North Atlantic airspace
The airspace of the North Atlantic, commonly referred to as NAT airspace or the NAT Region, is the busiest oceanic airspace in the world. Six separate Oceanic Area Control Centers provide Air Traffic Control service to flights crossing the airspace, almost exclusively in an east–west direction. The North Atlantic Tracks, issued twice daily, are used by the majority of aircraft crossing between Europe and the US. In 2017 approximately 730,000 flights crossed the North Atlantic.[1]
North Atlantic Tracks (NAT Tracks)
North Atlantic Tracks, officially titled the North Atlantic Organised Track System (NAT OTS), are a structured set of transatlantic flight routes that stretch from the northeast of North America to western Europe across the Atlantic Ocean. They ensure that aircraft can be safely separated over the ocean, where there is little radar coverage. Entrance to and movement along these tracks is controlled by Shanwick, Gander, and Reykjavik OACC’s. The primary purpose of these routes is to allow air traffic control to effectively separate the aircraft. Because of the volume of NAT traffic, allowing aircraft to choose their own coordinates would make the ATC task far more complex. They are aligned in such a way as to minimize any headwinds and maximize tailwinds impact on the aircraft. The routes are created twice daily to take account of the shifting of the winds aloft and the principal traffic flow, eastward in the North American evening and westward twelve hours later in the European morning.
Oceanic Area Control Centers (OACC)
Oceanic air traffic services within the NAT region are provided by six Oceanic Area Control Centers (OACC’s).
- Reykjavik OACC (Iceland)
- Shanwick OACC (Ireland, and Scotland)
- Gander OACC (Canada)
- Santa Maria OACC (Azores)
- Bodo OACC (Norway)
- New York East OACC (USA)
High Level Airspace (HLA)
A large portion of the airspace of the NAT, which contains the majority of these NAT crossing routes, is designated as the NAT High Level Airspace (NAT HLA), which exists between flight level (FL) 285 and FL 420 within the oceanic control areas of Bodo Oceanic, Gander Oceanic, New York Oceanic East, Reykjavik, Santa Maria and Shanwick, excluding the Shannon and Brest Ocean Transition Areas. Within this airspace a formal approval process by the State of Registry of the aircraft, or the State of the operator, ensures that aircraft meet defined standards and that appropriate flight crew procedures and training have been adopted.[2]
Oceanic Transition Areas
There are four Oceanic Transition Areas, which form a buffer between 'true' Oceanic airspace and the domestic airspace system. An Oceanic Clearance is not required within these airspace portions.
- Shannon Oceanic Transition Area (SOTA)
- Northern Oceanic Transition Area (NOTA)
- Brest Oceanic Transition Area (BOTA)
- Gander Oceanic Transition Area (GOTA)
References
- ↑ "NAT Doc 007" (PDF). ICAO. 18 July 2020. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
- ↑ "NAT Doc 007" (PDF). ICAO. 18 July 2020. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
External links
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