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En Route & Oceanic

Updated:02:58 PM March 20, 2009

The Federal Aviation Administration provides air traffic control services to pilots in the en route and oceanic environments.  Domestic en route airspace is typically above 10,000 feet where aircraft reach their cruising altitudes and fly as direct a route as possible between their points of departure and destination.  En route controllers normally monitor aircraft using long-range radars and issue clearances to maintain safe separation between aircraft.  Controllers also sequence aircraft into arrival streams to maximize the use of the airspace close to airports.  In addition, controllers help aircraft avoid dangerous weather and restricted airspace by issuing reroutes, advisories, and warnings.

Oceanic air traffic control uses procedural separation to maintain separation and sequencing of aircraft over the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans where there is no radar.  To achieve this, the aircraft must fly on specified tracks (e.g., eastbound at night and westbound in the day across the Atlantic) with large separation distances (e.g., 100 miles).  Pilots must radio their position every hour as they cross the ocean and controllers ensure that safe separation is maintained.  The two main oceanic centers are located at the New York and Oakland En Route Centers, but use different equipment and procedures than domestic en route controllers. Smaller oceanic operations are located at the Miami and Houston en route centers to provide services to the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico.

Recent Publications

Ahlstrom, U. (2008). Human factors requirements for en route controller weather displays (DOT/FAA/TC-08/01).  Atlantic City International Airport, NJ: Federal Aviation Administration William J. Hughes Technical Center.

Ahlstrom, U., & Dury, T. G. (2007). Weather information for en route controllers (DOT/FAA/TC-07/08).  Atlantic City International Airport, NJ: Federal Aviation Administration William J. Hughes Technical Center.

Allendoerfer, K. R., Pai, S., & Zingale, C. (2006). An analysis of en route air traffic control system usage during special situations (DOT/FAA/TC-TN06/11).  Atlantic City International Airport, NJ: Federal Aviation Administration William J. Hughes Technical Center.

Della Rocco, P., Panjwani, G., Friedman-Berg, F., Kopardekar, P., & Hah, S. (2004). Collocation of User Request Evaluation Tool, Traffic Management Advisor, and Controller Pilot Data Link Communications: An Initial Human Factors Evaluation (DOT/FAA/CT-TN04/06). Atlantic City International Airport, NJ: Federal Aviation Administration William J. Hughes Technical Center.

Koros, A., McAnulty, D. M., & Beck, B. (2008). Recommended layouts for the en route area supervisor work space (DOT/FAA/TC-TN-08/11).  Atlantic City International Airport, NJ: Federal Aviation Administration William J. Hughes Technical Center.

McAnulty, D. M., Sollenberger, R., Koros, A., Hale, M. (2008).  Human factors assessment of the En Route Information Display System (DOT/FAA/TC-08/12).  Atlantic City International Airport, NJ: Federal Aviation Administration William J. Hughes Technical Center.

Sollenberger, R., Koros, A., & Hale, M. (2008). En Route Information Display System benefits study (DOT/FAA/TC-08/06).  Atlantic City International Airport, NJ: Federal Aviation Administration William J. Hughes Technical Center.

Willems, B., Hah, S., & Phillips, R. (2008).  Future En Route Workstation Study (FEWS I): Part 1 − Evaluation of Workstation and Traffic Level Effects (DOT/FAA/TC-08/14,I).  Atlantic City International Airport, NJ: Federal Aviation Administration William J. Hughes Technical Center.

Zingale, C. M., Truitt, T. R., & McAnulty, D. M. (2008). Human-in-the-loop evaluation of an integrated arrival/departure air traffic control service for major metropolitan airspaces (DOT/FAA/TC-08/04).  Atlantic City International Airport, NJ: Federal Aviation Administration William J. Hughes Technical Center.

Recent Research Projects

  • Future En Route Workstation (FEWS)
  • Separation Management
  • Data Communications Segment 1
  • Big Airspace
  • Weather Information for En Route Controllers

Recent Acquisition Support Projects

  • En Route Automation Replacement (ERAM)
  • En Route Information Display System (ERIDS)
  • En Route Supervisor Work Space
  • National Airspace System Voice Switch (NVS)

Updated: March 20, 2009 02:58 PM