---
title: "SERA.5020 IFR — Rules applicable to IFR flights within controlled airspace — ANNEX: Rules of the Air, SERA · Avioverse"
description: "IFR flights shall comply with the provisions of Section 8 when operated in controlled airspace."
url: "https://avioverse.aero/regulations/easa/sera/annex-rules-of-the-air/section-5/sera-5020"
---

# SERA.5020 IFR — Rules applicable to IFR flights within controlled airspace

ANNEX: Rules of the Air · Regulation (EU) No 923/2012 · EAR revision 26 Aug 2025

IR Implementing rule

## SERA.5020 IFR — Rules applicable to IFR flights within controlled airspace

(a) [IFR](https://avioverse.aero/glossary/easa/ifr) flights shall comply with the provisions of Section 8 when operated in [controlled airspace](https://avioverse.aero/glossary/easa/controlled-airspace).

(b) An [IFR flight](https://avioverse.aero/glossary/easa/ifr-flight) operating in cruising flight in controlled airspace shall be flown at a [cruising level](https://avioverse.aero/glossary/easa/cruising-level), or, if authorised by ATS unit to employ [cruise climb](https://avioverse.aero/glossary/easa/cruise-climb) techniques, between two levels or above a [level](https://avioverse.aero/glossary/easa/level), selected from the table of cruising levels in Appendix 3, except that the correlation of levels to [track](https://avioverse.aero/glossary/easa/track) prescribed therein shall not apply whenever otherwise indicated in [air traffic](https://avioverse.aero/glossary/easa/air-traffic) control clearances or specified by the [competent authority](https://avioverse.aero/glossary/easa/competent-authority) in aeronautical information publications.

IR · SERA.5020 — Regulation (EU) No 923/2012 · ​Regulation (EU) No 923/2012 · SERA Easy Access Rules · EAR revision 26 Aug 2025

[All rules in SECTION 5 Visual meteorological conditions, visual flight rules, special VFR and instrument flight rules](https://avioverse.aero/regulations/easa/sera/annex-rules-of-the-air/section-5)

Consolidated from the EASA Easy Access Rules (revision 26 Aug 2025, extracted 13 Oct 2026) for convenience. Not the official publication — verify against the Official Journal of the European Union and the EASA publications before operational use.