ENR 1.9 Air traffic flow management and airspace management (ATFM)

1 General

1.1 Air Traffic Flow Management is a service established with the objective of contributing to a safe, orderly and expeditious flow of air traffic by ensuring ACC capacity is utilised to the maximum extent possible and the traffic volume is compatible with the declared ATS capacity.
1.2 A centralised Air Traffic Flow Management (ATFM) service is established within the ICAO (EUR) Region to optimise the use of air traffic system capacity. The EUROCONTROL Network Manager (NM) in Brussels provides this service in conjunction with Flow Management Positions (FMPs) established at Tbilisi ACC.
1.3 The Network Manager through its Network Manager Operations Centre (NMOC) is responsible for the planning co-ordination and implementation of Air Traffic Flow and Capacity Management (ATFCM) measures within the ATFCM area and for collecting, maintaining and providing data on all flight operations and the air navigation infrastructure within this area. A description of the ATFCM area and information on the NM systems can be found in the Network Operations Handbook.
1.4 The overall authority for the provision of Air Traffic Flow Management within the Tbilisi FIR is delegated to EUROCONTROL (Network Manager).
1.5 Decisions concerning ATFCM measures within the Tbilisi FIR will be co-ordinated between the EUROCONTROL Network Manager Operations Centre (NMOC) and Tbilisi FMP.
1.6 NMOC applies ATFCM procedures, which are published in the corresponding ICAO and EUROCONTROL (Network Manager) documentation. For more details see para 2.

2 ATFCM documentation

2.1 The general ATFCM procedures which apply throughout the ICAO European region are published in the following ICAO documents:
  • Doc 7030 – Regional Supplementary Procedures (Europe);
  • Doc 003 – ATFM Handbook (EUR);
  • Doc 7754 – Air Navigation Plan, European Region (EUR ANP).
2.2 Detailed EUROCONTROL (Network Manager) Procedures could be found in the Network Operations Handbook
http://www.eurocontrol.int/network-operations/library

3 Application and provision of ATFCM procedures

3.1 ATFCM procedures are applied to IFR/GAT flights.
3.2 ATFCM Measures are applied by the Network Manager Operations Centre to flights which:
  1. take place within Tbilisi FIR;
  2. depart from Tbilisi FIR;
  3. enter Tbilisi FIR after departing from FIR which is part of the ATFCM Area or ATFCM Adjacent Areas of the EUROCONTROL (Network Manager).
3.3 The list of current and planned ATFCM measures is published daily, together with any updates, by the NMOC via the ATFCM Notification Messages (ANMs).

Information of a more general nature concerning events or items of interest which may have an impact on ATFCM operations are published by the NMOC via ATFCM Information Message (AIM).

3.4 The ANM and AIM messages are published via SITA and AFTN and are available via the Network Operations Portal at: http://www.cfmu.eurocontrol.int/
https://www.public.nm.eurocontrol.int/PUBPORTAL/gateway/spec/index.html

Information relating to the application of ATFCM measures can also be obtained from the Tbilisi FMP.

4 Responsibilities of the aircraft operators

4.1 Aircraft Operators who wish to ensure that they are correctly defined within the EUROCONTROL (Network Manager) database and/or willing to provide the address where they should receive slot related messages, AIM (ATFCM Information Message) and ANM (ATFCM Notification Message) may send their details to the following email address: nm.airspace.data.supervisor@eurocontrol.int
4.2 The slot related messages for Aircraft Operators who have not been defined within the EUROCONTROL (Network Manager) database or who cannot be identified from the flight plan will, by default, be sent to the ARO at the departure aerodrome.

Note: ARO function within Tbilisi FIR is performed by as described in GEN 3.1

5 Flight plan requirements

5.1 Flight plan and associated messages for flights departing from Tbilisi FIR to the Integrated Flight Planning (IFPS) Zone are addressed to both IFPS addresses and to relevant ATS Units outside IFPS Zone. IFPS addresses are:
IFPU1
Brussels, Belgium
AFTN : EUCHZMFP
SITA : BRUEP7X		IFPU2
Bretigny, France
AFTN : EUCBZMFP
SITA : PAREP7X
5.2 Non-repetitive (ICAO) IFR flight plans for flights which may be subject to ATFCM Measures shall be submitted by Aircraft Operators (AOs) to the appropriate ARO or directly to IFPS at least 3 hours before Estimated Off-Block Time (EOBT).
5.3 The Eurocontrol requirement is that all controlled flights departing, arriving or overflying Europe or a Eurocontrol-member state subject to a change in an EOBT of more than +/- 15 minutes and/or cancellation of both repetitive and non-repetitive flight plans, Aircraft Operators (AOs) shall immediately notify the changes to the appropriate ARO or directly to IFPS.
5.4 IFPS responds to the originator of the FPL by one of the following Operational Reply Messages (ORMs):
  • ACK – IFPS Acknowledgement Message. Indicates that the message has been successfully processed and accepted by IFPS.
  • MAN – IFPS Manual Message. Indicates that errors have been detected and that the message has been referred for manual processing by an IFPS Operator. If the IFPS Operator is successful in correcting the error, the MAN will be followed by an ACK message, if unsuccessful the MAN may be followed by a REJ message.
  • REJ – IFPS Rejection Message. Indicates that the message was invalid and has been rejected by the IFPS. The AO or flight plan originator should re-submit a valid flight plan.
5.5 Aircraft Operators (AOs) should be aware that late filing of a flight plan may lead to a disproportionate delay.

6 ATFM Slot allocations

6.1 When a regulation is applied by NMOC, departure times will be issued in the form of a Calculated Take-Off Time (CTOT). This is facilitated by Computer Assisted Slot Allocation (CASA) algorithm within the Enhanced Tactical Flow Management Systems (ETFMS).
6.2 The CASA system is largely automatic and centralised, and functions from an Aircraft Operators point of view in passive mode.
6.3 A slot is assigned time (CTOT - Calculated Take-Off Time) with a tolerance of -5 to +10 minutes during which the aircraft shall take-off.
6.4 Flights departing from Tbilisi FIR and which are subject to ATFCM measures will automatically be allocated a departure slot in the form of Calculated Take-Off Time (CTOT). The CTOT will be provided to the Aircraft Operator in the form of Slot Allocation Message (SAM) not more than 2 hours before the EOBT.
6.5 Aircraft Operators are required to comply with the Departure slot parameters. Request for amendments to issued slot is to be made using the ATFCM message exchange mechanisms published in the Network Operations Handbook.
6.6 Full details of the Slot Allocation Process are published in the ATFCM Users Manual section of the Network Operations Handbook.

7 Modification of estimated off-block time (EOBT)

7.1 It is a prime requirement for both ATC and ATFM, that the EOBT of a flight shall be an accurate EOBT. This applies to all flights, whether subject to ATFM or not.
7.2 AO should note that an EOBT should not be modified simply in response to any possible delay due to an ATFM slot. The EOBT is changed only if the original EOBT established by the AO cannot be met by the AO.
7.3 There are two categories of flights concerned: those, which have an ATFM slot, issued by the NMOC, and those who have not.
7.3.1 Procedure for modifying the EOBT of a flight not having received an ATFM SLOT from the NMOC

To amend the EOBT to a later time, a DLA (or CHG) message shall be sent to IFPS.

To amend the EOBT to an earlier time, a CNL message shall be sent to IFPS followed five minutes later by a new flight plan with the new EOBT indicated.

The replacement flight plan procedure shall not be used.

7.3.2 Procedure for modifying the EOBT of a flight, which has received an ATFM SLOT from the NMOC
  • If a flight has an ATFM slot (CTOT) which cannot be met, then the AO shall send a DLA (or CHG) message to IFPS with the new EOBT of the flight. This may trigger a revised CTOT.
  • If a flight has an ATFM slot (CTOT) with some delay and the AO is aware that the original EOBT cannot be met but the existing CTOT is acceptable then a DLA (or CHG) message shall be sent to IFPS with the new EOBT of the flight. However, in order not to trigger a new CTOT with a worse delay, the following formula shall be used:
    Take the current CTOT, minus the taxi time, minus 10 minutes and send the new EOBT, which must not be after this time e.g. EOBT 10:00, CTOT 11:00, but the flight cannot go off blocks until 10:25. The taxi time is say 15 minutes. 11:00 minus 15min and minus 10min = 10:35. The new EOBT must be earlier than 10:35. If it is so, then this action will not trigger a revised CTOT.
    However, as NMOC systems are continuously seeking to give zero delay, the CTOT of the flight will never be earlier than the new EOBT plus the taxi time.
  • If a flight has had an ATFM slot (CTOT) and now receives an SLC (Slot Cancellation Message) but the original EOBT can no longer be met, then the AO shall communicate the new EOBT by use of a DLA (or CHG) message. ATC/ATFM will now have the “true” EOBT of the flight.

8 Responsibilities of the air traffic services

8.1 Flow Management Position (FMP) is established in Tbilisi ACC to ensure the liaison between ATC, AOs and NMOC.
8.2 Location of Unit
Post:

Sakaeronavigatsia
Airport Tbilisi
0198 Georgia

Tel: Tbilisi ACC +995 32 2744255

Fax: Tbilisi ACC +995 32 2744334

AFS: UGGGZRZX

Email: atfm@airnav.ge

8.3 The hours of operation are: H24.
8.4 ATS at aerodromes will ensure that flights adhere to departure slots issued by the NMOC.
8.5 Flights which do not adhere to the slot will be denied ATC clearance.

9 Exemptions from ATFM slot allocation

9.1 Status (STS) indicators will be recognised by the EUROCONTROL (Network Manager) systems as qualifying for exemption from flow regulation.
9.2 The following flights are exempted from ATFM slot allocation:
  1. flights carrying Head of State or equivalent status [‘STS/HEAD’];
  2. flights authorised by the relevant States Authorities to include in the flight plan [‘STS/ATFMX’];
  3. flights conducting search and rescue operations [‘STS/SAR’];
  4. flights carrying a life-critical emergency evacuation [STS/MEDEVAC];
  5. flights engaged in fire-fighting [STS/FFR].

Note: More detailed information concerning the ATFCM implications of STS/indicator is available in the Network Operations Handbook, part ATFCM User Manual, which is available via the Network Operations library at: http://www.eurocontrol.int/network-operations/library