Update on Military dimension of the plan
There are over 30 permanent military areas extending over FL95 in FIR EPWW that have the impact on civil traffic flows and thereby can influence the horizontal flight efficiency indicator. Additionally, in FIR EPWW recurring significant multinational NATO military exercises are held including: Anakonda, Astral Knight, AV-DET Rotation, Baltops, Defender, Dragon, Rammstein Guard, Tobruq Legacy. Due to large scale of those exercises there are aircraft stopovers and regroupings on military aerodromes in FIR EPWW that increase the load on ACC GAT and OAT Warszawa that might impact the route efficiency of civil aircrafts. Military aerodromes, including EPLK, EPKS, EPPW, EPMM, are located nearby the main civil aerodromes.
There are agreed procedures and LoA signed between PANSA and the Military side describing the process of airspace management at pre-tactical and tactical level in order to optimise its use. The procedures are continuously updated according to the current needs of both the civilian and military sides. The local ASM system (CAT) automatically exchanges the data with the Network Manager system. ASM information is available in ATM system, additionally published on PANSA website.
Military - related measures implemented or planned to improve capacity
On strategic airspace management level, all significant military exercises and permanent military areas are evaluated and analysed taking into account historic civil traffic flows and civil traffic predictions taking into account both entry count and occupancy.
The locations of the military activities are, whenever possible, designed not to affect the main traffic flows, ATC routes, DCTs and BALTIC FAB connectivity and to have minimal or even No impact on capacity. Segmentation, time and level restrictions are imposed when needed to mitigate the impact in location in heavy traffic periods of the day. If possible, class C TRA airspace is implemented to minimize the impact on civil operations.
Further measures include:
- update of local ASM system/radar data added to visualize military activity in segregated areas. As a result, update of coordination procedures to reduce the time required to release segregated areas back to civil traffic.
- implementation of closer cooperation between AMC Poland and FMP Warszawa in order to reduce as much as possible negative influence of segregated areas on civil traffic. Implementation of new coordination procedures (NPZ management) taking into account forecasted demand of civil traffic on segregated airspace allocation in time on the day of the operations.
Initiatives implemented or planned to improve PI#6
On strategic airspace management level, all significant exercises and permanent areas are evaluated and analysed taking into account historic civil traffic flows and civil traffic predictions.
The impact, depending on the scale, is consulted with the key stakeholders including neighboring states, aerodrome operators, aircraft operators, ATS, military, EUROCONTROL NM.
The lateral and vertical limits of the airspace elements published are designated considering the actual needs of users and nature of activities. All airspace elements shall be planned only for the time period necessary to perform the intended task. The user is obliged to specify precisely the period of activity of a selected element and all timely suspensions of activity between these periods.
The locations of the activities are designed not to affect the main traffic flows, ATC routes, DCTs and FRA connectivity. Segmentation, time and level restrictions are imposed when needed to mitigate the impact in location in heavy traffic periods of the day. If possible class C TRA airspace is implemented to minimize the impact on civil routing.
When the areas excess the set scale they are always divided into smaller modules/segments. Each of these segments is designed in order to fit particular activities without necessity to activate the whole area to perform specific assignments. The shape of these segments is always aligned with main civil traffic flows to minimize the horizontal flight inefficiency.
Further measures include:
- update of local ASM system/radar data added to visualize military activity in segregated areas. As a result, update of coordination procedures to reduce the time required to release segregated areas back to civil traffic.
- implementation of closer cooperation between AMC Poland and FMP Warszawa in order to reduce as much as possible negative influence of segregated areas on civil traffic. Implementation of new coordination procedures (NPZ management) taking into account forecasted demand of civil traffic on segregated airspace allocation in time on the day of the operations.
Annual review of the efficiency of airspace utilization is conducted.
Initiatives implemented or planned to improve PI#7
The available flight planning options are constantly updated to allow Aircraft Operator (AO) to plan the most horizontally effective trajectory, even when the areas are active. Except ATS network and DCTs, the AOs have the possibility to plan in the Free Route Airspace environment (FRA). Implementation of cross-border free route airspace operations within Lithuanian and Polish airspace (BALTIC FRA) and the cross border operations between BALTIC FRA and South East Europe FRA were implemented in 1Q 2022 which could further increase the planning opportunities. It is planned to further expand cross-border options by implementation of cross-border FRA operations between Poland, Czechia and Sweden by the end of 2024.
The lateral and vertical limits of the airspace elements published are designated considering the actual needs of users and nature of activities. All airspace elements shall be planned only for the time period necessary to perform the intended task. The user is obliged to specify precisely the period of activity of a selected element and all timely suspensions of activity between these periods.
Segmentation, time and level restrictions are imposed when needed to mitigate the impact in location in heavy traffic periods of the day. If possible class C TRA airspace is implemented to minimize the impact on civil routing.
Special procedures are prepared including dynamic change of level or segment and creation of new temporary routings for avoidance of military traffic.
Further measures include:
- update of local ASM system/radar data added to visualize military activity in segregated areas. As a result, update of coordination procedures to reduce the time required to release segregated areas back to civil traffic.
- implementation of closer cooperation between AMC Poland and FMP Warszawa in order to reduce as much as possible negative influence of segregated areas on civil traffic. Implementation of new coordination procedures (NPZ management) taking into account forecasted demand of civil traffic on segregated airspace allocation in time on the day of the operations.
Due to the war in Ukraine and significantly increased number of NATO flights in Polish airspace special procedures were implemented in order to easy flight planning process for AUs. For some areas FUA restrictions are dynamically managed and if possible are not activated on a given days.
Initiatives implemented or planned to improve PI#8
The lateral and vertical limits of the airspace elements published are designated considering the actual needs of users and nature of activities. All airspace elements shall be planned only for the period necessary to perform the intended task. The user is obliged to specify precisely the period of activity of a selected element and all timely suspensions of activity between these periods.
Segmentation, time and level restrictions are imposed when needed to mitigate the impact in location in heavy traffic periods of the day. If possible class C TRA airspace is implemented to minimize the impact on civil routing.
Special procedures are prepared including dynamic change of level or area segment.
Further measures include:
- update of local ASM system/radar data added to visualize military activity in segregated areas. As a result, update of coordination procedures to reduce the time required to release segregated areas back to civil traffic.
- implementation of closer cooperation between AMC Poland and FMP Warszawa in order to reduce as much as possible negative influence of segregated areas on civil traffic. Implementation of new coordination procedures (NPZ management) taking into account forecasted demand of civil traffic on segregated airspace allocation in time on the day of the operations.