Oceanic Area Control

As mentioned in other pages, the Reykjavik CTA is unique in that much of it is also designated as oceanic airspace. This page outlines the specific rules and procedures relevant to this airspace.

As of 21st March 2024, aircraft no longer require oceanic clearance to enter the Reykjavik OCA. Updated procedures for providing oceanic ATC service.

This page will need to be updated once new CPLC oceanic clearancesentry are sorteddetailed into the sector file. For now when identifying an aircraft, please use the following physiology "RCL received by Reykjavik. fly current flight plan or as amended by ATC"below.

NAT Oceanic Airspace

Within the Reykjavik CTA, all controlled airspace outside of the Icelandic Domestic Area is considered oceanic airspace. This airspace is designated the Reykjavik Oceanic Area (OCA).

All aircraft entering

Because the Reykjavik OCA require oceanic clearance.

Exception: Aircraft operating solely within the boundaries of NuukACC (BGGL)Area FIRControl belowCentre) FL285,is evenresponsible if they are withinfor the Reykjavik CTA/OCA, it is also referred to as the Reykjavik OAC (Reykjavik Oceanic Area Control Centre.) For VATSIM purposes, "Reykjavik ACC" and "Reykjavik OAC" are consideredgenerally domestic and do not require oceanic clearance.interchangeable.

The Reykjavik OCA is one of six oceanic areas that make up the North Atlantic (NAT) oceanic airspace. The other five are Gander, Shanwick, New York, Santa Maria, and Bodo OFIR (Oceanic FIR).

Oceanic Clearance

Within the NAT airspace, aircraft are issued oceanic clearances by whichever OACC (Oceanic Area Control Center) they encounter first. Oceanic clearances issued by one OACC are valid throughout the entire NAT airspace.

E.g., for a flight entering BIRD OCA from Gander OCA, which has already received oceanic clearance from Gander, Reykjavik Control does not need to issue them further clearance.

In Iceland, Greenland, and the Faroe Islands, all departures entering oceanic airspace are issued oceanic clearance on the ground. See the Delivery and AFIS SOP pages for more information.

Airborne aircraft receive clearance from Reykjavik OACC positions (Iceland Radio or Reykjavik Control.) Clearances may be issued via either the natTrak website or voice.

For a tutorial on how to use natTrak, see here.

NAT Tracks

The NAT airspace uses a system of organized tracks called the North Atlantic Organized Track System (NAT OTS) .to regulate traffic crossing the ocean. While itusually isremaining relativelyin lessShanwick common& forGander OCAs, the tracks do occasionally enter the Reykjavik OCA.

The latest NAT tracks are published in the NAT Track Message. The most recent track message may be viewed at notams.faa.gov/common/nat.html, or via the TopSky plugin in Euroscope. The NAT Track Message includes the following key information:

• The routing for each track
• The flight levels permitted for each track
  • Aircraft on an organized track may fly at any permited flight level published for that track; the East/West semi-circular rule does not apply

E.g., the following excerpt from a track message:

U RIKAL 53/50 54/40 55/30 55/20 RESNO NETKI
EAST LVLS 340 350 360 370 380 390 400
WEST LVLS NIL

...means that track U has the routing "RIKAL 53N050W 54N040W 55N030W 55N020W RESNO NETKI," with valid Eastbound FLs of FL340, 350, 360, 370, 380, 390, and 400, and no valid Westbound FLs.

(Some other info is included in the track messages, e.g., domestic routings such as North American Routes/NAR; these are not generally relevant to enterthe Reykjavik OCA (they usually remain in Gander & Shanwick OCAs), they do on occasion.OCA.)

TheseThe tracksNAT changeOTS changes direction twice daily, based on the prevailing flow of scheduled flights across the North Atlantic. Westbound tracks are valid from 1130-1900z, and Eastbound tracks are valid from 0100-0800z.

• For VATSIM purposes, since the real-life flow of traffic is not relevant (virtual pilots fly both directions across the North Atlantic at all times of day,day), it is consideredgenerally acceptable to fly an “expired” track outside of its validity hours, if the latest tracks going the opposite direction have not yet come into effect.
  • E.g., A Westbound flight entering oceanic airspace at 2000z may use the most recent Westbound tracks that expired at 1900z, since the next set of tracks has not been published yet.
• However,

  Thea NATWestbound flight entering oceanic airspace at 0200z may not use the recently expired Westbound tracks, since the next set of Eastbound tracks are publishedalready in theeffect. Such a flight must file a random routing (i.e., not on a NAT Tracktrack.)

Message.

The tracks are named alphabetically based on their northerliness. E.g., Track A is the northernmost track, then Track B, etc.

The NAT Track Message will also containcontains a Track Message Identification (TMI) number, which helps operators & ATC verify that all flights are using the correct tracks & routings. The TMI number is the current Julian calendar date (i.e., how many days there have been in the year so far.)

• E.g., the 16th of January would have a TMI of 016, and the 5th of March would have a TMI of 064.

• If the NAT track message has to be re-issued for any reason (e.g., correcting an error), then a letter will be added at the end of the TMI (e.g., 064A, 064B, etc.)

Oceanic Entry

Aircraft entering the Reykjavik OCA must have an IFR clearance. VFR aircraft are not permitted in oceanic airspace (which is Class A); they must either descend below controlled airspace (FL55 over the ocean), or obtain IFR clearance.

Aircraft entering the Reykjavik OCA from domestic airspace, or from oceanic airspace where ATC is offline, shall report all of the following information to Reykjavik OAC prior to oceanic entry. This may be done via voice (or soon, Nattrak, once updated), no earlier than 25 minutes before oceanic entry.

• Oceanic Entry Point (OEP)
• ETA for the OEP
• Mach Number (based on anFMS organizedcost trackindex (ECON))
• Requested Flight Level
• The highest acceptable Flight Level which can be attained at the OEP

(This is technically still called a "Request for Clearance" (RCL) message, but no oceanic clearance is issued in response anymore.)

Nattrak has not yet been updated for OCL removal. Therefore, controllers must not use Nattrak until officially notified that it has been updated.

Due to software limitations, it is not possible to use the Hoppies CPDLC platform to process RCL messages.

Reykjavik OAC shall acknowledge this information, and either:

• Instruct the aircraft to "fly current flight plan" (i.e., follow the existing flight plan, as previously cleared & loaded into the FMS, with no changes.)
  
• Amend the flight plan (i.e., instructing the aircraft to fly a different routing, flight level, Mach speed, etc.), as necessary to ensure traffic separation (or to fix any issues in the original flight plan.)

For aircraft entering the Reykjavik OCA from oceanic airspace where ATC is online, the aircraft does not need to give a new RCL message. Reykjavik OAC should obtain the necessary information from the previous oceanic controller – electronically via the tag transfer, or via verbal coordination if the information in the tag is insufficient.

Aircraft may fly atin anyECON valid(Cost levelIndex) publishedmode for thatoptimal track.fuel Theefficiency East/West– semi-circulari.e., rulethey doesmay notdeviate apply.

by

Clearance Phraseology (Voice)

The following section details the phraseology for providing airborne oceanic clearances via voice.

• For departing aircraft receiving oceanic clearance on the ground, see the Delivery SOP page.
• For a tutorial on howup to use natTrak to issue oceanic clearances, see here.

When requesting an oceanic clearance, pilots are required to specify their requested flight level &±0.02 Mach number for oceanic clearance. If pilots do not specify a requested flight level, controllers may assume that their current cleared flight level is their requested level.

Occasionally, one may receive an oceanic clearance request from an aircraft that is flying too slow for the changeover into Mach speed. In these instances, one may simply omit the Mach number originally reported to ATC without prior permission. If they deviate by >0.02 Mach from the clearance.originally reported Mach number, they must notify ATC. Controllers may also instruct aircraft to fly a fixed Mach number if required for separation.

RandomVoice Routing ClearancesPhraseology

Most oceanic clearances for aircraft entering Reykjavik OCA are issued as random routing (i.e., non-NAT track) clearances, using the following phraseology:

[CALLSIGN], oceanic clearance to [DEST] via [OCEANIC ROUTING], from [ENTRY POINT] maintain [CFL], [MACH].

• The entry pointBelow is the first waypoint of the oceanic routing.
• The oceanic routing is the portion of the aircraft’s route within the NAT oceanic airspace (not just Reykjavik OCA, but all of the NAT OCAs – Gander, Shanwick, etc.)
  • If an aircraftexample willexchange remainvia invoice, oceanicwhere airspaceno forchanges the rest of its entire flight, then its oceanic routing is equivalent to the entireaircraft's remainder of itsexisting flight plan routingare (starting from its entry point all the way to its final flight planned waypoint.)

For example:

🎧 SAS142, oceanic clearance to Seattle via IPTON 66N010W 69N020W 70N030W 71N040W 71N050W 71N060W NADMA, from IPTON maintain FL320, Mach .82.

If one is giving oceanic clearance to an aircraft that has already entered oceanic airspace, as is often the case when just logging onto a position, the aircraft may simply be instructed to “maintain FLXXX” (without the “from [ENTRY POINT]” condition.)

NAT Track Clearances

In the rare occasion that Reykjavik OACC must issue an oceanic clearance for an aircraft on a NAT track, then the phraseology is as follows:

[CALLSIGN], oceanic clearance to [DEST], via [TRACK], from [ENTRY POINT] maintain [CLEARED FL], [MACH].

For example:

🎧 SAS255, oceanic clearance to Los Angeles via track A, from RATSU maintain FL350, Mach .81

For Reykjavik OAC (unlike Gander & Shanwick), it is not required to include the TMI number when giving the clearance. However, pilots are expected to include the TMI number when they read back any oceanic clearance via a NAT track. For example:required:

🧑‍✈️ SAS255Reykjavik isControl, clearedICE123.

to

🎧 LosICE123, Angelesgo viaahead.

track

🧑‍✈️ A,ICE123, TMIrequest 83,oceanic fromentry RATSUat maintainVALDI, FL350,estimating VALDI at 1234z, Mach .81.79, FL340, maximum flight level 360.

🎧 ICE123, roger, fly current flight plan.

🧑‍✈️ Fly current flight plan, ICE123.

If the pilotaircraft's doesflight notplan providemust be amended, instead of "fly current flight plan," Reykjavik OAC shall use the TMIphrase number"amended in[speed/route/level] theirclearance," readback,followed then controllers should confirm it withby the pilotdetails while verifying their readback.

Amended and Conditional Clearances

Controllers may specify a different routing, cleared level, or Mach speed in an oceanic clearance if necessary for separation, flow control, traffic management, etc. Such clearances are known as amended clearances.

In these instances,of the oceanic clearance should be issued using the phraseology: Oceanic clearance to [DEST] with an amended [route/levelclearance. change/speed change]… (as appropriate)

For example:E.g.,

🧑‍✈️ Reykjavik Control, ICE456.

🎧 NOZ114,ICE456, go ahead.

🧑‍✈️ ICE456, request oceanic clearanceentry toat KeflavikIPTON, withestimating anIPTON at 1235z, Mach .79, FL340, maximum flight level 360.

🎧 ICE456, amended route and speed change,clearance, via RATSU BARKU ASRUN, fromafter IPTON cleared direct ING, then direct NASBU, maintain FL300, Mach .84.76.

🧑‍✈️ After IPTON cleared direct ING then direct NASBU, maintain Mach .76, ICE456.

🎧 ICE456, readback correct.

ControllersATC may also instructissue ana aircraftconditional toinstruction (e.g., cross a givenwaypoint, waypointclimb/descend eitherto a level, etc.) at,"at," "at or before," or "at or afterafter"  a specifiedcertain time.time, Suchto clearancesensure aretraffic knownseparation. as conditional clearances. For example:E.g.,

🎧 BAW80KA, oceanic clearance to Keflavik via RATSU BARKU ASRUN, from RATSU maintain FL360, Mach .84,ICE456, cross RATSUIPTON at or beforeafter 1732z.1236z.

If the pilot must climb, descend, change speed, etc. to fulfill these conditions prior to entry into oceanic airspace, it is their responsibility to make those requests from domestic ATC prior to entering Reykjavik OCA.

Procedures Within Oceanic Airspace

The Reykjavik CTA, through a combination of secondary radar and ADS-B, has full ATS surveillance coverage enroute. Therefore, aircraft in oceanic airspace may be controlled using normal ATS surveillance procedures (including vectoring, speed change, etc.)

Operation Without Assigned Fixed Speed (OWAFS)

Under a recent initiative in North Atlantic airspace known as Operation Without an Assigned Fixed Speed (OWAFS), controllers may now provide more speed flexibility to pilots in oceanic airspace.

All oceanic clearances shall include an assigned Mach number (or airspeed). After oceanic entry, aircraft may be instructed to "RESUME NORMAL SPEED" on a tactical basis. This allows aircraft to fly an optimum cost index (ECON) speed. ATC must be informed if the speed changes by +/- 0.02 Mach or more from the last assigned Mach number.

E.g., if an aircraft is clearedflying atvia Macha .80,NAT andtrack, itReykjavik is instructed to “resume normal speed,” it may maintain anywhere between Mach .78 to Mach .82 without needing to inform ATC.

It is recommended that OWAFS is only applied to aircraft whose planned minimum longitudinal separation from other aircraft is 60NM or greater. Longitudinal separationOAC must bealso monitoredverify andthe acurrent fixed MachTMI number maywith bethe re-assignedaircraft.

if

Nattrak necessary.("CPDLC")

– TO BE CONFIRMED | DO NOT USE NATTRAK UNTIL UPDATED –