Diplomatic landing and overflight authorisations

Application modalities for diplomatic clearances for any foreign state aircraft wishing to enter the airspace of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg for landing or overflight

Who is required to seek a diplomatic clearance?

All aircraft of a foreign state wishing to fly over the territory of, or wishing to land in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg require an authorisation. Are considered as foreign state aircraft:

• aircraft used in military, customs or police services
• other aircraft owned by the state or made available and used only in public interest missions

Who is issuing the diplomatic clearance?

The Directorate of Defence of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs issues the overflight clearance. Landing clearance is issued by the Directorate of Defence in consultation with the Civil Aviation Directorate (DAC).

What are the formalities to be observed?

It is for the diplomatic mission of the State concerned to submit a request to the Directorate of Defence.

The request is made by verbal note which must necessarily enclose the form "EUROPEAN UNION DIPLOMATIC CLEARANCE (DIC)" (latest version: FORM V5 dated 3 Jun 2016) containing all the information to be provided by the requesting State.

The application must be transmitted

• by email to the following address: flight.clearances@mae.etat.lu
  or
• by fax to: +352 46 26 82 

Time frame: Without prejudice to the provisions provided respectively for the EATC and the participating States to the Technical Arrangement "TA DIC" (see below), the written request must reach the Directorate of Defence not later than 3 working days before the day of the flight. The requests submitted late are processed only in well-founded exceptional cases.

If the application meets the requirements, the Directorate of Defence issues a diplomatic clearance to the diplomatic mission accredited in Luxembourg.

The authorisation is valid for a period of 24 hours before ETD (Estimated Time of Departure) and 72 hours after ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival). If an authorised flight must be advanced for more than 24 hours or postponed for more than 72 hours, a new application must be submitted.

Special provisions (EATC, TA DIC, ATFMX)

Regarding flights under the command of the EATC (European Air Transport Command), please refer to the modalities provided in the document "pMDCN for EATC flights" (version 002 of 10 December 2012).

Regarding military transport flights of participating States to the "Technical Arrangement concerning Diplomatic Clearances for Participants' Military Transport Aircraft in their respective national airspace or territory" (TA DIC), please refer to the modalities set in the aforementioned technical arrangement and to the portal https://dic.eda.europa.eu/.

As regards applications for the use of ATFM (air traffic flow management) exemptions, please refer to the appropriate procedure published on Guichet.lu: DAC form. The deliverance of a diplomatic clearance does not exempt the operator from requesting an ATFM exemption for departing flights. 

Legal bases (in French):

• Loi modifiée du 31 janvier 1948 relative à la réglementation de la navigation aérienne

Extraits:

Art. 1er : "Pour l´application de la présente loi, sont réputés Aéronefs, tous appareils pouvant se soutenir dans l´atmosphère grâce aux réactions de l´air.Aéronefs d’Etat, les aéronefs militaires et les autres aéronefs appartenant à l’Etat ou mis à sa disposition et affectés exclusivement à des missions d’intérêt public.(…)Les dispositions de la présente loi et les dispositions prises en son exécution sont applicables aux aéronefs privés ainsi qu’aux aéronefs d’Etat. Les règlements grand-ducaux pris en exécution de la présente loi et portant sur l’immatriculation, l’équipement technique et la circulation aérienne peuvent comporter des dispositions différentes selon que celles-ci s’appliquent aux aéronefs privés ou aux aéronefs d’Etat." 
Art. 3, alinéa 3 : "L’atterrissage et le survol du Grand-Duché par les aéronefs militaires et les aéronefs d’Etat étrangers sont subordonnés à l’autorisation du ministre ayant la défense dans ses attributions." 

• Loi modifiée du 19 mai 1999 ayant pour objet

1. de réglementer l'accès au marché de l'assistance en escale à l'aéroport de Luxembourg,
2. de créer un cadre réglementaire dans le domaine de la sûreté de l'aviation civile, et
3. d'instituer une Direction de l'Aviation Civile.