Doc4444-Air Traffic Management

air traffic management
procedures for
air navigation services
this edition incorporates all amendments
approved by the council prior to 30 june 2001
and supersedes, on 1 november 2001,
all previous editions of doc4444.
international civil aviation organization
doc4444
atm/501
fourteenth edition

2001

�

amendments
the issue of amendments is announced regularly in the icao journal and in the
monthly supplement to the catalogue of icao publications and audio-visual
training aids, which holders of this publication should consult. the space below
is provided to keep a record of such amendments.
record of amendments and corrigenda
amendments corrigenda
no.
date
applicable
date
entered
entered
by no.
date
of issue
date
entered
entered
by
1 28/11/02 icao 1 19/4/02 icao
2 27/11/03 icao
3 25/11/04 icao
(ii)

pans-atm (iii) 28/11/02
no. 1
table of contents
page page
foreword. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (xi)
1. historical background. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (xi)
2. scope and purpose. . . . . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . (xi)
3. status. . . . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . ..
(xi)
4. implementation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (xii)
5. publication of differences. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (xii)
6. promulgation of information. ................. (xii)
7. contents of the document. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (xii)
chapter 1. definitions.. ............... 1-1
chapter 2. ats safety management. . 2-1
2.1 general. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-
12.2 objectives. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1

2.3 ats safety management activities. ............ 2-1

2.4 monitoring of safety levels. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1

2.4.1 collection and evaluation of
safety-related data. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . 2-1
2.4.2 review of incident and other
safety-related reports.. ................ 2-1
2.5 safety reviews. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
2.5.1 general requirements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
2.5.2 scope. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
2.6 safety assessments.. ....................... 2-3
2.6.1 need for safety assessments. . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3
2.6.2 safety-significant factors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3
2.7 safety-enhancing measures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4
chapter 3. ats system capacity and
air traffic flow management... ...... 3-1
3.1 capacity management. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1
3.1.1 general. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1
3.1.2 capacity assessment. .................. 3-1
3.1.3 regulation of atc capacity and
traffic volumes. . . . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . . 3-1
3.1.4 enhancement of atc capacity. . . . . . . . . . 3-1
3.1.5 flexible use of airspace. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
3.2 air traffic flow management. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
3.2.1 general. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
3.2.2 flow management procedures. . . . . . . . . . 3-2
3.2.3 strategic planning. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
3.2.4 pre-tactical planning. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
3.2.5 tactical operations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
3.2.6 liaison. . . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. 3-3
chapter 4. general provisions for
air traffic services. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
4.1 responsibility for the provision of
air traffic control service.. . . . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . 4-1
4.1.1 area control service. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
4.1.2 approach control service. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
4.1.3 aerodrome control service. . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
4.2 responsibility for the provision of flight
information service and alerting service.. ..... 4-1
4.3 division of responsibility for control
between air traffic control units.............. 4-1
4.3.1 general. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
4.3.2 between a unit providing aerodrome
control service and a unit providing
approach control service. .............. 4-1
4.3.3 between a unit providing approach
control service and a unit providing
area control service. . . . . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. 4-2
4.3.4 between two units providing area
control service.. . . . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . 4-2
4.3.5 between control sectors/positions
within the same air traffic control unit . . . 4-2
4.4 flight plan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2
4.4.1 flight plan form.. ................... 4-2
4.4.2 submission of a flight plan. . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3
4.4.2.1 prior to departure. . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3
4.4.2.2 during flight................. 4-3
4.4.3 acceptance of a flight plan. . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3
4.5 air traffic control clearances.. .............. 4-3
4.5.1 scope and purpose. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3
4.5.2 aircraft subject to atc for part of flight . 4-4

4.5.3 flights through intermediate stops.. ..... 4-4
4.5.4 contents of clearances.. .............. 4-4
4.5.5 departing aircraft. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4
4.5.6 en-route aircraft. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4
4.5.6.1 general. . . . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. 4-4
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4.5.6.2 clearances relating to
supersonic flight. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5
4.5.7 description of air traffic control
clearances. . . . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. 4-5
4.5.7.1 clearance limit. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5
4.5.7.2 route of flight. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5
4.5.7.3 levels. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . 4-5
4.5.7.4 clearance of a requested change
in flight plan.. . . . .. . .. . .. . .. . . 4-5
4.5.7.5 read-back of clearances. . . . . . . . 4-5
4.6 horizontal speed control instructions. . . . . . . . . . 4-6
4.6.1 general. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-6
4.6.2 methods of application.. .............. 4-6
4.6.3 descending and arriving aircraft. . . . . . . . . 4-7
4.7 vertical speed control instructions... .......... 4-7
4.7.1 general. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-7
4.7.2 methods of application.. .............. 4-7
4.8 change from ifr to vfr flight.............. 4-8
4.9 wake turbulence categories. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-8
4.9.1 wake turbulence categories of aircraft. . . . 4-8
4.9.2 indication of heavy wake turbulence
category. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-8
4.10 altimeter setting procedures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-8
4.10.1 expression of vertical position
of aircraft. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-8
4.10.2 determination of the transition level. . .. 4-9
4.10.3 minimum cruising level for ifr flights. . 4-9
4.10.4 provision of altimeter setting
information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-9
4.11 position reporting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-10
4.11.1 transmission of position reports....... 4-10
4.11.2 contents of voice position reports. . . . . . 4-10
4.11.3 transmission of ads reports.. ........ 4-11
4.11.4 contents of ads reports. . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-11
4.12 reporting of operational and meteorological
information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-12
4.12.1 general. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-12
4.12.2 contents of routine air-reports. . . . . . . . . 4-12
4.12.3 contents of special air-reports. . . . . . . . . 4-12
4.12.4 compilation and transmission of
air-reports by voice communications. ... 4-13
4.12.5 recording of special air-reports of
volcanic activity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-13
4.12.6 forwarding of meteorological
information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-13
4.13 presentation and updating of flight plan and