ENR 1.9 AIR TRAFFIC FLOW AND CAPACITY MANAGEMENT (ATFCM) AND AIRSPACE MANAGEMENT (ASM)

1 ATFCM SYSTEM AND MANAGEMENT

According to section 1, article 8 of the European Parliament and Council Decree (EC) No 549/2004 (2) issued on 10 March 2004 on the framework (framework decree) of the implementation of a common European airspace, the European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation (Eurocontrol) has been provided with authorisation to prepare implementing rules for air traffic flow regulation that were later defined as common rules for air traffic flow regulation upon the European Commission's decree (EU) No 255/2010.
The general authorisation for air traffic flow regulation in the Finnish flight information region (FIR) has been delegated to Eurocontrol / NM which provides this service with the ICAO EUR region.
NM is obligated to ensure that regulatory action is taken, when required, equally and so that operators' delays can be minimized as much as possible.
NM applies actions that:
  1. have been agreed upon internationally;
  2. have been issued in related NM documentation;
  3. have the same status in the Finnish flight information region (FIR) as other methods published in this AIP.
The Finnish Transport and Communications Agency is responsible for airspace management arrangements, airspace organisation and airspace capacity management within the Finnish flight information region. Daily airspace use planning and coordination are the responsibility of the Airspace Management Cell (AMC) and the Flow Management Position (FMP). FMP is situated in ACC Helsinki and is open daily H24.
The Finnish Transport and Communications Agency issues more detailed regulations on airspace and air traffic management and the air navigation service that are based on the standards and recommendations referred to in the Chicago Convention, and Eurocontrol's standards and recommendations.
In addition the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency may issue the supplementary regulations required by EU legislation on airspace and air traffic management and the air navigation service. These more detailed regulations have been issued in the ASM manual which can be downloaded from Finnish Transport and Communications Agency's website.

2 TYPES OF FLOW MESSAGES

Detailed information of flow messages will be found in the NM ATFCM Users Manual obtainable at:     
ATFCM Users Manual EUROCONTROL
https://www.eurocontrol.int/publication/atfcm-users-manual

3 PROCEDURES APPLICABLE TO DEPARTING FLIGHTS

3.1 Service responsible

3.1.1 Responsibilities of the air traffic services

1. Flow Management Position (FMP) has been established in ACC Helsinki to liaise between ATC, aircraft operators NM.
2. ATS at aerodromes will ensure that flights adhere to their departure slots issued by ATFCM Service.
In accordance with the provisions of the Regional Supplementary Procedures, Europe (ICAO Doc 7030) and the Network Operations Handbook (Eurocontrol), flights which do not adhere their departures slot will be denied ATC clearance.
However, ATC will make all efforts to enable departing flights to comply with the slot.

3.1.2 Responsibilities of aircraft operators

1. Aircraft Operators shall be aware of:
  1. general ATFCM procedures including flight plan filing and message exchange requirements;
  2. strategic ATFCM measures (e.g. Route Availability Document - RAD), see:
https://www.nm.eurocontrol.int/RAD/index.html
  1. current ATFCM measures applied on the day in question.
2. Aircraft Operators shall adhere to the departure slots issued by the ATFCM service.

3.2 Flight plan requirements

3.2.1 Use of STS/ indicators in FPL for ATFCM purposes

1. Introduction
It is possible for flight plan originators to obtain exemption from ATFCM restrictions for certain flights by using indicator STS/ in FPL field 18.
The following STS/ indicators will obtain automatic exemption from ATFCM measures:
STS/HEAD, STS/SAR, STS/ATFMX, STS/FFR, STS/MEDEVAC
 
2. Use of STS/ATFMX indicator in Finland
The indicator STS/ATFMX is used for flights indicated as STS/HOSP, STS/HUM or STS/STATE. The insertion of both STS/indicators is required, e.g.:
STS/HOSP ATFMX
 
According to NM instructions the indicator STS/ATFMX is allowed in flight plans only when authorised by the national aviation authority.
Flights departing from Finland are allowed to insert the additional STS/ indicator in field 18 of a flight plan without applying a special approval.
Note: Indicator STS/ATFMX does not affect ATC priority classes of flights, but only flight management when ATFCM restrictions are in force.

3.3 SLOT allocations

3.3.1 ATFCM documentation

1. The general ATFCM procedures which apply throughout the ICAO European Region are published in ICAO Doc 7030, (Regional Supplementary Procedures, Europe) and Air Navigation Plan, European Region (EUR ANP, Doc 7754).
2. Detailed NM procedures will be found in the NM ATFCM Operations Manual obtainable at:
ATFCM Operations Manual EUROCONTROL
https://www.eurocontrol.int/publication/atfcm-operations-manual

3.3.2 Helsinki ACC ATFCM contingency plan

1. Fintraffic ANS publishes the Helsinki ACC ATFCM Contingency Plan in compliance with the requirements of EU Commission Regulation 255/2010.
The measures described in this Contingency Plan are to be used by the Tactical FMP (ACC Shift Supervisor) in the initial tactical phase; in prolonged contingencies pre-tactical and strategical measures shall be handled by the FMP Manager in collaboration with NMOC and other involved parties.
“Annex 4” in the Contingency Plan refers to the EFIN ACC Operations Manual, OPS part 1 - ATS, Contingency Procedures. Annex 4 gives detailed instructions on procedures and ATFM measures for most feasible technical failures and disruptions.
In all contingencies the Tactical FMP shall immediately inform the Chief of ACC, the FMP Manager and the ACC Head of Ops.
All tactical information affecting AO and other involved parties shall be communicated through the NOP Portal by the FMP Manager or his designated representative as soon as possible.
Fallback alternatives: EFIN ACC is situated in the ATCC at EFHK Airport. There is also a separate contingency fallback facility.
Unless otherwise declared by the FMP, normal ATFCM exemption rules will apply. In a prolonged contingency the major operators will be consulted as to their possible route prioritizing preferences.
2. Contingency Plan:

3.3.3 Specific procedures

Further information and advise is obtainable from:
Flow Management Position (FMP)

FMP Finland
Area Traffic Control Centre Finland
PL 157
FI-01531 VANTAA
   
TEL +358 3 386 5171
 
Flight Planning Centre

Fintraffic ANS
Flight Planning Centre
PL 157
FI-01531 VANTAA
    
TEL +358 20 428 4800

4 ADDITIONAL ATFCM INFORMATION

4.1 Airspace management (ASM)

1.  The responsibility for ASM arrangements and airspace allocation within HELSINKI FIR rests with the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency.
2. The daily planning and coordination of airspace use is managed in accordance with the ASM Operations Manual ( https://www.traficom.fi/en/transport/aviation/air-navigation-services-and-airspace?toggle=Airspace) by the Airspace Management Cell (AMC), co-located with Fintraffic ANS, TEL +358 3 386 9851, backup +358 50 4000 220, amc.ops@ops-ansfinland.fi.

4.2 AMC responsibilities

The Airspace Management Cell will:
  1. determine the daily airspace allocation on the preceding day based on requirements and desires submitted; 
  2. determine necessary amendments of the airspace utilization on the day of operations;
  3. not later than 1500 UTC (1400 UTC) on the day before operations, transmit an Airspace Use Plan (AUP) to the NMOC/CADF in Brussels in the day of operations;      
  4. transmit an Updated Airspace Use Plan (UUP). The UUP can be published every half an hour according to a separate schedule.

4.3 European airspace use plan (EAUP)

1. The European Airspace Use Plan is issued daily by NMOC/CADF unit in Brussels based on the information received from the national Airspace Management Cells (AMC) or appointed Lead AMC.
EAUP is published daily by 1600 UTC (1500 UTC) to cover the 24 hours time period between 0600 UTC (0600 UTC) the next day to 0600 UTC (0600 UTC) the day after.
2. European Updated Airspace Use Plan (EUUP)
The EAUP published on a day before activities (D-1) may be updated by publishing European Updated Airspace Use Plan (EUUP) according to separate schedule. Content of the EUUP is based on the information received from the national Airspace Management Cells (AMC) or appointed Lead AMC.
EUUP becomes valid on the hour according to separate schedule and it replaces the previously published EAUP or EUUP.
3. Content and publication of EAUP and EUUP
EAUP and EUUP are published on the NMOC NOP (Network Operations Portal) webpage.
EAUP/EUUP contains mainly a list of Category 2 CDR, or portion(s) thereof, now available for flight planning purposes. It may also contain, when applicable, information on CDR 1 closures, as well as any other closure of a permanent ATS route.