Revision 2 - 3 JAN 2025
¶ Foreword
¶ Purpose
This Letter of Agreement defines the coordination procedures to be applied between EPWW and Adjacent ACCs when providing ATS to General Air Traffic and Operational Air Traffic.
¶ Operational Status
All Divisions shall keep each other advised of any changes in the operational status of their facilities and navigational aids, which may affect the procedures specified in this Letter of Agreement.
¶ Definitions
- Area of Responsibility – An airspace of defined dimensions where a sole ATC unit has responsibility for providing air traffic services.
- Area of Common Interest – A volume of airspace as agreed between two ATS units, extending into the adjacent/subjacent Areas of Responsibility, within which airspace structure and related activities may have an impact on air traffic coordination procedures.
- Approval Request – Request from an ATS-unit to the ATS sector concerned for an approval of:
• An aircraft not yet airborne, whenever the flying time to the transfer of control point is less than the agreed minimum prenotification time, or
• An aircraft in flight intending to operate under conditions other than those described in mutually agreed procedures. - Division Level – The flight level dividing two superimposed AoR for the provision of ATS.
- General Air Traffic – All flights which are conducted in accordance with the rules and procedures of ICAO and/or the national civil aviation regulations and legislation.
- Operational Air Traffic – All flights which do not comply with the provisions stated for GAT and for which rules and procedures have been specified by appropriate national authorities.
- Reduced Vertical Separation Minimum (RVSM) – A vertical separation minimum of 300 m (1 000 ft) which is applied between FL 290 and FL 410 inclusive, on the basis of regional air navigation agreements and in accordance with conditions specified therein.
- RVSM Approved Aircraft – Aircraft that have received State approval for RVSM operations within the EUR RVSM airspace.
- Release for Climb – An authorization for the accepting sector to climb (a) specific aircraft before the transfer of control.
- Release for Descent – An authorization for the accepting sector to descend (a) specific aircraft before the transfer of control.
- Release for Turn – An authorization for the accepting sector to turn (a) specific aircraft away from the current flight path by not more than 45° before the transfer of control.
- State Aircraft – For the purposes of EUR RVSM, only aircraft used in military, customs or police services shall qualify as State aircraft.
Note – The transferring sector remains responsible within its Area of Responsibility for separation between the transferred aircraft and other aircraft unknown to the accepting unit, unless otherwise agreed.
¶ Abbreviations
ACC – Area Control Center
ACI – Area of Common Interest
AD – Aerodrome
AIP – Aeronautical Information Publication
AoR – Area of Responsiblity
ATC – Air Traffic Control
ATS – Air Traffic Services
ATZ – Air Traffic Zone
CBA – Cross-Border Area
COP – Coordination Point
DEP – Departure
DEST – Destination
DFL – Division Flight Level
FIR – Flight Information Region
FLA – Flight Level Allocation
GAT – General Air Traffic
LoA – Letter of Agreement
OAT – Operational Air Traffic
RVSM – Reduced Vertical Separation Minimum
¶ Exchange of Flight Data
¶ Basic Flight Plans
Basic flight plan data should normally be available to both ATS units.
¶ Current Flight Plan Data
Messages, including current flight plan data, shall be forwarded by the transferring ATS unit to the accepting ATS unit either by automatic data exchange to by private text to the appropriate position.
Note – Automatic data exchange is done via the label. Enter cleared flight level. If applicable, enter the speed restriction and waypoint the traffic is flying direct to as well.
¶ Revisions
Any significant revisions to the flight data are to be transmitted to the accepting ATS Unit.
Changes to the coordinated levels within 5 minutes of the ETO for the Transfer of Control point are subject to an Approval Request.
¶ Verbal Coordinations
Use the Aurora intercom for this.
Start every communication with the internal callsign designated for your sector group.
¶ Written Coordination
When required, communication can be performed by private text between the relevant sectors.
¶ Procedures for Coordination
¶ General Conditions for Acceptance of Flights
- Coordination of flights shall take place by reference to the COP for the relevant route and in accordance with the appropriate flight levels specified for the relevant route.
- Flights shall be considered to be maintaining the coordinated level at the transfer of control point unless climb or descent conditions have been clearly stated by use of written coordination, unless otherwise described.
- If the accepting ATS Unit cannot accept a flight offered in accordance with the conditions specified above it shall clearly indicate its inability and specify the conditions under which the flight will be accepted.
- For any proposed deviation from the conditions specified in this Annex (e.g. COP, route or level) the transferring Unit shall initiate an Approval Request.
- The accepting ATS Unit shall not notify the transferring ATS Unit that it has established ground-air communications with the transferred aircraft unless specifically requested to do so. The accepting Unit shall notify the transferring Unit in the event that communication with the aircraft is not established as expected.
¶ ATS Routes, Coordination Points and Flight Level Allocation
Available routes, COPs to be used and flight level allocation to be applied, unless otherwise described, are described in the tables below.
¶ Coordination Points and Flight Level Allocation
Explanation of marks/abbreviations used in the following labels:
- 280 – Aircraft must be at given (underscored) FL over the coordination point
- ↑190, 170A – Aircraft will be in climb to FL190 and will pass the coordination point at FL 170 or above
- ↓220, 260B – Aircraft will be in descent to FL220 and will pass the coordination point at FL 260 or below
- 360B – Aircraft must be at FL360 or below at specific position
- rlsd – Aircraft is released for next unit for stated course/level change before passing the border
¶ Flights from ACC Bremen to ACC Warszawa
¶ Flights from ACC Warszawa to ACC Bremen
¶ Flights from ACC Warszawa to ACC Bratislava
¶ Flights from ACC Bratislava to ACC Warszawa
¶ Flights from ACC Warszawa to ACC Praha
ACC Warszawa is responsible for the provision of separation between traffic converging after TOMTI and RASAN.
Flights with destination within FIR LZBB and FIR LOVV via BAVOK – max FL340.
¶ Flights between ACC Warszawa & ACC Praha
With the exception of arrivals to EP** or LK**, ACC may issue a direct to the next published waypoint in flightplan (in most cases exit waypoint from neighbouring FIR). This direct cannot be issued later than 5 minutes before crossing the border of AoR.
- Praha ACC may issue a direct without APP. RQ. to: POLON, AGAVA, ADVAB, KOTEK and BEZMI.
- Warszawa ACC may issue a direct without APP. RQ. to: IPRUX, VALPI, MIKOV, BUDEX, RAPET, MAKAL, REVMA and BILNA.
¶ Delegation of ATS
¶ Purpose
In order to reduce the number of coordinations, a separate areas has been established within the WARSZAWA FIR. This areas may be delegated to PRAHA ACC and in such a case PRAHA ACC is responsible for the provision of air traffic control and flight information services within this areas.
¶ West of OKX Area
- ACC Praha is responsible for traffic separation between FL125 and FL460.
- APP Praha is responsible for traffic separation between FL095 and FL125.
¶ South of Kłodzko Area
- ACC Praha is responsible for traffic separation between FL245 and FL460.
- ACC Warszawa is responsible for traffic separation between FL195 and FL245.
- APP Poznań is responsible for traffic separation between FL095 and FL195.
¶ South of DESEN Area
- ACC Warszawa is responsible for traffic separation between FL285 and FL660.
- APP Kraków is responsible for traffic separation between FL245 and FL285.
- ACC Praha is responsible for traffic separation between FL125 and FL245.
- APP LKMT is responsible for traffic separation between FL095 and FL125.
¶ Transfer of Control and Communications
¶ Transfer of Controls
The Transfer of Control takes place at the AoR boundary.
¶ Transfer of Communications
The transfer of communications shall take place not later than 2 minutes prior to the AoR boundary unless, coordinated otherwise.
¶ ATS Surveillance-Based Coordination Procedures
¶ Radar Separation Minima
The Radar Separation Minima is 5 NM
¶ Vectoring Minimum Distance
A minimum distance of 2.5 NM to the boundary line of responsibility shall be observed when vectoring aircraft, except when a transfer of radar control has previously been coordinated.
¶ Types of Transfer of Control
¶ Transfer of Control without systematic use of direct communication (Silent Transfer of Control)
Transfer of control may be effected without systematic use of bi-directional speech facilities provided the minimum distance between successive aircraft about to be transferred is 10 NM and constant or increasing. Procedure to follow if separation is less than that:
The transferring controller shall inform the accepting controller of any level, speed or vectoring instructions given to aircraft prior to its transfer and which modify its anticipated flight progress at the point of transfer.
When using Mach-number speed control, pilots concerned shall be instructed to report their assigned Mach-number to the accepting ATS Unit upon initial contact.
The accepting controller may terminate the silent transfer of control at any time, normally with advance notice of 10 minutes.
¶ Transfer of Control with use of direct communication
Transfer of control may be effected with the use of bi-directional speech facilities, provided the minimum distance between the aircraft does not reduce to less than 5 NM, and:
- Identification has been transferred to or has been established directly by the accepting controller;
- The accepting controller is informed of any level, speed or vectoring instructions applicable to the aircraft at the point of transfer;
- Communication with the aircraft is retained by the transferring controller until the accepting controller has agreed to assume responsibility for providing ATS surveillance service to the aircraft. Thereafter, the aircraft should be instructed to change over to the appropriate frequency and from that point is the responsibility of the accepting controller.