Glossary of Aviation Terms | Oceanic Airspace

Oceanic Airspace | Paramount Business Jets

Oceanic airspace is the airspace that separates different countries' airspace by the oceans. Every country has airspace running along its borders. When a country borders the ocean, its airspace will extend outward and past the last point of land. The point where a country’s airspace and the oceanic airspace meet is generally accepted as 12 miles from the cost of the country. In laymen's terms, oceanic airspace is any airspace over the ocean starting and ending 12 miles from any coast. It is international airspace, but can be controlled by any country willing and able to assume the responsibility.

All the oceanic airspace is divided up by a number of different countries. These countries are under agreement with ICAO to look out for and control aircraft transitioning from one side of the ocean to the other. For example, when leaving the New York coast going east across the Atlantic Ocean into Oceanic Airspace, a pilot would be under the control of Gander Oceanic Radio and then Shanwick Oceanic Radio until reaching Europe. The Pacific Oceanic Airspace is divided up into two main RADAR coverage zones. One is from Japan and the other is from California. Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, and Australia are a few of the sectors under the RADAR coverage areas that report and separate traffic. They also give aid to lost aircraft and act as a secondary source of navigation.

Oceanic airspace is becoming a lot more popular today, especially for charter jets. Since the uprising of the charter jet industry, flights to foreign areas are becoming more popular. People like to fly in the lap of luxury, and if you can afford four first-class tickets for your family to fly to Europe, you might as well go the extra mile and charter a jet. Due to the long range, low fuel consumption, high speed and comfort, and, of course, low cost, charter jets are becoming more popular in oceanic airspace and will soon be rivaling the airlines. But all one has to do is fly 12 nautical miles off the coast in order to be in oceanic airspace. Because safety and distance play a role in keeping planes closer together, only charter jets and high-performance planes should attempt to leave the shores.