โ๏ธ New Aeronautical Information Circular (AIC) Detected
AIC: AIC 019/2026
Published: 2026-09-03
Type: Charts / Publications Update
FIR: NATIONWIDE (Nationwide)
๐ง What Changed (Summary)
British Columbia, Alberta, and the Northwest Territories are ending seasonal time changes and moving to year-round fixed UTC offsets. NAV CANADA will update aeronautical information products to reflect new time zone factors and related hours of operation data, with a phased transition through late 2026.
- New year-round time zone factors planned effective November 2026: UTCโ7 for most of BC; UTCโ6 for Alberta and the Northwest Territories.
- South-East BC (East Kootenay and Golden region): may observe UTCโ6 to align with Alberta, or may be undecided.
- NAV CANADA will amend time zone factors and related information in: CFS/CWAS (Section B time zone and hours of operation; Section A general time zone factors), enroute high and low charts, and AIP CANADA GEN 2.1.2.
- Transition timeline: majority of BC targeted for publication updates by 29 Oct 2026; Alberta, NWT, and remaining parts of BC expected by 24 Dec 2026.
- During the transition period, published time zone information may be inaccurate.
โ๏ธ General Aviation Impact (Highlighted)
Operational Notes:
- Expect potential mismatches between published local times (aerodrome hours of operation, stated availability) and actual local time during the late-2026 transition.
- Flight planning and dispatch: verify that stated operating hours and services availability are interpreted with the correct UTC offset for the aerodrome location, especially for BC/AB/NWT and SE BC regional differences.
- Be alert for differing time zone treatment within BC (e.g., East Kootenay/Golden region) until local decisions are finalized and reflected in publications.
VFR Impact:
- VFR pilots should double-check local-time-based aerodrome services/availability (e.g., stated hours in CFS/CWAS) when planning departures/arrivals in BC/AB/NWT during the transition.
๐ Official Source
๐๏ธ This summary is generated using automated analysis and may omit important details.
It does not replace the official NAV CANADA AIC. Pilots must review the original notice in full prior to flight.