ICAO 4444 PDF

FOREWORD

Historical background

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).

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).

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).

Originally applicable on a regional basis, the PANS-ATC became applicable on a worldwide basis on 1 February 1950.

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.

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.

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.

Scope and purpose

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.

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.

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.

Status

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.

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.

Publication of differences

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.

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.

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.

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.