Section
10. Airspace Flow Programs (AFP)
17-10-1. GENERAL
The FSM was
developed to provide a dynamic
method of implementing and
managing ground delay
programs. The creation and
publication of FEAs and FCAs
serve to identify areas of
limited capacity to system
customers that require a
reduction in demand through
rerouting flights (voluntary
or mandatory). An alternative
to managing airspace
congestion is to merge these
two technologies and create
AFPs. An AFP is a traffic
management tool that assigns
specific arrival slots and
corresponding EDCTs to manage
capacity and demand for a
specific area identified by
the FCA. It is important for
aircraft to depart as close as
possible to the EDCT to ensure
accurate delivery of aircraft
to the impacted area.
17-10-2. POLICY
AFPs may be
applied to all aircraft
departing airports in the
contiguous United States and
from select Canadian airports.
Aircraft that have been
assigned an EDCT in an AFP
should not be subject to
additional delay. Exceptions
to this policy are
miles-in-trail and
departure/en route spacing
initiatives that have been
approved by the ATCSCC. AFP
procedures do not apply to
facilities in Alaska.
17-10-3. RESPONSIBILITIES
Facilities
must:
a. Develop
and share FEAs that may
require AFP consideration.
b. Comply
with AFP-generated EDCTs.
17-10-4. PROCEDURES
Upon
receipt of information that
traffic flows have been
impacted, or are expected to
be impacted, and that
significant delays may result:
a. The
ATCSCC must:
1. Identify
the constraint and potential
AFP.
2. Implement,
monitor, and cancel AFPs as
appropriate.
3. Issue
an FCA and tag as FSM-eligible.
4. For
the potential AFP, model
program rates, scope, and
duration.
5. Transmit
a proposed advisory unless
immediate implementation is
necessary.
6. Conference
affected facilities and
customers to review system
demand, other known or
anticipated factors, program
rates, scope, and duration.
7. If
it is determined that an AFP
is the most appropriate TMI:
(a) Send
the AFP using the FSM and
transmit an advisory.
(b) Coordinate
with affected facilities to
ensure the AFP is adequately
managing demand.
(c) Use
the TSD and FSM to monitor
traffic flow patterns.
(d) Manage
AFPs with revisions,
extensions, and compressions,
as appropriate, and transmit
advisories.
(e) Provide
EDCT information when
requested.
b. The
ARTCC TMU must:
1. Issue
a GI message to all towers,
sectors and flight service
stations advising of the AFP.
In some instances, verbal
notification, in addition to a
GI, may enhance the
dissemination of information.
2. Monitor
the effectiveness of the AFP
and notify the ATCSCC with
requests for adjustments
and/or revisions as necessary.
3. Issue
EDCT information to non FDEP/FDIO-equipped
towers and other customers in
sufficient time for proper
planning and control actions.
This does not include non-FDEP
towers that are satellites of
TRACON facilities. The TRACON
is responsible for issuing
these EDCTs to satellite
towers.
4. Evaluate
the DAS mode and assign EDCTs,
as appropriate.
(a) Acquire
an EDCT from the ATCSCC for
aircraft that do not receive
an EDCT.
(b) For
aircraft not assigned an EDCT,
the TMU must advise the ARTCC
area supervisor of the
appropriate DAS delay. If
requested, the TMU should
provide reroute information to
avoid the AFP.
5. Keep
the ATCSCC apprised of
cancellations and diversions.
6. Relay
information to the ATCSCC
about EDCT issues (i.e.,
flights requiring a revision
because of mechanical or
flight crew duty issues.)
7. Use
FSM to obtain information
about the AFP (flights
captured, EDCTs, route
changes, etc.)
8. Provide
EDCT information, when
requested, for flights
departing underlying
nontowered airports. If a
flight departing a nontowered
airport is airborne and not in
compliance with an AFP EDCT,
coordinate with the ATCSCC for
the appropriate course of
action.
9. Ensure
compliance with EDCTs issued
for aircraft departing
nontowered airports.
c. The
ARTCC must, when advised of a
VFR aircraft requesting an IFR
clearance through an area
under an AFP:
1. The
ATCS will advise his/her
supervisor/controller-in-charge
when an unscheduled flight
occurs needing an EDCT.
2. The
supervisor will coordinate the
appropriate DAS delay with the
TMU and advise the ATCS.
3. The
ATCS will advise the pilot of
the DAS delay and take the
necessary action such as
airborne holding, reroute,
etc.
d. The
TRACON/ATCT must:
1. Use
FSM or TFMS, if available, to
obtain EDCT information.
2. Ensure
the EDCT is included in the
flight clearance when an AFP
is in effect.
3. Issue
EDCT information to non-FDEP/FDIO-equipped
towers and other customers in
sufficient time for proper
planning and control actions.
4. Provide
EDCT information, when
requested, for flights
departing underlying
nontowered airports.
5. To
the extent possible, plan
ground movement of aircraft to
meet the parameters of their
EDCTs; if unable, advise the
ARTCC.
e. Amending
EDCTs:
1. Facilities
with FSM may use the EDCT ECR
tool to assign an EDCT that is
later than the current control
time for the flight. Select
the SCS option when assigning
a new EDCT for a flight. If
the SCS option is not
available, use the unlimited
delay option. For flights
captured in an AFP, select the
ECR tool applicable to the
corresponding FCA element.
2. To
assign an earlier control time
to a flight or for EDCT
amendments not obtained using
the ECR tool, coordinate
through the Tactical Customer
Advocate (TCA) at the ATCSCC.
3. Facilities
without FSM must contact their
overlying facility to request
a new EDCT.
f. Cancellation
procedures:
1. When
conditions no longer warrant
AFP ground delays, the ATCSCC
must:
(a) Conference
facilities and customers to
develop an operational plan
for release of ground-delayed
traffic into the system.
(b) Consider
using the Integrated Modeling
Tool when evaluating a
cancellation.
(c) Purge
the AFP and transmit an
advisory stating the AFP has
been canceled.
2. The
ARTCC TMU and the terminal TMU
must:
(a) Issue
cancellation information to
underlying facilities.
(b) Notify
facility personnel, as
appropriate, of the
cancellation.
g. Documentation:
Facilities
must use the NTML where
applicable to document all
pertinent information related
to the AFP, including, but not
limited to, the start and stop
times and the reason for the
AFP. Facilities that do not
have NTML will log information
as required by local
procedure.
h. Customer
options:
1. When
an AFP is in effect, system
customers may exercise options
other than ground delays.
(a) Intermediate
landing: The flight should
land at the intermediate
airport to provide the delay
necessary for the flight to
arrive at the CTA. Customer
coordination with the TCA is
required to avoid assignment
of additional delay after an
intermediate landing.
(b) Reroutes: Customers
may reroute flights out of an
AFP. Alternative route options
will normally be discussed on
either a planning telecon or
an ad hoc telecon.
2. Substitution
of flights.
(a) The
ATCSCC may deny substitution
requests when deemed
appropriate. The ATCSCC must
transmit an advisory when
substitutions are suspended
and include an estimated time
when substitutions will
resume.
(b) Customers
are permitted to exchange and
substitute CTAs congruent with
CDM agreements concerning
substitutions. |
