Table Of ContentThis edition supersedes, on 10 November 2016, all previous editions of Doc 4444.
INTERNATIONAL CIVIL AVIATION ORGANIZATION
Doc 4444
Sixteenth Edition, 2016
Air Traffic Management
PROCEDURES FOR AIR NAVIGATION SERVICES
Doc 4444
Air Traffic Management
Sixteenth Edition, 2016
INTERNATIONAL CIVIL AVIATION ORGANIZATION
PROCEDURES FOR AIR NAVIGATION SERVICES
This edition supersedes, on 10 November 2016, all previous editions of Doc 4444.
Doc 4444
AN/501
Procedures for
Air Navigation Services
Air Traffic Management
________________________________
This edition supersedes, on 10 November 2016,
all previous editions of Doc 4444.
Sixteenth Edition — 2016
International Civil Aviation Organization
Published in separate English, Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian
and Spanish editions by the
INTERNATIONAL CIVIL AVIATION ORGANIZATION
999 Robert-Bourassa Boulevard, Montréal, Quebec, Canada H3C 5H7
For ordering information and for a complete listing of sales agents
and booksellers, please go to the ICAO website at www.icao.int
Fifteenth edition 2007
Sixteenth edition 2016
Doc 4444, Procedures for Air Navigation Services — Air Traffic Management
Order Number: 4444
ISBN 978-92-9258-081-0
© ICAO 2016
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a
retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, without prior
permission in writing from the International Civil Aviation Organization.
(iii)
AMENDMENTS
Amendments are announced in the supplements to the Catalogue of ICAO
Publications; the Catalogue and its supplements are available on the ICAO
website at www.icao.int. The space below is provided to keep a record of such
amendments.
RECORD OF AMENDMENTS AND CORRIGENDA
AMENDMENTS
CORRIGENDA
No.
Date
applicable
Date
entered
Entered
by
No.
Date
of issue
Date
entered
Entered
by
Amendments 1-7-A incorporated in this edition.
7-B
5/11/20
To be incorporated in 2020
8
8/11/18
8/11/18
ICAO
PANS-ATM
(v)
10/11/16
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
FOREWORD...................................................................................................................................................
(ix)
CHAPTER 1. Definitions ............................................................................................................................
1-1
CHAPTER 2. ATS safety management .....................................................................................................
2-1
2.1
General ....................................................................................................................................................
2-1
2.2
Objectives ................................................................................................................................................
2-1
2.3
ATS safety management activities ..........................................................................................................
2-1
2.4
Monitoring of safety levels ......................................................................................................................
2-2
2.5
Safety reviews .........................................................................................................................................
2-2
2.6
Safety assessments...................................................................................................................................
2-4
2.7
Safety-enhancing measures .....................................................................................................................
2-5
CHAPTER 3. ATS system capacity and air traffic flow management ....................................................
3-1
3.1
Capacity management .............................................................................................................................
3-1
3.2
Air traffic flow management ...................................................................................................................
3-3
CHAPTER 4. General provisions for air traffic services .........................................................................
4-1
4.1
Responsibility for the provision of air traffic control service ..................................................................
4-1
4.2
Responsibility for the provision of flight information service and alerting service.................................
4-1
4.3
Division of responsibility for control between air traffic control units ...................................................
4-2
4.4
Flight plan ...............................................................................................................................................
4-3
4.5
Air traffic control clearances ...................................................................................................................
4-5
4.6
Horizontal speed control instructions ......................................................................................................
4-8
4.7
Vertical speed control instructions ..........................................................................................................
4-10
4.8
Change from IFR to VFR flight ..............................................................................................................
4-11
4.9
Wake turbulence categories .....................................................................................................................
4-12
4.10 Altimeter setting procedures ....................................................................................................................
4-12
4.11 Position reporting ....................................................................................................................................
4-14
4.12 Reporting of operational and meteorological information .......................................................................
4-18
4.13 Presentation and updating of flight plan and control data .......................................................................
4-21
4.14 Failure or irregularity of systems and equipment ....................................................................................
4-22
4.15 Data link communications initiation procedures .....................................................................................
4-22
CHAPTER 5. Separation methods and minima ........................................................................................
5-1
5.1
Introduction .............................................................................................................................................
5-1
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5.2
Provisions for the separation of controlled traffic ...................................................................................
5-1
5.3
Vertical separation ...................................................................................................................................
5-2
5.4
Horizontal separation...............................................................................................................................
5-4
5.5
Separation of aircraft holding in flight ....................................................................................................
5-39
5.6
Minimum separation between departing aircraft .....................................................................................
5-39
5.7
Separation of departing aircraft from arriving aircraft ............................................................................
5-40
5.8
Time-based wake turbulence longitudinal separation minima ................................................................
5-43
5.9
Clearances to fly maintaining own separation while in visual meteorological conditions ......................
5-48
5.10 Essential traffic information ....................................................................................................................
5-49
5.11 Reduction in separation minima ..............................................................................................................
5-50
CHAPTER 6. Separation in the vicinity of aerodromes ...........................................................................
6-1
6.1
Reduction in separation minima in the vicinity of aerodromes ...............................................................
6-1
6.2
Essential local traffic ...............................................................................................................................
6-1
6.3
Procedures for departing aircraft .............................................................................................................
6-1
6.4
Information for departing aircraft ............................................................................................................
6-5
6.5
Procedures for arriving aircraft ................................................................................................................
6-5
6.6
Information for arriving aircraft ..............................................................................................................
6-12
6.7
Operations on parallel or near-parallel runways ......................................................................................
6-14
CHAPTER 7. Procedures for aerodrome control service .......................................................................
7-1
7.1
Functions of aerodrome control towers ...................................................................................................
7-1
7.2
Selection of runway-in-use ......................................................................................................................
7-2
7.3
Initial call to aerodrome control tower ....................................................................................................
7-3
7.4
Information to aircraft by aerodrome control towers ...............................................................................
7-3
7.5
Essential information on aerodrome conditions ......................................................................................
7-7
7.6
Control of aerodrome traffic ....................................................................................................................
7-8
7.7
Control of traffic in the traffic circuit ......................................................................................................
7-12
7.8
Order of priority for arriving and departing aircraft ................................................................................
7-13
7.9
Control of departing aircraft ....................................................................................................................
7-13
7.10 Control of arriving aircraft ......................................................................................................................
7-15
7.11 Reduced runway separation minima between aircraft using the same runway .......................................
7-16
7.12 Use of a visual surveillance system in aerodrome control service ..........................................................
7-18
7.13 Procedures for low visibility operations ..................................................................................................
7-18
7.14 Suspension of visual flight rules operations ............................................................................................
7-18
7.15 Authorization of special VFR flights .......................................................................................................
7-20
7.16 Aeronautical ground lights ......................................................................................................................
7-21
7.17 Designation of hot spot(s) .......................................................................................................................
7-23
CHAPTER 8. ATS surveillance services ....................................................................................................
8-1
8.1
ATS surveillance systems capabilities.....................................................................................................
8-1
8.2
Situation display ......................................................................................................................................
8-3
8.3
Communications ......................................................................................................................................
8-3
8.4
Provision of ATS surveillance services ...................................................................................................
8-4
8.5
Use of SSR transponders and ADS-B transmitters ..................................................................................
8-4
8.6
General procedures ..................................................................................................................................
8-8
8.7
Use of ATS surveillance systems in the air traffic control service ..........................................................
8-15
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No. 8
Table of Contents
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8.8
Emergencies, hazards and equipment failures .........................................................................................
8-21
8.9
Use of ATS surveillance systems in the approach control service ..........................................................
8-24
8.10 Use of ATS surveillance systems in the aerodrome control service ........................................................
8-31
8.11 Use of ATS surveillance systems in the flight information service .........................................................
8-32
CHAPTER 9. Flight information service and alerting service .................................................................
9-1
9.1
Flight information service .......................................................................................................................
9-1
9.2
Alerting service ....................................................................................................................................
9-5
CHAPTER 10. Coordination ......................................................................................................................
10-1
10.1 Coordination in respect of the provision of air traffic control service .....................................................
10-1
10.2 Coordination in respect of the provision of flight information service and alerting service ....................
10-7
10.3 Coordination in respect of the provision of air traffic advisory service ..................................................
10-7
10.4 Coordination between air traffic services units and aeronautical telecommunication stations ................
10-7
CHAPTER 11. Air traffic services messages .............................................................................................
11-1
11.1 Categories of messages ............................................................................................................................
11-1
11.2 General provisions ...................................................................................................................................
11-3
11.3 Methods of message exchange ................................................................................................................
11-6
11.4 Message types and their application ........................................................................................................
11-8
CHAPTER 12. Phraseologies ......................................................................................................................
12-1
12.1 Communications procedures ...................................................................................................................
12-1
12.2 General
....................................................................................................................................
12-1
12.3 ATC phraseologies ..................................................................................................................................
12-2
12.4 ATS surveillance service phraseologies ..................................................................................................
12-31
12.5 Automatic dependent surveillance — contract (ADS-C) phraseologies .................................................
12-41
12.6 Alerting phraseologies .............................................................................................................................
12-41
12.7 Ground crew/flight crew phraseologies ...................................................................................................
12-41
CHAPTER 13. Automatic dependent surveillance — contract (ADS-C) services .................................
13-1
13.1 General
....................................................................................................................................
13-1
13.2 ADS-C ground system capabilities ..........................................................................................................
13-1
13.3 ADS-C-related aeronautical information .................................................................................................
13-2
13.4 Use of ADS-C in the provision of air traffic control service ...................................................................
13-3
13.5 Use of ADS-C in the application of separation minima ..........................................................................
13-10
CHAPTER 14. Controller-pilot data link communications (CPDLC) ....................................................
14-1
14.1 General
....................................................................................................................................
14-1
14.2 Establishment of CPDLC ........................................................................................................................
14-1
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14.3 Exchange of operational CPDLC messages ............................................................................................
14-2
CHAPTER 15. Procedures related to emergencies, communication failure and contingencies ...........
15-1
15.1 Emergency procedures ............................................................................................................................
15-1
15.2 Special procedures for in-flight contingencies in oceanic airspace .........................................................
15-5
15.3 Air-ground communications failure ........................................................................................................
15-8
15.4 Assistance to VFR flights ........................................................................................................................
15-11
15.5 Other in-flight contingencies ...................................................................................................................
15-12
15.6 ATC contingencies ..................................................................................................................................
15-16
15.7 Other ATC contingency procedures ........................................................................................................
15-18
15.8 Procedures for ATS units when a volcanic ash cloud is reported or forecast ..........................................
15-21
CHAPTER 16. Miscellaneous procedures .................................................................................................
16-1
16.1 Responsibility in regard to military traffic ..............................................................................................
16-1
16.2 Responsibility in regard to unmanned free balloons ...............................................................................
16-1
16.3 Air traffic incident report .........................................................................................................................
16-2
16.4 Use of repetitive flight plans (RPLs) .......................................................................................................
16-2
16.5 Strategic lateral offset procedures (SLOP) ..............................................................................................
16-6
16.6 Notification of suspected communicable diseases, or other public health risk, on board an aircraft ......
16-7
APPENDICES
APPENDIX 1. Instructions for air-reporting by voice communications.................................................
A1-1
APPENDIX 2. Flight plan ...........................................................................................................................
A2-1
APPENDIX 3. Air traffic services messages ..............................................................................................
A3-1
APPENDIX 4. Air traffic incident report ..................................................................................................
A4-1
APPENDIX 5. Controller-pilot data link communications (CPDLC) message set ................................
A5-1
APPENDIX 6. ATS interfacility data communications (AIDC) messages ..............................................
A6-1
_____________________
PANS-ATM
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FOREWORD
1. Historical background
1.1 The Procedures for Air Navigation Services — Air Traffic Management (PANS-ATM) are the result of the
progressive evolution of the Procedures for Air Navigation Services — Air Traffic Control (PANS-ATC) prepared by the
Air Traffic Control Committee of the International Conference on North Atlantic Route Service Organization (Dublin,
March 1946).
1.2 A second version of the PANS-ATC was issued in the same year, following review of the original procedures
by the International Conference on European-Mediterranean Route Service Organization (Paris, April–May 1946).
1.3 The Third Edition of the PANS-ATC was prepared in 1947 by the Rules of the Air and Air Traffic Control
(RAC) Division at its Second Session (Montreal, December 1946–January 1947).
1.4 Originally applicable on a regional basis, the PANS-ATC became applicable on a worldwide basis on
1 February 1950.
1.5 The Fourth Edition (1951) was given the title Procedures for Air Navigation Services — Rules of the Air and
Air Traffic Services (PANS-RAC) on the recommendation of the Fourth Session of the Rules of the Air and Air Traffic
Control (RAC) Division (Montreal, November–December 1950). This title reflected the fact that certain procedures
applicable to pilots and a number of procedures relating to the provision of flight information and alerting service were
included therein, in addition to the operation of the air traffic control service.
1.6 Further editions were issued periodically. The origin of each edition issued since 1946 and subsequent
amendments thereto are shown in Table A, together with a list of the principal subjects involved, the dates on which the
amendments were approved by the Council and the dates on which they became applicable.
1.7 This edition, re-titled Procedures for Air Navigation Services — Air Traffic Management (PANS-ATM),
provides for a comprehensive update of the procedures as well as a major reorganization of the contents. The new title
reflects that provisions and procedures relating to safety management of air traffic services and to air traffic flow
management are included.
2. Scope and purpose
2.1 The Procedures for Air Navigation Services — Air Traffic Management (PANS-ATM) are complementary to
the Standards and Recommended Practices contained in Annex 2 — Rules of the Air and in Annex 11 — Air Traffic
Services. They are supplemented when necessary by regional procedures contained in the Regional Supplementary
Procedures (Doc 7030).
Note 1.— Although these procedures are mainly directed to air traffic services personnel, flight crews should be
familiar with the procedures contained in the following chapters of the document:
Chapters 3 through 9, 12 through 15, Chapter 16, Sections 16.3, 16.5 and 16.6 and Appendices 1, 2, 4 and 5.
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Note 2.— The objectives of the air traffic control service as prescribed in Annex 11 do not include prevention of
collision with terrain. The procedures prescribed in this document do not relieve pilots of their responsibility to ensure
that any clearances issued by air traffic control units are safe in this respect. When an IFR flight is vectored or is given a
direct routing which takes the aircraft off an ATS route, the procedures in Chapter 8, 8.6.5.2 apply.
2.2 The Procedures for Air Navigation Services — Air Traffic Management (PANS-ATM) specify, in greater
detail than in the Standards and Recommended Practices, the actual procedures to be applied by air traffic services units
in providing the various air traffic services to air traffic.
3. Status
3.1 The Procedures for Air Navigation Services (PANS) do not have the same status as the Standards and
Recommended Practices. While the latter are adopted by Council in pursuance of Article 37 of the Convention on
International Civil Aviation, subject to the full procedure of Article 90, the PANS are approved by the Council and
recommended to Contracting States for worldwide application.
3.2 While the PANS may contain material which may eventually become Standards or Recommended Practices
(SARPs) when it has reached the maturity and stability necessary for adoption as such, they may also comprise material
prepared as an amplification of the basic principles in the corresponding SARPs, and designed particularly to assist the
user in the application of those SARPs.
4. Implementation
The implementation of procedures is the responsibility of Contracting States; they are applied in actual operations only
after, and in so far as, States have enforced them. However, with a view to facilitating their processing towards
implementation by States, they have been prepared in language which will permit direct use by air traffic services
personnel and others associated with the provision of air traffic services to international air navigation.
5. Publication of differences
5.1 The PANS do not carry the status afforded to Standards adopted by the Council as Annexes to the Convention
and, therefore, do not come within the obligation imposed by Article 38 of the Convention to notify differences in the
event of non-implementation.
5.2 However, attention of States is drawn to the provision of Annex 15 related to the publication in their
Aeronautical Information Publications of lists of significant differences between their procedures and the related ICAO
procedures.
6. Promulgation of information
Information relating to the establishment and withdrawal of and changes to facilities, services and procedures affecting
aircraft operations provided according to the Procedures specified in this document should be notified and take effect in
accordance with Annex 15.
Foreword
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7. Contents of the document
Chapter 1 contains definitions.
Chapter 2 contains provisions and procedures regarding safety management of the air traffic services.
Chapter 3 contains provisions and procedures applicable to air traffic flow management.
Chapter 4 contains general provisions and procedures applicable to the air traffic services.
Chapter 5 contains provisions and procedures applicable to the separation of aircraft.
Chapter 6 contains provisions and procedures applicable to departing and arriving aircraft.
Chapter 7 contains provisions and procedures applicable by air traffic control units providing aerodrome control
service.
Note.— The procedures for operating aeronautical ground lights have been included in Chapter 7 (Section 7.15)
since they concern mostly aerodromes. It should be noted that all aeronautical ground lights are included whether or not
they are on or in the vicinity of an aerodrome, and that the whole of Section 7.15 applies to all aerodromes, whether or
not aerodrome control service is provided.
Chapter 8 contains procedures applicable by air traffic services units using radar in the performance of their functions.
Chapter 9 contains procedures applicable by air traffic services units providing flight information service and alerting
service.
Chapter 10 contains procedures regarding the coordination to be effected between air traffic services units, between
control positions within such units, and between such units and associated aeronautical telecommunication stations.
Chapter 11 contains procedures relating to the air traffic services messages which are necessary for the effective
operation of air traffic services.
Chapter 12 contains typical phraseologies to be used in the provision of air traffic services, arranged in groups to
relate to the particular phase of air traffic services with which they are generally employed.
Chapter 13 contains procedures regarding automatic dependent surveillance — contract (ADS-C) services.
Chapter 14 contains procedures concerning controller-pilot data link communications (CPDLC). The associated
CPDLC message set is contained in Appendix 5.
Chapter 15 contains procedures related to emergencies, communication failure and contingencies.
Chapter 16 contains procedures applicable to special air operations, to incident reporting and to repetitive flight plans.
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Table A. Amendments to the PANS-ATM
Amendment
Source(s)
Subject(s)
Approved
Applicable
1st Edition (1946)
2nd Edition (1946)
3rd Edition (1947)
North Atlantic Route Conference
(1946)
Conference on European-
Mediterranean Route Service
Organization (1946)
Rules of the Air and Air Traffic Control
(RAC) Division, Second Session
(1946/1947)
Procedures for Air Navigation Services — Air Traffic
Control (PANS-ATC).
Revision of the original procedures.
Revision of the second edition.
Implemented on a
regional basis on
various dates and
applicable from
1 February 1950 on a
worldwide basis.
4th Edition
Rules of the Air and Air Traffic Control
(RAC) Division, Fourth Session (1950)
Procedures for Air Navigation Services — Rules of
the Air and Air Traffic Services (PANS-RAC).
Inclusion of procedures applicable to pilots and of
procedures regarding the provision of flight
information and alerting service; change of title to
reflect these inclusions.
28 November 1951
1 September 1952
5th Edition
First Air Navigation Conference
(1953); AGA Division, Fifth Session
(1952)
Position reporting procedures; holding procedures
phraseology; radar approach control procedures and
phraseology; operation of aeronautical ground lights;
air-ground communications failure; air-reports; flight
plan AIREP and POMAR forms.
8 December 1953
1 September 1954
6th Edition
Second Air Navigation Conference
(1955)
Separation minima; VFR on-top; coordination
between adjacent area control centres; objectives and
functions of air traffic advisory service; alerting
service and search and rescue service; POMAR form.
11 May 1956
1 December 1956
7th Edition
Rules of the Air, Air Traffic Services
and Search and Rescue (RAC/SAR)
Division (1958)
Introduction of a new flight plan form; major revision
of the provisions relating to flight plans and the
issuance of clearances based thereon; revision of
flight plan messages; standardized content for
messages relating to emergency phases; changes to
the separation minima requirements; contents of
position reports; restrictions in the issuance of
clearances to fly maintaining VMC; transfer of
responsibility for control from one ATC unit to
another; procedures for approach control service;
objectives and functions of the air traffic advisory
service; phraseologies for ATS; consolidation of all
provisions regarding flight plans, the flight plan form
and instructions for completion of same.
18 February 1960
1 August 1960
Amendment 1 to the
7th Edition
Panel for Coordinating Procedures
respecting the Supply of Information
for Aircraft Information, First Meeting
(1959); Meteorology Division, Fifth
Session (1959)
Transmission of meteorological information to
aircraft in flight; revision of the Air-report and AIREP
form.
2 December 1960
1 July 1961
Amendment 2 to the
7th Edition
Air Navigation Commission
Altimeter setting procedures.
26 June 1961
1 October 1961
Amendment 3 to the
7th Edition
Air Navigation Commission
Change to flight plan form to cater for flights through
intermediate stops.
15 December 1961
1 July 1962
