ENR 1.9 AIR TRAFFIC FLOW MANAGEMENT AND AIRSPACE MANAGEMENT

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 that the traffic volume is compatible with the capacities declared by the appropriate ATC authority.
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. EUROCONTROL provides ATFM service, within Tallinn FIR, via Network Manager Operations Centre (NMOC) in conjunction with Tallinn Flow Management Position (Tallinn FMP) established at Tallinn ACC.

2 Responsibilities of the EUROCONTROL NMOC

2.1 The NMOC is responsible for:

  • After coordination with the local Flow Management Position (FMP), for applying ATFM measures when it is expected that air traffic demand will exceed the available Air Traffic Control or Airport capacity;

  • Ensuring that ATFM measures are applied in an equitable manner and such that penalties to aircraft operators are reduced as far as possible.

2.2 In order to do this, the NMOC applies procedures which are published in the corresponding ICAO and EUROCONTROL Network Operations documentation, ref. item 8. In Tallinn FIR these procedures have, the same status as procedures explicitly published in this AIP.

3 Responsibilities of the Air Traffic Services

3.1 Tallinn FMP objectives are:
3.2 ATS at aerodromes will:

4 Responsibilities of the Aircraft Operators

4.1 Aircraft Operators (AO) shall inform themselves of and adhere to:

5 Application and Provision of ATFM Procedures

ATFM procedures are applied for IFR/GAT flights.

5.1 Use of STS/ Indicators in FPL-s
5.1.1 The insertion of a STS/… indicator in Field 18 of a Flight Plan will identify that a flight may require special handling. Following status indicators can be used in Tallinn FIR:

  • ALTRV - Flight operated in accordance with an altitude reservation

  • ATFMX - Flight approved for exemption from ATFM measures by the appropriate ATS authority

  • FFR - Firefighting

  • FLTCK - Flight check for calibration of NAVAIDs

  • HAZMAT - Flight carrying hazardous material

  • HEAD - Flight with Head of State status

  • HOSP - Medical flight declared by medical authorities

  • HUM - Flight operating on a humanitarian mission

  • MARSA - Flight for which a military entity assumes responsibility for separation of military aircraft

  • MEDEVAC - Life critical medical emergency evacuation

  • NONRVSM - Non-RVSM capable flight intending to operate in RVSM airspace

  • SAR - Flight engaged in a search and rescue mission

  • STATE - Flight engaged in military, customs, or police services

5.1.2 STS indicators recognized for ATFM purposes comprises of STS/HEAD; STS/SAR; STS/MEDEVAC; STS/FFR; STS/STATE; STS/HUM; STS/HOSP.
5.1.3 Only STS/HEAD; STS/SAR; STS/MEDEVAC; STS/FFR and STS/ATFMX will gain automatic exemption from ATFM measures.
5.1.4 STS/ATFMX may be used if that particular flight has received specific approval from Tallinn FMP that has been delegated by Estonian Transport Administration to carry out the approval process.
5.1.5 Further information on the use of STS/ indicators for ATFM purposes may be found in the Network Operations Handbook, ATFCM Users Manual, published by the EUROCONTROL Network Operations - eurocontrol.int/library.
5.2 Estonian Procedure for the Approval of use of STS/ATFMX
5.2.1 The operator of a flight seeking an individual approval to insert the indicator STS/ATFMX in Item 18 of a flight plan, for a flight departing from an aerodrome within Estonia, shall obtain prior permission from Tallinn FMP, when practicable, at least 24 hours and not more than 48 hours in advance of the flight.
5.2.2 Template for obtaining prior permission is available by pressing this link or shall be distributed to specific e-mail address by Tallinn FMP by request.
5.2.3 The template must be completed and faxed or e-mailed with appropriate supporting documentation to following address:
Post:Tallinn FMP
Tel:+372 625 8254
Fax:+372 625 8203
E-mail:fmp@eans.ee
5.3 Compliance Monitoring
5.3.1 The NM provides the Estonian Transport Administration and Tallinn FMP a list of all flights departing from Estonia using STS/ATFMX, on a monthly basis. The Estonian Transport Administration may verify that all such flights operated with an appropriate approval for ATFM exemption.
5.3.2 Additionally, the AO will be required to retain, and supply on demand, all appropriate documentation to support the use of STS/ATFMX.

6 Flight Plan Requirements

6.1 General
6.1.1 Non-repetitive (ICAO) IFR flight plans for flights to or via ATFM areas shall be submitted to the appropriate ARO or directly to IFPS at least 3 hours before Estimated Off-Block Time (EOBT).
6.1.2 For flights which are not subject to ATFM measures flight plan shall be submitted to appropriate ARO or directly to IFPS at least 60 minutes before EOBT.
6.1.3 Changes in EOBT of more than 15 minutes and/or cancellation of both repetitive and non-repetitive flight plans shall be reported immediately to the appropriate ARO or directly to IFPS.
6.1.4 Flight plan and associated messages for flights departing from Tallinn FIR international airports to the IFPS Zone are addressed to the following IFPS Units: EUCHZMFP and EUCBZMFP.
6.1.5 Flight plan and associated messages for flights departing from Tallinn FIR international airports outside IFPS Zone are addressed to the previously mentioned two IFPS Units and additionally to relevant ATS Units outside IFPS Zone.
6.1.6 ACK message is used to acknowledge the successful processing of a flight plan related message.
6.1.7 MAN message is used to acknowledge that errors have been detected and that it has been referred for manual processing. After successful correction ACK message will be received. If IFPS operator is unable to correct the message, REJ message will be received.
6.1.8 REJ message will be received if flight plan related message has been rejected by IFPS. The Aircraft operator should correct errors and submit a new flight plan to appropriate ARO or directly to IFPS.
6.2 SLOT Allocation
6.2.1 The slot allocated to a flight will be issued as a Slot Allocation Message (SAM) 2 HR before the EOBT. The slot is presented as a Calculated Take-Off Time (CTOT).
6.2.2 A tolerance of - 5' to + 10' of the CTOT is defined as the period during which the FLT shall take off. Aircraft Operators shall take into account the necessary taxiing time in order to adhere as closely as possible to their CTOT when requesting start-up.
6.2.3 The SAM will be issued directly to the Aircraft Operator's operational office, if the Aircraft Operator has previously given such an address to the NMOC.
6.2.4 If no particular address was given to the NMOC, the SAM will be sent to the ARO of the AD of DEP and to the Tallinn FMP. It will be the Operator's responsibility to contact the local ARO or the FMP in order to obtain the SAM and to co-ordinate with this ATS unit for the eventual exchange of additional messages to/from the NMOC.
6.2.5 The Operator shall, in case an assigned slot cannot be met, immediately inform the NMOC either directly or via the ARO or the FMP.
6.2.6 In case a FLT is cancelled, a CNL message shall be transmitted without delay, in order to free the allocated slot for other Operators.
6.3 Replacement Flight Plans
6.3.1 In case the slot allocated for the planned route results in a considerable delay, the Aircraft Operator may select an alternative routing between the same AD of DEP and DEST and file a new flight plan accordingly. Therefore, the Operator should cancel the initial flight plan (CNL message) and file a "replacement flight plan with identical call sign" not less than 5 MIN after the cancellation.
6.3.2 The replacement flight plan shall contain the complete new routing in Item 15 and in Item 18, the indication "RFP /Qn" whereas:

  • "RFP" signifies replacement flight plan;

  • "n" corresponds to the sequence number relating to the replacement flight plan for that particular FLT. (e.g. 1st replacement flight plan: "RFP /Q1", 2nd replacement flight plan: "RFP /Q2" etc)

The replacement flight plan shall be filed at least 30 MIN before the EOBT.

Note: Operators may only submit flight plans for off-load routes after the availability of such routes has been confirmed either by the NMOC or relevant FMP.

7 Airspace Management

7.1 The overall responsibility for Airspace Management (ASM) within Tallinn FIR rests with the High Level Airspace Policy Body established by the cabinet of ministries decree no 108 from 28.02.2008.
7.2 The daily allocation of airspace is managed, by AMC Estonia.
7.3 Airspace usage regulating areas are divided into R, D and TSAs. Areas are published in AIP ENR 5.1 and ENR 5.2. Temporary R, D and TSAs are published either with AIP SUP or NOTAM. In case of need flight planning to these areas can be restricted pre-tactically. Restrictions and suggestions to bypass these areas are described in RAD Appendix 7. Restrictions are activated by AUP/UUP.
7.4 In the areas described in AIP ENR 5.3 and ENR 5.5, follow the guidlines published there.

8 ATFM Documentation

8.1 The general ATFM procedures are published in:
8.2 Detailed NMOC procedures are published in the "Network Operations Handbook", which is available in the Network Operations Library - eurocontrol.int/library.
8.3 The ATFM measures are also published through the following:
8.4 Those publications are originated by the NMOC and of which the ANM, AIM and eAUP are distributed via AFTN and EUROCONTROL´s public Network Operations Portal (NOP-portal) - public.nm.eurocontrol.int/PUBPORTAL/gateway/spec/index.html.

9 Addresses

9.1 EUROCONTROL
Post:The EUROCONTROL
96, Rue de la Fusée
BE-1130 Bruxelles
Tel:+322 729 3639
Fax:+322 729 9109
9.2 NMOC
Post:EUROCONTROL Network Operations (General)
96, Rue de la Fusée
BE-1130 Bruxelles
AFS:EUCHEUW (ATFM: AFS-FMD)
SITA:BRUEC7X (Help Desk: SITA-FMD)
Tel:+322 745 1901
Fax:+322 729 9027
AFS:EUCHZMTA (ATFM)
SITA:BRUEA7X (Messages)
9.3 Tallinn FMP
Post:Tallinn FMP
Kanali põik 3
Rae küla, Rae vald
Harjumaa 10112, ESTONIA
Tel:+372 625 8254, +372 621 4428
Fax:+372 625 8203
E-mail:fmp@eans.ee
AFS:EETTZQZX
9.4 AMC Estonia
Post:AMC Estonia
Kanali põik 3
Rae küla, Rae vald
Harjumaa 10112, ESTONIA
Tel:+372 625 8244
Fax:+372 625 8203
E-mail:amc@eans.ee
AFS:EETTZQZX