ANSPs providing ACC service have no basis to predict aircraft climb and descent speeds except their general past experience of the way operators in their airspace \ufb02y the aircraft type.

Historically, variation in operator policy on speeds for the same aircraft type has main- ly been in cruising speeds, which are required to be \ufb01led in the \ufb02ight plan and are therefore apparent for ATC tactical planning purposes (speed changes of more than 5% from that indicated in the FPL must be reported to ATC).

Since the reported diversi\ufb01cation of \ufb02ight parameters is believed to be a consequence of increased fuel prices and a varying focus on cost control between operators, it seems likely that this problem will continue.

This is an issue that may have safety implications because it changes the opera- tional environment by requiring ATC not to assume a speed profile. It was noted that cost index flying was becoming a concern, especially for ATC in oceanic envi- ronments.

A wide range of views were received. The recent rapid rises in the cost of avia- tion fuel seems to have increased both the number of operators looking more closely at the relationship between air- craft operating costs and the way their aircraft are \ufb02own and the degree of attention being given to this issue by operators who have already begun the process of embracing it. There has been recognition among ANSPs that the range of speeds being used by a given aircraft type during climb and descent has recently increased.

Certain operators believe that some ANSPs may be unfamiliar with the rap- idly spreading practice of cost index based \ufb02ight planning. Many respon- dents noted that the recent rise in fuel prices had resulted in signi\ufb01cant changes to cost index based \ufb02ight plan- ning in general and to actual climb and descent speeds in particular.

Some ANSPs and operators accepted speed variation as a safety issue which might prejudice tactical planning for safe separation by ATM, whilst others were in- clined to the view that it is just an opera- tional reality for ATC which can be man- aged without serious prejudice to safety.

The current absence of ATM controller training simulators with su\ufb03cient so- phistication to represent realistic tra\ufb03c performance with respect to varying forward and vertical airspeeds during climb and descent was noted.