Nav Canada will decommission the Volmet service provided by the International Flight Service Station (IFSS) at Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador, effective June 12 at 0901 Zulu. The decision follows a formal review of operational requirements for in-flight meteorological broadcasts within the Gander Oceanic Control Area (OCA).
Transmitting terminal weather reports on high-frequency (HF) radio, the Volmet broadcast has historically supported pilots transiting international routes over the North Atlantic. These scheduled reports, coordinated to avoid frequency overlap within global Volmet regions, provide METAR and other key weather data.
According to Nav Canada, the removal of the Gander Volmet service “will not have a material impact on stakeholders” and does not represent a material change to the services offered to aircraft operating in the Gander OCA.
The decision reflects ongoing technological shifts in the cockpit environment. “Aviation technology has evolved to allow suitably equipped aircraft to acquire the required meteorological information directly from alternate sources,” Nav Canada noted. As a result, the need for crews to monitor scheduled HF broadcasts has diminished.
For aircraft not equipped to receive automated weather updates, the Gander IFSS will continue to provide weather information by request over the existing North Atlantic HF suite. Nav Canada said relevant aeronautical publications will be updated to reflect the change.