Area control center

In air traffic control, an area control center (ACC), also known as a center or en-route center, is a facility responsible for controlling aircraft flying in the airspace of a given flight information region (FIR) at high altitudes between airport approaches and departures. In the US, such a center is referred to as an air route traffic control center (ARTCC).

This temporary flight restriction map from the Federal Aviation Administration shows the boundaries of the regions controlled by the area control centers within and adjoining the contiguous United States, as well as the FAA location identifier of each such center operated by the United States

A center typically accepts traffic from — and ultimately passes traffic to — the control of a terminal control center or another center. Most centers are operated by the national governments of the countries in which they are located. The general operations of centers worldwide, and the boundaries of the airspace each center controls, are governed by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

In some cases, the function of an area control center and a terminal control center are combined in a single facility. For example, NATS combines the London Terminal Control Centre (LTCC) and London Area Control Centre (LACC) in Swanwick, Hampshire.

FAA definition

Houston Air Route Traffic Control Center, United States

The United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) defines an ARTCC as:

[a] facility established to provide air traffic control service to aircraft operating on IFR flight plans within controlled airspace, principally during the en-route phase of flight. When equipment capabilities and controller workload permit, certain advisory/assistance services may be provided to VFR aircraft.^[1]

An ARTCC is the U.S. equivalent of an area control center (ACC). There are 22 ARTCCs located in nineteen states.^[2]

Subdivision of airspace into sectors

The flight information region controlled by a center may be further administratively subdivided into areas comprising two to nine sectors. Each area is staffed by a set of controllers trained on all the sectors in that area.

Sectors use distinct radio frequencies for communication with aircraft. Each sector also has secure landline communications with adjacent sectors, approach controls, areas, ARTCCs, flight service centers, and military aviation control facilities. These landline communications are shared among all sectors that need them and are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Aircraft passing from one sector to another are handed off and requested to change frequencies to contact the next sector controller. Sector boundaries are specified by an aeronautical chart.

Center operations

Controllers at work at the Washington Air Route Traffic Control Center, United States

Air traffic controllers working within a center communicate via radio with pilots of instrument flight rules (IFR) aircraft passing through the center's airspace. A center's communication frequencies (typically in the very high frequency aviation bands, using amplitude modulation (AM) 118 MHz to 137 MHz, for overland control) are published in aeronautical charts and manuals, and are also announced to a pilot by the previous controller during a hand-off. Most VHF radio assignments also have a UHF (225 to 380 MHz) paired frequency used for military flights.

In addition to radios to communicate with aircraft, center controllers have access to communication links with other centers and TRACONs. In the United States, centers are electronically linked through the National Airspace System, which allows nationwide coordination of traffic flow to manage congestion. Centers in the United States also have electronic access to nationwide radar data.

Controllers use radar to monitor the progress of flights and instruct aircraft to perform course adjustments as needed to maintain separation from other aircraft. Aircraft with center contact can be readily distinguished by their transponders. Pilots may request altitude adjustments or course changes for reasons including avoidance of turbulence or adverse weather conditions.

Controllers can assign routing relative to location fixes derived from latitude and longitude, or from radionavigation beacons such as VORs.

Typically, centers have advance notice of a plane's arrival and intentions from its pre-filed flight plan.

Oceanic air traffic control

The FAA provides air traffic control services over U.S. territory and over international waters where it has been delegated such authority by the International Civil Aviation Organization. This map depicts overflight fee regions. The yellow regions are where the U.S. provides enroute ATC services (mostly over land territory). The blue regions are where the U.S. provides oceanic ATC services over international waters.

Some centers have ICAO-designated responsibility for airspace located over an ocean such as ZNY and ZOA, the majority of which is international airspace. Because substantial volumes of oceanic airspace lie beyond the range of ground-based radars, oceanic airspace controllers have to estimate the position of an airplane from pilot reports and computer models (procedural control), rather than observing the position directly (radar control, also known as positive control). Pilots flying over an ocean can determine their own positions accurately using the Global Positioning System or other means, and can supply periodic updates to a center.

A center's control service for an oceanic flight information region may be operationally distinct from its service for one over land, employing different communications frequencies, controllers, and a different ICAO code.

Pilots typically use high frequency radio instead of very high frequency radio to communicate with a center when flying over the ocean, because of HF's relatively greater propagation over long distances. Military aircraft, however, are typically equipped with ARC-231 SATCOMs that allow over-the-horizon communication.^[3]

List of area control centers

Area control centers under Fukuoka Flight Information Region (FIR) of Japan

Area control centers (ACCs) control IFR air traffic in their flight information region (FIR).

The current list of FIRs and ACCs is maintained by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).^[4] Note that the cited ICAO source gives the shapefile coordinates for each FIR, and also its page source gives a list of current ACCs in text form. The following is the alphabetic list of all ACCs and their FIRs as of October 2011^[update]:

ICAO code	Typ	FIR or ACC	Oceanic or other subtype	Country or territory
AGGG	FIR	Honiara ACC		Salomonen
ANAU	FIR	Nauru ACC		Nauru
AYPM	FIR	Port Moresby ACC		Papua-Neuguinea
BGGL	FIR	Nuuk ACC		Grönland ( Dänemark)
BIRD	FIR	Reykjavík ACC		Island
CZEG	FIR	Edmonton ACC		Kanada
CZQM	FIR	Moncton Southern ACC		Kanada
CZQX	FIR	Gander Domestic ACC		Kanada
CZUL	FIR	Montreal ACC		Kanada
CZVR	FIR	Vancouver ACC		Kanada
CZWG	FIR	Winnipeg ACC		Kanada
CZYZ	FIR	Toronto ACC		Kanada
DAAA	FIR	Alger ACC		Algerien
DGAC	FIR	Accra ACC		Ghana
DIII	FIR	Abidjan ACC		Ivory Coast
DNKK	FIR	Kano ACC		Nigeria
DRRR	FIR	Niamey ACC		Niger
DTTC	FIR	Tunis ACC		Tunesien
EZZZ	FIR	Eurocontrol	Eurocontrol	Belgien
EBBU	FIR	Brussels ACC		Belgien/ Luxemburg
EDGG	FIR	Langen ACC		Deutschland
EDMM	FIR	Munich ACC		Deutschland
EDUU	UIR	Rhein ACC		Deutschland
EDVV	UIR	Hannover ACC		Deutschland
EDWW	FIR	Bremen ACC		Deutschland
EDYY	UIR	Maastricht ACC		Belgien/ Deutschland/ Niederlande
EETT	FIR	Tallinn ACC		Estland
EFIN	FIR	Helsinki ACC		Finnland
EGGX	FIR	Shanwick Oceanic OCA	Oceanic	Vereinigtes Königreich
EGPX	FIR	Scottish ACC		Vereinigtes Königreich
EGQQ	FIR	Scottish ACC (Mil)	Military	Vereinigtes Königreich
EGTT	FIR	London ACC		Vereinigtes Königreich
EHAA	FIR	Amsterdam ACC		Niederlande
EISN	FIR	Shannon ACC		Irland
EKDK	FIR	Copenhagen ACC		Dänemark
ENOB	FIR	Bodo Oceanic OCA	Oceanic	Norwegen
ENOR	FIR	Polaris ACC		Norwegen
EPWW	FIR	Warszawa ACC		Polen
ESAA	FIR	Sweden ACC		Schweden
ESMM	FIR	Malmo ACC		Schweden
ESOS	FIR	Stockholm ACC		Schweden
EVRR	FIR	Riga ACC		Lettland
EYVL	FIR	Vilnius ACC		Litauen
FABL	FIR	Bloemfontein ACC		Südafrika
FACA	FIR	Cape Town ACC		Südafrika
FACT	FIR	Cape Town ACC		Südafrika
FADN	FIR	Durban ACC		Südafrika
FAJO	FIR	Johannesburg Oceanic ACC	Oceanic	Südafrika
FAJX	FIR	Johannesburg ACC		Südafrika
FAPX	FIR	Port Elizabeth ACC		Südafrika
FBGR	FIR	Gaborone ACC		Botswana
FCCC	FIR	Brazzaville ACC		Congo, Republic of the
FIMM	FIR	Mauritius ACC		Mauritius
FKKK	FIR	Douala ACC		Kamerun
FLFI	FIR	Lusaka ACC		Sambia
FMCX	FIR	Comoros ACC		Komoren
FMMM	FIR	Antananarivo ACC		Madagaskar
FNAN	FIR	Luanda ACC		Angola
FOOO	FIR	Libreville ACC		Gabun
FQBE	FIR	Beira ACC		Mosambik
FSSS	FIR	Seychelles ACC		Seychellen
FTTT	FIR	N'Djamena ACC		Tschad
FVHF	FIR	Harare ACC		Simbabwe
FWLL	FIR	Lilongwe ACC		Malawi
FYWF	FIR	Windhoek ACC		Namibia
FZZA	FIR	Kinshasa ACC		Congo, Democratic Republic of the
GCCC	FIR	Canarias ACC		Canary Islands ( Spanien)
GLRB	FIR	Roberts ACC		Liberia
GMMM	FIR	Casablanca ACC		Marokko
GOOO	FIR	Dakar Oceanic ACC	Oceanic	Senegal
GVSC	FIR	Sal Oceanic ACC	Oceanic	Kap Verde
HAAA	FIR	Addis Ababa ACC		Äthiopien
HBBA	FIR	Bujumbura ACC		Burundi
HCSM	FIR	Mogadishu ACC		Somalia
HECC	FIR	Cairo ACC		Ägypten
HHAA	FIR	Asmara ACC		Ägypten
HKNA	FIR	Nairobi ACC		Kenia
HLLL	FIR	Tripoli ACC		Libyen
HRYR	FIR	Kigali ACC		Ruanda
HSSX	FIR	Khartoum ACC		Sudan
HTDC	FIR	Dar es Salaam ACC		Tansania
HUEC	FIR	Entebbe ACC		Uganda
KZAB	FIR	Albuquerque ARTCC		Vereinigte Staaten
KZAK	FIR	Oakland Oceanic ARTCC	Oceanic	Vereinigte Staaten
KZAU	FIR	Chicago ARTCC		Vereinigte Staaten
KZBW	FIR	Boston ARTCC		Vereinigte Staaten
KZDC	FIR	Washington ARTCC		Vereinigte Staaten
KZDV	FIR	Denver ARTCC		Vereinigte Staaten
KZFW	FIR	Ft Worth ARTCC		Vereinigte Staaten
KZHU	FIR	Houston ARTCC		Vereinigte Staaten
KZID	FIR	Indianapolis ARTCC		Vereinigte Staaten
KZJX	FIR	Jacksonville ARTCC		Vereinigte Staaten
KZKC	FIR	Kansas City ARTCC		Vereinigte Staaten
KZLA	FIR	Los Angeles ARTCC		Vereinigte Staaten
KZLC	FIR	Salt Lake ARTCC		Vereinigte Staaten
KZMA	FIR	Miami ARTCC		Vereinigte Staaten
KZME	FIR	Memphis ARTCC		Vereinigte Staaten
KZMP	FIR	Minneapolis ARTCC		Vereinigte Staaten
KZNY	FIR	New York ARTCC		Vereinigte Staaten
KZOA	FIR	Oakland ARTCC		Vereinigte Staaten
KZOB	FIR	Cleveland ARTCC		Vereinigte Staaten
KZSE	FIR	Seattle ARTCC		Vereinigte Staaten
KZTL	FIR	Atlanta ARTCC		Vereinigte Staaten
KZWY	FIR	New York Oceanic ARTCC	Oceanic	Vereinigte Staaten
LAAA	FIR	Tirana ACC		Albanien
LBSR	FIR	Sofia ACC		Bulgarien
LBWR	FIR	Varna ACC		Bulgarien
LCCC	FIR	Nicosia ACC		Zypern
LDZO	FIR	Zagreb ACC		Kroatien
LECB	FIR	Barcelona ACC		Spanien
LECM	FIR	Madrid ACC		Spanien
LECS	FIR	Sevilla ACC		Spanien
LFBB	FIR	Bordeaux ACC		Frankreich
LFEE	FIR	Reims ACC		Frankreich
LFFF	FIR	Paris ACC		Frankreich
LFMM	FIR	Marseille ACC		Frankreich
LFRR	FIR	Brest ACC		Frankreich
LGGG	FIR	Athens ACC		Griechenland
LHCC	FIR	Budapest ACC		Ungarn
LIBB	FIR	Brindisi ACC		Italien
LIMM	FIR	Milano ACC		Italien
LIRR	FIR	Roma ACC		Italien
LJLA	FIR	Ljubljana ACC		Slowenien
LKAA	FIR	Praha ACC		Tschechische Republik
LLLL	FIR	Tel-Aviv ACC		Israel
LMMM	FIR	Malta ACC		Malta
LOVV	FIR	Wien ACC		Österreich
LPPC	FIR	Lisboa ACC		Portugal
LPPO	FIR	Santa Maria Oceanic ACC	Oceanic	Azores ( Portugal)
LQSB	FIR	Sarajevo ACC		Bosnien und Herzegowina
LRBB	FIR	Bucuresti ACC		Rumänien
LSAG	FIR	Geneve ACC		Schweiz
LSAS	FIR	Switzerland ACC		Schweiz
LSAZ	FIR	Zurich ACC		Schweiz
LTAA	FIR	Ankara ACC		Türkei
LTBB	FIR	Istanbul ACC		Türkei
LUUU	FIR	Chisinau ACC		Moldawien
LWSS	FIR	Skopje ACC		North Macedonia
LYBA	FIR	Beograd ACC		Serbien
LZBB	FIR	Bratislava ACC		Slowakei
MDCS	FIR	Santo Domingo ACC		Dominikanische Republik
MHTG	FIR	Central American ACC		Honduras
MKJK	FIR	Kingston ACC		Jamaika
MMFO	FIR	Mazatlan Oceanic ACC	Oceanic	Mexiko
MMFR	FIR	Mexico ACC		Mexiko
MPZL	FIR	Panama ACC		Panama
MTEG	FIR	Port-au-Prince ACC		Haiti
MUFH	FIR	Habana ACC		Cuba
MYNA	FIR	Nassau ACC		Bahamas
NFFF	FIR	Nadi ACC		Fidschi
NTTT	FIR	Tahiti ACC		Französisch-Polynesien ( Frankreich)
NWWX	FIR	Nouméa ACC		Neukaledonien ( Frankreich)
NZZC	FIR	New Zealand ACC		Neuseeland
NZZO	FIR	Auckland Oceanic ACC	Oceanic	Neuseeland
OAKX	FIR	Kabul ACC		Afghanistan
OBBB	FIR	Bahrain ACC		Bahrain
OEJD	FIR	Jeddah ACC		Saudi-Arabien
OIIX	FIR	Tehran ACC		Iran
OJAC	FIR	Amman ACC		Jordanien
OKAC	FIR	Kuwait ACC		Kuwait
OLBB	FIR	Beirut ACC		Libanon
OMAE	FIR	Emirates ACC		Vereinigte Arabische Emirate
OOMM	FIR	Muscat ACC		Oman
OPKR	FIR	Karachi ACC		Pakistan
OPLR	FIR	Lahore ACC		Pakistan
ORBB	FIR	Baghdad ACC		Iraq
ORMM	FIR	ORMM FIR		Iraq
OSTT	FIR	Damascus ACC		Syria
OYSC	FIR	Sanaa ACC		Jemen
PAZA	FIR	Anchorage ACC		Vereinigte Staaten
PAZN	FIR	Anchorage Oceanic ACC	Oceanic	Vereinigte Staaten
PHZH	FIR	Honolulu ACC		Vereinigte Staaten
RCAA	FIR	Taipei ACC		Taiwan
RJJJ	FIR	Fukuoka ACC		Japan
RKRR	FIR	Incheon ACC		Südkorea
RPHI	FIR	Manila ACC		Philippinen
SACF	FIR	Cordoba ACC		Argentinien
SACU	UIR	Cordoba UIR		Argentinien
SAEF	FIR	Ezeiza ACC		Argentinien
SAEU	UIR	Ezeiza UIR		Argentinien
SAMF	FIR	Mendoza ACC		Argentinien
SAMV	UIR	Mendoza UIR		Argentinien
SARR	FIR	Resistencia ACC		Argentinien
SAVF	FIR	Comodoro Rivadavia ACC		Argentinien
SAVU	UIR	Comodoro Rivadavia UIR		Argentinien
SBAO	FIR	Atlantico ACC		Brasilien
SBAZ	FIR	Amazonica ACC		Brasilien
SBBS	FIR	Brasilia ACC		Brasilien
SBCW	FIR	Curitiba ACC		Brasilien
SBRE	FIR	Recife ACC		Brasilien
SCCZ	FIR	Punta Arenas ACC		Chile
SCEZ	FIR	Santiago ACC		Chile
SCFZ	FIR	Antofagasta ACC		Chile
SCIZ	FIR	Easter Island ACC		Easter Island ( Chile)
SCTZ	FIR	Puerto Montt ACC		Chile
SEFG	FIR	Guayaquil ACC		Ecuador
SGFA	FIR	Asuncion ACC		Paraguay
SKEC	FIR	Barranquilla ACC		Kolumbien
SKED	FIR	Bogota ACC		Kolumbien
SLLF	FIR	La Paz ACC		Bolivien
SMPM	FIR	Paramaribo ACC		Surinam
SOOO	FIR	Rochambeau ACC		Französisch-Guayana ( Frankreich)
SPIM	FIR	Lima ACC		Peru
SUEO	FIR	Montevideo ACC		Uruguay
SVZM	FIR	Maiquetia ACC		Venezuela
SYGC	FIR	Georgetown ACC		Guyana
TJZS	FIR	San Juan ACC		Puerto Rico ( Vereinigte Staaten)
TNCF	FIR	Curaçao ACC		Curaçao ( Niederlande)
TTZP	FIR	Piarco ACC		Trinidad und Tobago
UAAX	FIR	Almaty ACC		Kasachstan
UACX	FIR	Astana ACC		Kasachstan
UAFX	FIR	Bishkek ACC		Kirgisistan
UASS	FIR	Semipalatinsk ACC		Kasachstan
UDDD	FIR	Yerevan ACC		Armenien
UEMH	FIR	Tyoply Klyuch ACC		Russland
UENN	FIR	Nyurba ACC		Russland
UESS	FIR	Chersky ACC		Russland
UESU	FIR	Zyryanka ACC		Russland
UEVV	FIR	Gigansk ACC		Russland
UGEE	FIR	Yerevan/Zvartnots ACC		Russland
UGGG	FIR	Tbilisi ACC		Georgien
UHBI	FIR	Magdagachi ACC		Russland
UHBI	FIR	Magdagachi ACC		Russland
UHHH	FIR	Khabarovsk/Novy		Russland
UHMI	FIR	Mys Shmidta ACC		Russland
UHMM	FIR	Magadan Oceanic	Oceanic	Russland
UHMP	FIR	Pevek ACC		Russland
UHNN	FIR	Nikolayevsk-na-Amure ACC		Russland
UHPT	FIR	Tilichiki ACC		Russland
UHPU	FIR	Ust-Khairyozovo ACC		Russland
UHSH	FIR	Okha ACC		Russland
UIKB	FIR	Bodaybo ACC		Russland
UIKK	FIR	Kirensk ACC		Russland
UKBV	FIR	Kyiv ACC		Ukraine
UKCV	FIR	Donetsk ACC		Ukraine
UKDV	FIR	Dnepropetrovsk ACC		Ukraine
UKFV	FIR	Simferopol ACC		Ukraine
UKHV	FIR	Kharkiv ACC		Ukraine
UKLV	FIR	Lviv ACC		Ukraine
UKOV	FIR	Odesa ACC		Ukraine
ULLL	FIR	Sankt Peterburg ACC		Russland
ULOL	FIR	Velikiye Luki ACC		Russland
UMKD	FIR	Kazan ACC		Russland
UMMV	FIR	Minsk ACC		Weißrussland
UNLL	FIR	Kolpashevo ACC		Russland
UOTT	FIR	Turukhansk ACC		Russland
URRV	FIR	Rostov-Na-Donu ACC		Russland
USDK	FIR	Mys Kamenny ACC		Russland
USHB	FIR	Beryozovo ACC		Russland
USHH	FIR	Khanty-Mansiysk ACC		Russland
UTAK	FIR	Turkmenbashi ACC		Turkmenistan
UTNR	FIR	Nukus ACC		Usbekistan
UTSD	FIR	Samarkand ACC		Usbekistan
UTTR	FIR	Tashkent ACC		Usbekistan
UUWV	FIR	Moscow ACC		Russland
UUYW	FIR	Vorkuta ACC		Russland
UUYY	FIR	Syktyvkar ACC		Russland
UWOO	FIR	Orenburg/Tsentralny ACC		Russland
VABF	FIR	Mumbai ACC		Indien
VCCC	FIR	Colombo ACC		Sri Lanka
VDPF	FIR	Phnom Penh ACC		Kambodscha
VECF	FIR	Kolkata ACC		Indien
VGFR	FIR	Dhaka ACC		Bangladesch
VHHK	FIR	Hong Kong ACC		Hongkong
VIDF	FIR	Delhi ACC		Indien
VLIV	FIR	Vientiane ACC		Laos
VLVT	FIR	Vientiane ACC		Laos
VNSM	FIR	Kathmandu ACC		Nepal
VOMF	FIR	Chennai ACC		Indien
VRMF	FIR	Male ACC		Malediven
VTBB	FIR	Bangkok ACC		Thailand
VVHM	FIR	Ho Chi Minh ACC		Vietnam
VVHN	FIR	Hanoi ACC		Vietnam
VYMD	FIR			Myanmar
VYYF	FIR	Yangon ACC		Myanmar
WAAF	FIR	Ujung Pandang		Indonesien
WAAZ	FIR	Ujung Pandang ACC		Indonesien
WABZ	FIR	Biak Sector	Sector	Indonesien
WADZ	FIR	Bali Sector	Sector	Indonesien
WAJZ	FIR			Indonesien
WAKZ	FIR	Merauke Sector	Sector	Indonesien
WALZ	FIR	Balikpapan Sector	Sector	Indonesien
WAMZ	FIR	Manado Sector	Sector	Indonesien
WAOZ	FIR	Banjarmasin Sector	Sector	Indonesien
WAPZ	FIR	Ambon Sector	Sector	Indonesien
WATZ	FIR	Kupang Sector	Sector	Indonesien
WBFC	FIR	Kota Kinabalu ACC		Brunei/ Malaysia
WIIF	FIR	Jakarta		Indonesien
WIIZ	FIR	Jakarta ACC		Indonesien
WIMZ	FIR	Medan Sector	Sector	Indonesien
WIOZ	FIR	Pontianak Sector	Sector	Indonesien
WIPZ	FIR	Palembang Sector	Sector	Indonesien
WMFC	FIR	Kuala Lumpur ACC		Malaysia
WSJC	FIR	Singapore ACC		Singapur
YBBB	FIR	Brisbane ACC		Australien
YMMM	FIR	Melbourne ACC		Australien
ZBPE	FIR	Beijing ACC		China
ZGJD	FIR	Zhuhai ACC		China
ZGZU	FIR	Guangzhou ACC		China
ZHWH	FIR	Wuhan ACC		China
ZJSA	FIR	Sanya ACC		China
ZKKP	FIR	Pyongyang ACC		North Korea
ZLHW	FIR	Lanzhou ACC		China
ZMUB	FIR	Ulan Bator ACC		Mongolei
ZPKM	FIR	Kunming ACC		China
ZSHA	FIR	Shanghai ACC		China
ZWUQ	FIR	Ürümqi ACC		China
ZYSH	FIR	Shenyang ACC		China