ATC - Gander reduserer track spacing

North Atlantic Track Flight Planning Changes at Gander

Air traffic system updates that began last spring in the new Gander Oceanic Transition Area will continue throughout this year. The improvements are the result of new flight data processing and datalink capabilities that include the establishment of new smaller sectors in eastern Canada for improved service. Crews can expect more fixes within the Gander flight information region (FIR) as a whole eventually to reduce track spacing from the current one degree to the new half-degree spacing required to implement reduced lateral separation minimums (RlatSM), according to Universal Weather senior manager of technical planning Mark Miller. Trials on those new North Atlantic Tracks (NATs) will initially be between FL350 and FL390 and later at all altitudes above FL290. To make room for more aircraft per hour, Nav Canada has also created a number of new North Atlantic routes to access the NATs. Gander will also issue new controller pilot datalink communication routings active on the NATs via notams, although not every new routing will be active all the time. Miller emphasized that unless crews include the new routes when they file a flight plan the system will kick back the entire flight plan.