General: Traffic Information & Co-ordination Between ATS Personnel

Question 1

What is Traffic Information?

Answer 1

TI passed between ATS personnel is info about aircraft that is relevant to the provision of an ATS.

Question 2

What is the purpose of TI?

Answer 2

• To enable the recipient to detwemine whether or not any action is necessary to achieve / maintain the required separation between the subject aircraft.
• e.g. after receiving TI, an ATCO may consider it nexessary to issue avoiding action / may request co-ordination with respect to the traffic

Question 3

What does the passing of TI NOT imply?

Answer 3

• Passing of TI does NOT imply a commitment to an agreed course of action.
• There is no undertaking to update the info that has been passed.
• The dynamic nature of an air traffic environment may render TI obsolete once passed, but after receiving TI a ATCO believes that co-ordination is necessary, they shall use the term “request co-ordination” and shall follow the verbal procedure.

Question 4

What is the definition of Co-ordination?

Answer 4

• Co-ordination is the act of negotiation between two or more parties each vested with
  the authority to make executive decisions appropriate to the task being discharged.
• Co-ordination is effected when the parties concerned, on the basis of known
  intelligence, agree a course of action.
• Responsibility for obtaining the agreement
  and for ensuring implementation of the agreed course of action may be vested in
  one of the controllers involved.

Question 5

Can one ATCO carry out co-ordination on behalf of another ATCO?

Answer 5

• Yes, providing that the traffic situation & time available are such that the ATCO being represented can put into effect any agreed actions.

Question 5

What can co-ordination be about?

Answer 5

• Aircraft that are either in receipt of, or about to be in receipt of, an ATS.

Question 6

What is Tactical Co-ordination?

Answer 6

• The co-ordination of individual aircraft to which the co-ordinating controllers are providing, or are about to provide, an ATS.
• Achieved verbally (face-to-face or phone), or silently using an electronic data comms system.
• Silent co-ordination procedures are to be detailed in the MATS2 & Unit Mil Procedures.

Question 7

What is Standing Co-ordination?

Answer 7

• Co-ordination which is implemented automatically, on a permanent basis, without communication between the ATCOs involved.
• it is effected in accordance with a written agreement between the units involved.
• Is valid only for the the aircraft & circumstances specified in MATS2.

Question 8

What is the “Request Co-ordination” verbal procedure?

Answer 8

ATCOs shall;
* Make verbal contact, identify themselves, open the dialogue with “Request Co-ordination”.
* Refer to their aircraft & the aircraft upon which co-ordination is requested in the order most appropriate to the situation.
* Propose a course of action upon which agreement is requested & obtain a clear decision on that proposal.
* To ensure clarity, before terminating the call, parties shall explicitly state the action required of their aircraft to achieve the agreed course of action (readback).