capability such that at least 90 NM lateral separation is maintained with other airplanes in the Miami Oceanic CTA/FIR, and at least 100 NM separation is maintained in the Houston, Monterrey, and Merida CTA/FIRs.

(c) The reduced lateral separation allows more airplanes to fly on optimum routes/altitudes over the Gulf of America.

(d) 50 NM lateral separation is not applied on routes defined by ground navigation aids or on Gulf RNAV Routes Q100, Q102, or Q105.

(e) Useful information for flight planning and operations over the Gulf of America, under this 50 NM lateral separation policy, as well as information on how to obtain RNP 10 or RNP 4 authorization, can be found in the West Atlantic, Gulf of America, and Caribbean Resource Guide for U.S. Operators located at: https://www.faa.gov/headquartersoffices/avs/wat-gulf-and-caribbean-resource-guide .