London City Airport Consultative Committee
Air Traffic Control
Describes the arrangements made at London City Airport for air traffic control
|
London City Airport Consultative Committee |
||
Air Traffic Control |
Describes the arrangements made at London City Airport for air traffic control |
||
| |
|||
|
|||||
On this PageThe National Air Traffic Services |
Related Pages |
||||
There is more detailed information about the Airport, and Charts, in the UK-AIP available via the Aeronautical Data page.
|
|||||
The National Air Traffic ServicesTHE Airport's Air Traffic Control (ATC) services are provided by the National Air Traffic Services (NATS) under contract. The Manager, Mike Talbot, has a staff of 11 controllers, 4 Watch Managers and four engineers who work in two shifts. The team is also responsible for the maintenance of the Airport's air navigation systems. Click here for more about NATS.. Control ZoneTHE Airport is protected by a control zone (CTR) and by a circular aerodrome traffic zone (ATZ) with a radius of two nautical miles from the Airport. The CTR, which operates during the Airport's normal operational hours, extends vertically from surface level to 2,500 feet where it abuts the London Terminal Manoeuvring Area (LTMA). Only aircraft operating under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) are permitted to fly in these areas although in the case of the CTR other flights may also be given a special clearance by ATC to do so. Aircraft operating under IFR do so under radar control and pilots must hold an instrument rating. The UK Aeronautical Information Publication gives full details of the control regime . Extension of Control ZoneIn 2003 NATS announced proposals to increase the size of the airspace within the current London City Airport Control Zone by extending the boundaries by I nm to the north and south, and I.5 nm to the east - see map (Acrobat .pdf - 400k). The following reasons were given: The previous Control Zone was designed around the performance characteristics of the De Havilland Dash 7 turboprop aircraft, which is no longer manufactured or operational at London City Airport . The Control Zone was therefore no longer the correct size and shape to accommodate the performance characteristics of the majority of the current and future aircraft types. The lateral extension to the Control Zone will enable a number of necessary safety enhancements as detailed in the Non-Technical Summary of the proposals. An extension of the lateral limits of the London City Control Zone further assists in the management of security issues in the London area, by increasing the area over London within which positive identification of air traffic is required. Comments on the proposals were required by 10th November 2003. At its meeting on 7th October 2003 the Consultative Committee agreed to support the proposals - see Minutes Page. In August 2004 NATS circulated a copy of its final consultation document (pdf 527kb) and the Committee again agreed to lend its support. In January 2006 the Committee heard that NATS had delivered to the CAA's Directorate of Airspace Policy a proposal requesting that the boundary of the Airport's protected airspace be should be increased as proposed between 1500 feet and 2500 ft above sea level where it would abut the present London Terminal Manoeuvring Area (LTMA). The extended area would be known as the “London City Control Area”. The rules in the control area would be very similar to those in the present control zone. The CAA approved the NATS proposal in February 2006 - see press release and map (pdf 1.13mb). The new Control Area took effect on 13 April 2006 RadarTHE Airport's approach radar service is provided by Thames Radar another NATS unit which is now located at the London Air Traffic Control Centre at Swanwick near Fareham in Hampshire. At busy times the Thames Radar controllers can be augmented by another controller, designated City Radar, who handles the final approaches. The Thames/City Radar controllers work in close liaison with the controllers in the Tower and with the LTMA controllers. Depending on local traffic, the Tower might by-pass Thames Radar and transfer departures directly to the appropriate LTMA controller. TowerFrom the Visual Control Room in the Tower the controllers at the Airport control ground movements and supervise the arrival and departure of aircraft in close liaison with Thames/City Radar.. Although control from the Tower is performed visually, the controllers have the assistance of an Aerodrome Traffic Monitor, a radar display showing aircraft in the vicinity of the Airport. In April 2005 a Ground Movement Control position was introduced. This position is a separate controller who deals only with ground movements on a separate frequency. This allows the Air Controller more time to focus solely on the runway. This change has risen the sustained rate of runway usage from 26 per hour to 32 per hour. Standard Instrument DeparturesAIRCRAFT are invariably cleared to depart from the Airport according to one of a number of Standard Instrument Departures (SIDs). These are determined by the CAA. They are designed to avoid conflicts with aircraft arriving at, or departing from, the other London airports. All such departures from London City are routed initially to the north-east. Having departed on a SID, aircraft can be released from it to fly on radar vectors. They may thus be cleared to fly at higher levels than those prescribed by the SID or they may be be routed to avoid other traffic or onto a more direct track. Hitherto SIDs have been based on a network of directional beacons (VORs) with Distance measuring Equipment (DME) but increasingly they are being drawn up to take up the Area Navigation (RNAV) capability with which aircraft are now being equipped. Full details of the Airport's SIDs are available via the Aeronautical Data page Standard Arrival Routes
THE routes prescribed for the arrival of aircraft at London City are published by the CAA as a series of Standard Arrival Routes (STARs). These are focused on the holding points ("stacks") at ALKIN which is located over the M25 just east of Swanley. From ALKIN there are prescribed instrument approach routes to the Airport although, again, aircraft are more often than not directed by radar vectors. Full details of the Airport's STARS, and the instrument approach routes, are available via theAeronautical Data page. Terminal Control North - Airspace Change ProposalsIn February 2008 NATS published for consultation proposals substantially to revise this block of controlled airspace which covers a large part of London, southern and eastern England, an area with a population of 12 million people and home to some of the UK's busiest airports. Among many other things the proposals substantially affect:
Full details of the proposals can be seen on the special website which NATS have set up for the purposes of the consultation exercise. The Consultative Committee received a special NATS briefing on these proposals on 9th May and sent in its response on 27th May 2008. Noise Abatement
THE rules for pilots using the Airport incorporate a number of measures to minimise noise:
En RouteBEYOND the LTMA aircraft are under the control of the en-route controllers at LATCC. These services are located in the new control centre at Swanwick near Fareham in Hampshire. For more about the new centre visit the NATS web site
|
|||||
 |
An independent Consultative Committee established by London City Airport pursuant to Section 35 of the Civil Aviation Act 1982 Page last modified: 5th December 2007 |
||||
