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Arrivals (Entering the CTR)

If a VFR aircraft is entering the CTR controlled airspace, the transferring unit (i.e., the ATS unit currently responsible for the aircraft) will coordinate their arrival beforehand.

In heavy traffic situations, one may make requests to the transferring unit such as changing the aircraft's altitude or routing, or even refuse the aircraft's entry in the CTR, if necessary for traffic management and sequencing.

For VFR aircraft entering from uncontrolled airspace, one should send a .contactme to the pilot ideally 2-5 minutes before they will enter one’s airspace.

Upon first contact with a VFR arrival, one should confirm what the intentions of the aircraft are (e.g., full-stop landing, touch-and-go, low approach, etc.). Then, one may issue an appropriate VFR arrival clearance. One should also assign a squawk code if the aircraft has not already been assigned one.

In Iceland, clearance to enter airspace is considered given once the controller gives airport information (e.g., QNH, runway in use, etc.) and route clearance.

For arrivals inbound on a VFR route, “route clearance” means the VFR route and the arrival runway, and an instruction to report passing the last VRP of the route. The following phraseology may be used:

[CALLSIGN], route X for runway XX, [QNH], [SQUAWK if necessary], report passing [REPORTING POINT.]

🎧 (TF-) SKN, route 6 for runway 01, QNH 1005, report passing the Church.

For arrivals not following a VFR route, the "route clearance" may simply consist of any relevant routing instructions (e.g., for joining the circuit), with the assigned altitude, local QNH, and squawk code if necessary. The following phraseology shall be used:

[CALLSIGN], [ROUTING], [ALT], [QNH], [SQUAWK*].

(* may be omitted)

For example:

🎧 (TF-)SKN, join left downwind for runway 19, 1000ft, report downwind, QNH 1015, squawk 1147.

If the aircraft needs to overfly the airport or cross a runway’s extended centreline to join the published circuit, TWR must verify that there are no aircraft taking off/landing on that runway, or on the approach/departure path.

  • If there is conflicting traffic, then the aircraft should hold/orbit away from the airport until the other traffic is clear.
  • If there is no conflicting traffic, the aircraft may be instructed to “cross overhead the airport” or “cross extended centreline runway XX.”
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