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 Warszawa that might impact the route efficiency of civil aircraft. 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 aimed at optimisation of its use. The procedures are continuously updated according to the current needs of both the civil 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.
At the same time, the military’s need to conduct training, which is not subject to the same coordination as exercises, may have a significant impact on delays in civil aviation. The change in the Polish Aviation Law act in 2025 regarding RPAS should have a positive impact on the fluidity of air traffic.
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 considering historic civil traffic flows and civil traffic predictions. The impact is consulted with the key stakeholders including neighbouring states, aerodrome operators, aircraft operators, ATS, the military, EUROCONTROL NM.
The locations of the military activities are, whenever possible, designed to not affect the main traffic flows, ATC routes, DCTs and BALTIC 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.
Military areas are always divided into smaller modules/segments. Each of these segments is designed in order to fit particular military activities without necessity to activate the whole area to perform specific military training assignments. The shape of these segments is always aligned with main civil traffic flows to minimize the horizontal flight inefficiency.
Special procedures are prepared including dynamic change of level or segment and creation of new temporary routings for avoidance of military traffic. Special coordination points are prepared in advance to improve the cooperation between military aircrafts and ATC arriving/departing to/from military areas. The information flow is guaranteed by internal procedures and Supporting Self Check-in Documents System.
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 to reduce the negative influence of segregated areas on civil traffic as much as possible;
- implementation of new coordination procedures (NPZ management) considering 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 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 minimise 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 minimise 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 the negative influence of segregated areas on civil traffic as much as possible;
- 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 utilisation 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. Second step of cross-border FRA operation between Poland, Czechia and Sweden was implemented in November 2024, further expanding benefits for AUs.
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 minimise 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 visualise 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 the negative impact of segregated areas on civil traffic as much as possible;
- 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 ease 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 minimise 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 the negative influence of segregated areas on civil traffic as much as possible;
- 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.