What To Expect During Opposite Direction Approaches

Air traffic controllers work under very specific guidelines when conducting opposite-direction approaches in VFR or IFR conditions, as outlined recently in the FAA Order 7210.884. A few of the guidelines that pilots should understand include a rule that tower controllers are unable to apply visual separation when using opposite-direction IFR approaches, until at least one aircraft begins a turn away from a conflicting course. Each FAA facility must also have predefined cutoff fixes for both arrivals and departures. The only exception under which a controller will be allowed to approve opposite-direction approaches inside any of these cutoff fixes is during an emergency.

The new FAA procedures resulted from a national workgroup study that last year reviewed the current state of opposite-direction approaches throughout the NAS and developed national guidance for field facilities.