Flight level
Encyclopedia
A Flight Level is a standard nominal altitude
of an aircraft
, in hundreds of feet. This altitude is calculated from the International standard
pressure datum of 1013.25 hPa
(29.92 inHg
), the average sea-level pressure, and therefore is not necessarily the same as the aircraft's true altitude either above mean sea level
or above ground level
.
, which is essentially a calibrated barometer
. An altimeter measures air pressure, which decreases with increasing altitude following the barometric formula
, and from the surrounding's pressure calculates and displays the corresponding altitude.
To display altitude above sea level, a pilot must recalibrate the altimeter according to the local air pressure at sea level, to take into account natural variation of pressure over time and in different regions. If this is not done, two aircraft could be flying at the same altitude
even though their altimeters appear to show that they are at considerably different altitudes. This is a critical safety issue.
Flight levels solve this problem - of aircraft flying at the same altitude, though their altimeters indicate different barometric heights - by defining altitudes based on a standardised air pressure at sea-level. All aircraft operating on flight levels calibrate to this setting regardless of the actual sea level pressure.
") in feet, divided by 100. Therefore an apparent altitude of, for example, 32,000 feet is referred to as "flight level 320". To avoid collisions between two aircraft due to their being at the same altitude, their 'real' altitudes (compared to ground level, for example) are not important; it is the difference in altitudes that determines whether they might collide. This difference can be determined from the air pressure at each craft, and does not require knowledge of the local air pressure on the ground.
Flight levels are usually designated in writing as FLxxx, where xxx is a one- to three-digit number indicating the pressure altitude in units of 100 feet. In radio communications, FL290 would be pronounced as "flight level two niner zero", in most jurisdictions. The phrase "flight level" makes it clear that this refers to the standardized pressure altitude.
or "altimeter setting" and is available from various sources, including air traffic control
and the local METAR
-issuing station.
The transition altitude (TA) is the altitude above sea level at which aircraft change from the use of altitude to the use of flight levels. When operating at or below the TA, aircraft altimeters are usually set to show the altitude above sea level. Above the TA, the aircraft altimeter pressure setting is normally adjusted to the standard pressure setting of 1013 hectopascals
(millibars) or 29.92 inches of mercury and aircraft altitude will be expressed as a flight level.
In the United States and Canada, the transition altitude is 18,000 ft. In Europe, the transition altitude varies and can be as low as 3,000 ft. There are discussions to standardise the transition altitude within the Eurocontrol area.
On November 25, 2004 the Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand
raised New Zealand's transition altitude from 11,000 feet to 13,000 feet and changing the transition level from FL130 to FL150.
The transition level is the lowest flight level above the transition altitude. The table on the right shows the transition level according to transition altitude and QNH. When descending below the transition level, the pilot starts to refer to altitude
of the aircraft by setting the altimeter to the QNH
for the region or airfield. Note that the transition level is, by definition, less than 500 ft above the transition altitude. Aircraft are not normally assigned to fly at the transition level as this does not guarantee separation from other traffic flying (on QNH) at the transition altitude; the lowest usable flight level is the transition level plus 500 ft.
The transition layer is the airspace between the transition altitude and the transition level.
In some countries, e.g., Norway
, the transition level is determined including a buffer of minimum 1000 ft (depending on QNH) to the transition altitude. Therefore aircraft may be flying at both transition level and transition altitude, and still be vertically separated by at least 1000 ft. In those areas the transition layer will be a given vertical distance between 1000 ft and 1500 ft, depending on QNH.
flights in the UK both in and outside of controlled airspace except that such aircraft may be flown at a level other than required by this rule if flying in conformity with instructions given by an air traffic control unit, or if complying with notified en-route holding patterns or holding procedures notified in relation to an aerodrome. The rule affects only those aircraft operating under IFR when in level flight above 3,000 ft above mean sea level, or above the appropriate transition altitude, whichever is the higher, and when below FL195 (19,500 ft above the 1013.2 hPa datum in the UK, or with the altimeter set according to the system published by the competent authority in relation to the area over which the aircraft is flying if such aircraft is not flying over the UK.)
The rule is non-binding upon flights operating under VFR
.
Minimum vertical separation between two flights abiding by the UK Quadrantal Rule is 500 ft (note these are in geopotential
foot units). The level to be flown is determined by the magnetic track of the aircraft, as follows:
The semicircular rule (also known as the hemispheric rule) applies, in slightly different version, in all of the world, including in the UK inside controlled airspace.
The standard rule defines an East/West track split:
At FL 290 and above, if Reduced Vertical Separation Minima
are not in use, 4,000 ft intervals are used to separate same-direction aircraft (instead of 2,000 ft intervals below FL 290), and only odd flight levels are assigned, depending on the direction of flight:
Countries where the major airways are oriented north/south (e.g. New Zealand; Italy; Portugal) have semicircular rules that define a North/South rather than an East/West track split.
In Italy, for example, southbound traffic uses odd flight levels.
In Europe are commonly used ICAO separation levels as per the following table:
VERTICAL SEPARATION OF VFR AND IFR FLIGHTS
MAGNETIC ROUTES
FOM 0° TO 179° FOM 180° TO 359°
VFR IFR VFR IFR
FL FEET FL FEET FL FEET FL FEET
- - 010 1.000 - - 020 2.000
- - 030 3.000 - - 040 4.000
35 3.500 050 5.000 45 4.500 060 6.000
55 5.500 070 7.000 65 6.500 080 8.000
75 7.500 090 9.000 85 8.500 100 10.000
95 9.500 110 11.000 105 10.500 120 12.000
115 11.500 130 13.000 125 12.500 140 14.000
135 13.500 150 15.000 145 14.500 160 16.000
155 15.500 170 17.000 165 16.500 180 18.000
175 17.500 190 19.000 185 18.500 200 20.000
195 19.500 210 21.000 - - 220 22.000
- - 230 23.000 - - 240 24.000
- - 250 25.000 - - 260 26.000
- - 270 27.000 - - 280 28.000
- - 290 29.000 - - 310 31.000
- - 330 33.000 - - 350 35.000
- - 370 37.000 - - 390 39.000
- - 410 41.000 - - 430 43.000
- - 450 45.000 - - 470 47.000
- - 490 49.000 - - 510 51.000
- - - - - - - -
. Different altitudes will apply for aircraft flying under visual flight rules (VFR)
above 3000 ft AGL.)
Reduced Vertical Separation Minima
or RVSM reduces the vertical separation above FL 290 from 2,000 ft to 1,000 ft. This allows aircraft to safely fly more optimum routes, gain fuel savings and increase airspace capacity by adding six new flight levels. Only aircraft that have been certified to meet RVSM standards, with several exclusions, are allowed to fly in RVSM airspace. It was introduced into the UK in March 2001. On January 20, 2002, it entered European airspace. The United States, Canada and Mexico transitioned to RVSM between FL 290 and FL 410 on January 20, 2005, and Africa on September 25, 2008.
At FL 410 and above, 4,000 ft intervals are resumed to separate same-direction aircraft and only odd Flight Levels are assigned, depending on the direction of flight:
countries have used flight levels specified in metres for years. Aircraft entering these areas normally make a slight climb or descent to adjust for this, although Russia and some CIS countries started using feet above transition altitude and introduced RSVM at the same time on 17 November, 2011.
The flight levels below apply to Mongolia, North Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan and 6,000 m or below in Turkmenistan (where feet is used for FL210 and above). Flight levels are read as e.g. "flight level 7,500 metres":
Track 180 to 359°
and every 2,000 metres thereafter.
Track 000 to 179°
and every 2,000 metres thereafter.
The following table is true for IFR flights:
Track 180 to 359°
Track 000 to 179°
The new system would eliminate to perform climbs and descends in order to enter or leave the Russian airspace.
Altitude
Altitude or height is defined based on the context in which it is used . As a general definition, altitude is a distance measurement, usually in the vertical or "up" direction, between a reference datum and a point or object. The reference datum also often varies according to the context...
of an aircraft
Aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...
, in hundreds of feet. This altitude is calculated from the International standard
International Standard Atmosphere
The International Standard Atmosphere is an atmospheric model of how the pressure, temperature, density, and viscosity of the Earth's atmosphere change over a wide range of altitudes. It has been established to provide a common reference for temperature and pressure and consists of tables of...
pressure datum of 1013.25 hPa
Pascal (unit)
The pascal is the SI derived unit of pressure, internal pressure, stress, Young's modulus and tensile strength, named after the French mathematician, physicist, inventor, writer, and philosopher Blaise Pascal. It is a measure of force per unit area, defined as one newton per square metre...
(29.92 inHg
Inch of mercury
Inches of mercury, ' is a unit of measurement for pressure. It is still widely used for barometric pressure in weather reports, refrigeration and aviation in the United States, but is seldom used elsewhere....
), the average sea-level pressure, and therefore is not necessarily the same as the aircraft's true altitude either above mean sea level
Above mean sea level
The term above mean sea level refers to the elevation or altitude of any object, relative to the average sea level datum. AMSL is used extensively in radio by engineers to determine the coverage area a station will be able to reach...
or above ground level
Above ground level
In aviation and atmospheric sciences, an altitude is said to be above ground level when it is measured with respect to the underlying ground surface. This is as opposed to above mean sea level , or in broadcast engineering, height above average terrain...
.
Background
Historically, altitude has been measured using a pressure altimeterAltimeter
An altimeter is an instrument used to measure the altitude of an object above a fixed level. The measurement of altitude is called altimetry, which is related to the term bathymetry, the measurement of depth underwater.-Pressure altimeter:...
, which is essentially a calibrated barometer
Barometer
A barometer is a scientific instrument used in meteorology to measure atmospheric pressure. Pressure tendency can forecast short term changes in the weather...
. An altimeter measures air pressure, which decreases with increasing altitude following the barometric formula
Barometric formula
The barometric formula, sometimes called the exponential atmosphere or isothermal atmosphere, is a formula used to model how the pressure of the air changes with altitude.-Pressure equations:...
, and from the surrounding's pressure calculates and displays the corresponding altitude.
To display altitude above sea level, a pilot must recalibrate the altimeter according to the local air pressure at sea level, to take into account natural variation of pressure over time and in different regions. If this is not done, two aircraft could be flying at the same altitude
Altitude
Altitude or height is defined based on the context in which it is used . As a general definition, altitude is a distance measurement, usually in the vertical or "up" direction, between a reference datum and a point or object. The reference datum also often varies according to the context...
even though their altimeters appear to show that they are at considerably different altitudes. This is a critical safety issue.
Flight levels solve this problem - of aircraft flying at the same altitude, though their altimeters indicate different barometric heights - by defining altitudes based on a standardised air pressure at sea-level. All aircraft operating on flight levels calibrate to this setting regardless of the actual sea level pressure.
Definition
Flight levels are described by a number, which is this nominal altitude ("pressure altitudePressure altitude
In aviation, pressure altitude is the indicated altitude when an altimeter is set to an agreed baseline pressure setting. The baseline pressure is 1013.25 hPa, equivalent to 1013.25 millibar, or 29.92 inches of mercury. This setting is equivalent to the air pressure at mean sea level in the...
") in feet, divided by 100. Therefore an apparent altitude of, for example, 32,000 feet is referred to as "flight level 320". To avoid collisions between two aircraft due to their being at the same altitude, their 'real' altitudes (compared to ground level, for example) are not important; it is the difference in altitudes that determines whether they might collide. This difference can be determined from the air pressure at each craft, and does not require knowledge of the local air pressure on the ground.
Flight levels are usually designated in writing as FLxxx, where xxx is a one- to three-digit number indicating the pressure altitude in units of 100 feet. In radio communications, FL290 would be pronounced as "flight level two niner zero", in most jurisdictions. The phrase "flight level" makes it clear that this refers to the standardized pressure altitude.
Transition altitude
While use of a standardised pressure setting facilitates separation of aircraft from each other, it does not provide the aircraft's actual height above ground. At low altitudes the true height of an aircraft relative to an object on the ground needs to be known. The pressure setting to achieve this is called QNHQNH
QNH is one of the many Q codes. It is defined as, "barometric pressure adjusted to sea level." It is a pressure setting used by pilots, air traffic control , and low frequency weather beacons to refer to the barometric setting which, when set on an aircraft's altimeter, will cause the altimeter to...
or "altimeter setting" and is available from various sources, including air traffic control
Air traffic control
Air traffic control is a service provided by ground-based controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and in the air. The primary purpose of ATC systems worldwide is to separate aircraft to prevent collisions, to organize and expedite the flow of traffic, and to provide information and other...
and the local METAR
METAR
METAR is a format for reporting weather information. A METAR weather report is predominantly used by pilots in fulfillment of a part of a pre-flight weather briefing, and by meteorologists, who use aggregated METAR information to assist in weather forecasting....
-issuing station.
The transition altitude (TA) is the altitude above sea level at which aircraft change from the use of altitude to the use of flight levels. When operating at or below the TA, aircraft altimeters are usually set to show the altitude above sea level. Above the TA, the aircraft altimeter pressure setting is normally adjusted to the standard pressure setting of 1013 hectopascals
Pascal (unit)
The pascal is the SI derived unit of pressure, internal pressure, stress, Young's modulus and tensile strength, named after the French mathematician, physicist, inventor, writer, and philosopher Blaise Pascal. It is a measure of force per unit area, defined as one newton per square metre...
(millibars) or 29.92 inches of mercury and aircraft altitude will be expressed as a flight level.
| QNH QNH QNH is one of the many Q codes. It is defined as, "barometric pressure adjusted to sea level." It is a pressure setting used by pilots, air traffic control , and low frequency weather beacons to refer to the barometric setting which, when set on an aircraft's altimeter, will cause the altimeter to... (in millibars) | | Transition altitude (in feet) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3,000 | 4,000 | 5,000 | 6,000 | 18,000 | |
| 1032–1050 | FL025 | FL035 | FL045 | FL055 | FL175 |
| 1014–1032 | FL030 | FL040 | FL050 | FL060 | FL180 |
| 996-1013 | FL035 | FL045 | FL055 | FL065 | FL185 |
| 978-995 | FL040 | FL050 | FL060 | FL070 | FL190 |
| 960-977 | FL045 | FL055 | FL065 | FL075 | FL195 |
| 943-959 | FL050 | FL060 | FL070 | FL080 | FL200 |
In the United States and Canada, the transition altitude is 18,000 ft. In Europe, the transition altitude varies and can be as low as 3,000 ft. There are discussions to standardise the transition altitude within the Eurocontrol area.
On November 25, 2004 the Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand
Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand
The Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand is the government agency tasked with establishing civil aviation safety and security standards in New Zealand....
raised New Zealand's transition altitude from 11,000 feet to 13,000 feet and changing the transition level from FL130 to FL150.
The transition level is the lowest flight level above the transition altitude. The table on the right shows the transition level according to transition altitude and QNH. When descending below the transition level, the pilot starts to refer to altitude
Altitude
Altitude or height is defined based on the context in which it is used . As a general definition, altitude is a distance measurement, usually in the vertical or "up" direction, between a reference datum and a point or object. The reference datum also often varies according to the context...
of the aircraft by setting the altimeter to the QNH
QNH
QNH is one of the many Q codes. It is defined as, "barometric pressure adjusted to sea level." It is a pressure setting used by pilots, air traffic control , and low frequency weather beacons to refer to the barometric setting which, when set on an aircraft's altimeter, will cause the altimeter to...
for the region or airfield. Note that the transition level is, by definition, less than 500 ft above the transition altitude. Aircraft are not normally assigned to fly at the transition level as this does not guarantee separation from other traffic flying (on QNH) at the transition altitude; the lowest usable flight level is the transition level plus 500 ft.
The transition layer is the airspace between the transition altitude and the transition level.
In some countries, e.g., Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, the transition level is determined including a buffer of minimum 1000 ft (depending on QNH) to the transition altitude. Therefore aircraft may be flying at both transition level and transition altitude, and still be vertically separated by at least 1000 ft. In those areas the transition layer will be a given vertical distance between 1000 ft and 1500 ft, depending on QNH.
Quadrantal rule
This rule applies to IFRInstrument flight rules
Instrument flight rules are one of two sets of regulations governing all aspects of civil aviation aircraft operations; the other are visual flight rules ....
flights in the UK both in and outside of controlled airspace except that such aircraft may be flown at a level other than required by this rule if flying in conformity with instructions given by an air traffic control unit, or if complying with notified en-route holding patterns or holding procedures notified in relation to an aerodrome. The rule affects only those aircraft operating under IFR when in level flight above 3,000 ft above mean sea level, or above the appropriate transition altitude, whichever is the higher, and when below FL195 (19,500 ft above the 1013.2 hPa datum in the UK, or with the altimeter set according to the system published by the competent authority in relation to the area over which the aircraft is flying if such aircraft is not flying over the UK.)
The rule is non-binding upon flights operating under VFR
Visual flight rules
Visual flight rules are a set of regulations which allow a pilot to operate an aircraft in weather conditions generally clear enough to allow the pilot to see where the aircraft is going. Specifically, the weather must be better than basic VFR weather minimums, as specified in the rules of the...
.
Minimum vertical separation between two flights abiding by the UK Quadrantal Rule is 500 ft (note these are in geopotential
Geopotential height
Geopotential height is a vertical coordinate referenced to Earth's mean sea level — an adjustment to geometric height using the variation of gravity with latitude and elevation. Thus it can be considered a "gravity-adjusted height"...
foot units). The level to be flown is determined by the magnetic track of the aircraft, as follows:
- Magnetic Track 000 to, and including, 089° - odd thousands of feet (FL70, 90, 110 etc.)
- Magnetic Track 090 to, and including, 179° - odd thousands plus 500 ft (FL75, 95, 115 etc.)
- Magnetic Track 180 to, and including, 269° - even thousands of feet (FL80, 100, 120 etc.)
- Magnetic Track 270 to, and including, 359° - even thousands plus 500 ft (FL85, 105, 125 etc.)
Semicircular/Hemispheric rule
(Versions of this apply to IFR in the UK inside controlled airspace and generally in the rest of the world)The semicircular rule (also known as the hemispheric rule) applies, in slightly different version, in all of the world, including in the UK inside controlled airspace.
The standard rule defines an East/West track split:
- Eastbound - Magnetic Track 000 to 179° - odd thousands (FL 250, 270, etc.)
- Westbound - Magnetic Track 180 to 359° - even thousands (FL 260, 280, etc.)
At FL 290 and above, if Reduced Vertical Separation Minima
Reduced Vertical Separation Minima
Reduced Vertical Separation Minima or Minimum is an aviation term used to describe the reduction of the standard vertical separation required between aircraft flying above FL285 and up to FL410 from 2,000 feet to 1,000 feet...
are not in use, 4,000 ft intervals are used to separate same-direction aircraft (instead of 2,000 ft intervals below FL 290), and only odd flight levels are assigned, depending on the direction of flight:
- Eastbound - Magnetic Track 000 to 179° - odd flight levels (FL 290, 330, 370, etc.)
- Westbound - Magnetic Track 180 to 359° - odd flight levels (FL 310, 350, 390, etc.)
Countries where the major airways are oriented north/south (e.g. New Zealand; Italy; Portugal) have semicircular rules that define a North/South rather than an East/West track split.
In Italy, for example, southbound traffic uses odd flight levels.
In Europe are commonly used ICAO separation levels as per the following table:
VERTICAL SEPARATION OF VFR AND IFR FLIGHTS
MAGNETIC ROUTES
FOM 0° TO 179° FOM 180° TO 359°
VFR IFR VFR IFR
FL FEET FL FEET FL FEET FL FEET
- - 010 1.000 - - 020 2.000
- - 030 3.000 - - 040 4.000
35 3.500 050 5.000 45 4.500 060 6.000
55 5.500 070 7.000 65 6.500 080 8.000
75 7.500 090 9.000 85 8.500 100 10.000
95 9.500 110 11.000 105 10.500 120 12.000
115 11.500 130 13.000 125 12.500 140 14.000
135 13.500 150 15.000 145 14.500 160 16.000
155 15.500 170 17.000 165 16.500 180 18.000
175 17.500 190 19.000 185 18.500 200 20.000
195 19.500 210 21.000 - - 220 22.000
- - 230 23.000 - - 240 24.000
- - 250 25.000 - - 260 26.000
- - 270 27.000 - - 280 28.000
- - 290 29.000 - - 310 31.000
- - 330 33.000 - - 350 35.000
- - 370 37.000 - - 390 39.000
- - 410 41.000 - - 430 43.000
- - 450 45.000 - - 470 47.000
- - 490 49.000 - - 510 51.000
- - - - - - - -
Reduced Vertical Separation Minima
(In the U.S. and Canada, the foregoing information applies to flights under instrument flight rules (IFR)Instrument flight rules
Instrument flight rules are one of two sets of regulations governing all aspects of civil aviation aircraft operations; the other are visual flight rules ....
. Different altitudes will apply for aircraft flying under visual flight rules (VFR)
Visual flight rules
Visual flight rules are a set of regulations which allow a pilot to operate an aircraft in weather conditions generally clear enough to allow the pilot to see where the aircraft is going. Specifically, the weather must be better than basic VFR weather minimums, as specified in the rules of the...
above 3000 ft AGL.)
Reduced Vertical Separation Minima
Reduced Vertical Separation Minima
Reduced Vertical Separation Minima or Minimum is an aviation term used to describe the reduction of the standard vertical separation required between aircraft flying above FL285 and up to FL410 from 2,000 feet to 1,000 feet...
or RVSM reduces the vertical separation above FL 290 from 2,000 ft to 1,000 ft. This allows aircraft to safely fly more optimum routes, gain fuel savings and increase airspace capacity by adding six new flight levels. Only aircraft that have been certified to meet RVSM standards, with several exclusions, are allowed to fly in RVSM airspace. It was introduced into the UK in March 2001. On January 20, 2002, it entered European airspace. The United States, Canada and Mexico transitioned to RVSM between FL 290 and FL 410 on January 20, 2005, and Africa on September 25, 2008.
- Track 000 to 179° - odd thousands (FL 290, 310, 330, etc.)
- Track 180 to 359° - even thousands (FL 300, 320, 340, etc.)
At FL 410 and above, 4,000 ft intervals are resumed to separate same-direction aircraft and only odd Flight Levels are assigned, depending on the direction of flight:
- Track 000 to 179° - odd flight levels (FL 410, 450, 490, etc.)
- Track 180 to 359° - odd flight levels (FL 430, 470, 510, etc.)
Metric flight levels
China, Mongolia, Russia and many CISCommonwealth of Independent States
The Commonwealth of Independent States is a regional organization whose participating countries are former Soviet Republics, formed during the breakup of the Soviet Union....
countries have used flight levels specified in metres for years. Aircraft entering these areas normally make a slight climb or descent to adjust for this, although Russia and some CIS countries started using feet above transition altitude and introduced RSVM at the same time on 17 November, 2011.
The flight levels below apply to Mongolia, North Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan and 6,000 m or below in Turkmenistan (where feet is used for FL210 and above). Flight levels are read as e.g. "flight level 7,500 metres":
Track 180 to 359°
- 600 m (2,000 ft)
- 1,200 m (3,900 ft)
- 1,800 m (5,900 ft)
- 2,400 m (7,900 ft)
- 3,000 m (9,800 ft)
- 3,600 m (11,800 ft)
- 4,200 m (13,800 ft)
- 4,800 m (15,700 ft)
- 5,400 m (17,700 ft)
- 6,000 m (19,700 ft)
- 6,600 m (21,700 ft)
- 7,200 m (23,600 ft)
- 7,800 m (25,600 ft)
- 8,600 m (28,200 ft)
- 9,600 m (31,500 ft)
- 10,600 m (34,800 ft)
- 11,600 m (38,100 ft)
- 13,100 m (43,000 ft)
- 15,100 m (49,500 ft)
and every 2,000 metres thereafter.
Track 000 to 179°
- 900 m (3,000 ft)
- 1,500 m (4,900 ft)
- 2,100 m (6,900 ft)
- 2,700 m (8,900 ft)
- 3,300 m (10,800 ft)
- 3,900 m (12,800 ft)
- 4,500 m (14,800 ft)
- 5,100 m (16,700 ft)
- 5,700 m (18,700 ft)
- 6,300 m (20,700 ft)
- 6,900 m (22,600 ft)
- 7,500 m (24,600 ft)
- 8,100 m (26,600 ft)
- 9,100 m (29,900 ft)
- 10,100 m (33,100 ft)
- 11,100 m (36,400 ft)
- 12,100 m (39,700 ft)
- 14,100 m (46,300 ft)
and every 2,000 metres thereafter.
Flight levels in Russian Federation
On 5 September 2011, the government of the Russian Federation issued a decree №743 , pertaining to the changes in the rules of use of the country's airspace. The new rules came into force on 17 November 2011, introducing a flight level system similar to the one used in the west. RSVM is also in force since this date.The following table is true for IFR flights:
Track 180 to 359°
| FL | METERS | FEET |
| 10 | 300 | 1000 |
| 30 | 900 | 3000 |
| 50 | 1500 | 5000 |
| 70 | 2150 | 7000 |
| 90 | 2750 | 9000 |
| 110 | 3350 | 11000 |
| 130 | 3950 | 13000 |
| 150 | 4550 | 15000 |
| 170 | 5200 | 17000 |
| 190 | 5800 | 19000 |
| 210 | 6400 | 21000 |
| 230 | 7000 | 23000 |
| 250 | 7600 | 25000 |
| 270 | 8250 | 27000 |
| 290 | 8850 | 29000 |
| 310 | 9450 | 31000 |
| 330 | 10050 | 33000 |
| 350 | 10650 | 35000 |
| 370 | 11300 | 37000 |
| 390 | 11900 | 39000 |
| 410 | 12500 | 41000 |
| 450 | 13700 | 45000 |
| 490 | 14950 | 49000 |
Track 000 to 179°
| FL | METERS | FEET |
| 20 | 600 | 2000 |
| 40 | 1200 | 4000 |
| 60 | 1850 | 6000 |
| 80 | 2450 | 8000 |
| 100 | 3050 | 10000 |
| 120 | 3650 | 12000 |
| 140 | 4250 | 14000 |
| 160 | 4900 | 16000 |
| 180 | 5500 | 18000 |
| 200 | 6100 | 20000 |
| 220 | 6700 | 22000 |
| 240 | 7300 | 24000 |
| 260 | 7900 | 26000 |
| 280 | 8550 | 28000 |
| 300 | 9150 | 30000 |
| 320 | 9750 | 32000 |
| 340 | 10350 | 34000 |
| 360 | 10950 | 36000 |
| 380 | 11600 | 38000 |
| 400 | 12200 | 40000 |
| 430 | 13100 | 43000 |
| 470 | 14350 | 47000 |
| 510 | 15550 | 51000 |
The new system would eliminate to perform climbs and descends in order to enter or leave the Russian airspace.