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 ask/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 an instruction to enter the control zone from a given cardinal direction, at a defined altitude, along with the local QNH and a new squawk code if necessary. The following phraseology may be used:

[CALLSIGN], enter the control zone from the [N/E/S/W], [ALT], [QNH], [SQUAWK if necessary].

For example:

🎧 (TF-)SKN, enter the control zone from the North, 1500ft, QNH 1015, squawk 1147.

Then, TWR may further instruct them to join an appropriate leg of the circuit (e.g., downwind, base, or final, whichever is closest for the aircraft.) Alternatively, if appropriate, TWR may instruct the aircraft to make a straight-in approach. This can happen at any point after the aircraft has passed the last point of the VFR route (if it is on one), or immediately after the initial route clearance if not.

At BIRK, single-engine arrivals on the VFR routes should follow the standard inbound routes.

The following phraseology may be used:

[CALLSIGN], join [L/R DOWNWIND/BASE/FINAL, or "make straight in approach"] [RWY], [report downwind/base/final if necessary].

For example:

🎧 (TF-)SKN, join left downwind runway 19, report downwind.

🎧 (TF-)SKN, make straight in approach runway 19.

If the aircraft needs to overfly the airport or cross a runway’s extended centreline to join the published circuit, TWR should first verify that there are no aircraft taking off or landing on that runway, or on the approach/departure path. If there are, then the aircraft should hold/orbit away from the airport until the other traffic is clear. The aircraft may then be instructed to “cross overhead the airport” or “cross extended centreline runway XX.”