Canadian Climb and Descend Via Phraseology

With a new year comes new challenges, but Father Time is poised to deliver flight crews operating in North America a belated holiday gift. New regulations, guidance, policies, and procedures are commonplace for pilots, so we will gladly welcome changes that simplify our lives.

In 2016, ICAO recommended that member states adopt standardized phraseology for departure (SID) and arrival (STAR) procedures in an effort to harmonize phraseology used by both air traffic control and pilots; however, these changes are not regulatory, and each member state must chose when, or even if, they plan to implement them.

In past years, there has been a significant difference between the phraseology used by US and Canadian controllers in regards to SID and STAR procedures. Owing to the recommendations of ICAO, beginning April 27, 2017, Canadian controllers will begin using "Climb/Descend Via" phraseology for all SID and STAR procedures which incorporate speed and altitude restrictions. Read more in the recently released Aeronautical Information Circular 2/17. In addition, you can watch this very informative video produced by Nav Canada.