Section 3. Airspace Planning and Analysis
2-3-1. BACKGROUND
a. Airspace
management functions historically have been widely dispersed. Responsibility for
airspace management has resided with the regions/service area offices, while
airspace changes for operational considerations have been handled by field
facilities. The focus on airspace change and redesign has been local in scope
and centered, for the most part, on single areas. It is apparent that changes in
airspace configuration, architecture, or structure have national implications
for air traffic control, for traffic flow management, and for the user
community. Therefore, changes in the use or allocation of the airspace need to
be coordinated at the national level.
b. The details
involved in airspace design must be centrally located. It is essential that
efforts expended on airspace studies and proposed airspace changes be
coordinated at the national level. This coordination will ensure that resources
are effectively prioritized and optimized for the efficient use of the nation's
airspace.
2-3-2. POLICY
The air traffic planning
and analysis policy uses an interdisciplinary approach to ensure the effective
management of national airspace changes. This policy requires national
implementation strategies, especially for changes designed to enhance user
operations, maintain the highest standards of safety, generate new efficiencies,
and effectively use our resources. With this policy in mind, Airspace
Regulations and ATC Procedures Group is designated as the air traffic office
that will provide national oversight for:
a. Formulating
airspace efficiency policy.
b. Establishing
guidelines for airspace architecture and structural changes.
c. Analyzing
current and proposed operations for efficiency.
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