Approval to conduct RVSM operations is issued through a Letter of Authorization (LOA) or equivalent Operations Specification from the appropriate local certifying authority. Application for operational approval should be submitted 60 days prior to expected operation in RVSM airspace.

Obtaining Reduced Vertical Separation Minimum (RVSM) approval is a multi-step process that ensures an aircraft can safely maintain a 1,000-foot vertical separation from other aircraft between flight levels 290 and 410. For a private or commercial operator in 2026, the process starts with Equipment Certification; the aircraft must be equipped with two independent altitude measurement systems, an altitude-alerting system, and an automatic altitude-control system (autopilot). Once the hardware is verified, the operator must submit an RVSM Maintenance Program and an Operations Manual to their local civil aviation authority (like the FAA or CAA) for approval. A critical step is the Monitoring Flight, where the aircraft's altimetry system error (ASE) is measured by a specialized GPS monitoring unit (GMU) or by flying over a ground-based height monitoring station (HMU). Finally, pilots must complete RVSM Training to understand the specific contingency procedures and reporting requirements for high-altitude flight. Only after all these steps are satisfied will the authority issue the Letter of Authorization (LOA) or OpSpec required for RVSM flight.