The DRVSM program objective is to implement RVSM between flight level (FL) 290-410 (inclusive) in the airspace of the lower 48 States of the United States, Alaska, Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic High Offshore Airspace (including Houston and Miami Oceanic airspace) and the San Juan FIR.
The implementation date/time is January 20, 2005 at 0901 UTC.
On the same date and time and at the same flight levels, Canada and Mexico will implement RVSM. Canada implemented RVSM in its Northern Domestic Airspace in April 2002 and will expand RVSM into Canadian Southern Domestic Airspace in January 2005.
The RVSM program enables vertical separation to be reduced between FL 290-410 (inclusive) from 2,000 ft. to 1,000 ft. RVSM was first implemented in North Atlantic Airspace in 1997. It is now implemented in other major airspaces such as Europe, the Pacific Ocean and Australia.
The goal of DRVSM is to provide user and provider benefits in domestic U.S. operations that have been enjoyed since 1997 in other world airspaces. RVSM makes six additional flight levels available for operations between FL 290-410. It has been show to: enhance aircraft operating efficiency by making more fuel/time efficient flight levels available; enhance air traffic control flexibility and provide the potential for enhanced enroute airspace capacity.
