It is the service established with the purpose of contributing to safety, air traffic ordering and flowingness, to ensure that the demand expectation is balanced with the optimized manner with the practiced capacities.

The responsible authority for the general administration of the air traffic flow management service is the Director-General of the Department of the Airspace Control (DGCEA).

The ATFM Service is provided in all air space that overlays the national territory, including territorial and jurisdictional waters, as well as the air space that has been object of air navigation regional agreement.

4.1. The ATFM Service is planned and developed in the whole responsible area, in a centralized way, by the Air Traffic Management Centre (CGNA), with support of flow management cells (FMC) in all ACC and APP with expressive air traffic demand.

4.2. The Service is provided according to the contained in Annex 11 to the International Civil Aviation Convention – Air Traffic Services, and in ICAO Doc. 4444 - Air Traffic Management.

The following terms and respective meanings shall be considered as ATFM Service provision:

Aerodrome whose air traffic demand forecast is superior to the declared and/or practiced capacity, having, therefore, all landing and departure operations conditioned to ATC SLOT attainment.

NOTE: Any aerodrome can change to the co-ordinated condition on account of an atypical seasonal demand.

Aerodrome whose air traffic demand forecast tends to excced 80% of the declared capacity, being, therefore, all intentions of passenger and/or cargo regular flights as well as those of the postal network conditioned to ATC SLOT attainment.

Balance relationship between the air traffic demand and the declared capacity.

Measurement of the processing capacity of critical airport components (runways, apron or terminal), which may involve people, aircraft, luggage or cargo.

Number of aircraft within a specific portion of the airspace, at a given period of time, taking into account the weather conditions, the configuration of the ATC unit, the operational staff and the available equipment, as well as any other factors that may affect the workload of the controller responsible for the airspace in question.

Maximum value attributed to an airport capacity resulting from ATC and airport capacities.

Value attributed to the capacity of an airport or an ATC section on account of elements availability of its installed infrastructures for a period of stated time.

Maximum number of practicable operations at an airport or control section, continually, for a period of stated time.

Situation in which the demand for air traffic is greater than the declared and/or practiced capacity, in a given time interval.

The number of aircraft requesting ATM system services in a given period of time.

It is the group of units, facilities or support structures to the air navigation in order to promote safety, regularity and efficiency.

It is the facilities group in an aerodrome composed of the Movement Area and terminals for passengers.

It is the group of relative information to a scheduled flight, transmitted or not to an ATS unit.

Defined time for an aircraft to pass over a Position Fix or a landing or takeoff operation.

ATC Slot applied to take-off or landing operation of a certain aircraft from a co-ordinated airport that, on account of its nonuse, can be attributed to another aircraft. The opportunity slot can also be created by flow optimization by an ATC unit.

They are actions established through collaborative decisions, involving CGNA, airport authorities, ATS units and explorers/ operators in order to be applied in unbalanced situations.

6.1.1. Whenever necessary, ATFM measures should be applied to regulate air traffic demand. There are several types of ATFM measures that can be used alone or in combination, depending on the size and duration of the imbalance. As they are normally restrictive actions, the ATFM measures that cause the least impact on users should preferably be applied.

6.1.2. All flight intentions arised from flight programmings and plans will be received, processed and, when necessary, analyzed as for the balancing.

6.1.3. Criteria established for use in Conditioned Airpace can, whenever necessary, under previous coordination, suffer alterations, in view of economy and flowingness air traffic flow.

6.1.4. Seasonal events that can generate additional air traffic demand expectation and produce unbalance will be analysis matter as for the impact in the air trafic flow.

6.1.5. The ATC and airport capacities values can be changed on account of eventual degradations, inoperation or unavailability of elements of their respective infrastructure.

6.1.6. Air traffic management flow measures can reach aircraft on the ground or in flight.

6.1.7. In principle, the management measures will not affect the aircraft in the following situations:

a) emergency;

b) in airspace defense mission;

c) in military operation (war mission or internal safety or military maneuver);

d) carrying or applied to transport sick or wounded people in serious state (ambulance in aeromedical operation, according to specific legislation), needing urgent medical attendance, or transporting vital organs for human transplant;

e) in SAR mission;

f) Flight Inspection mission;

g) transporting State or Government Chiefs; and

h) transporting the Governor of a Brazilian federative unit.

NOTE: The CGNA may exempt other types of flights from applicable ATFM measures.

6.2.1.1. When an AP whose air TFC expectation reaches 80 (eighty) per cent of the adopted capacity, it will be declared through NOTAM as a monitored one and, as a result, all intentions of pax and/or cargo scheduled flights, as well as those of the postal network, will be conditioned to the ATC SLOT obtention; keeping the release to general aviation ACFT which had previously obtained it, except for restrictions of the brazilian civil aviation authority;

6.2.1.2. In a period in which an airport is declared as to be monitored, an allocated ATC SLOT will be compulsory for requiring and/or changing the registered flight from the Brazilian Civil Aviation Authority.

6.2.1.3. Operation at a monitored airport will be conditioned to the following critera

a) coordinate with the airport administration the use of airports facilities of interest and request to the CGNA, an ATC slot, as described on items 6.2.1.1 and 6.2.1.2;

b) the ATC SLOT is valid in the interval corresponding to 5 minutes before to 15 minutes after the expected schedule, except if modified by the ATC unit or account of adverse meteorological conditions or by air TFC flow management measures;

c) informing, previously, the CGNA, in case it is not intended to use an ATC Slot.

d) request a new ATC SLOT, at the local ATC unit, for all schedule changes (EOBT/ETA), except for situations contained in the exception described in the letter B of this item, it will be classified as an opportunity SLOT, with priority reduced to flight accomodation in a low demand time interval;

e) insert in the RMK field of the PLN form, either complete or repetitive, the time provided by CGNA for the operation of LDG, TKOF, or both. Examples: RMK/DEP SBSP 2015 or RMK/ARR SBBR 2135 or even RMK/DEP SBSP 2015 ARR SBBR 2135.

f) the operation without an ATC Slot or out of the ATC Slot validity period, as well as its systematical non-use, at a monitored airport, will be considered as an air traffic rules infringement.

6.2.2.1. When a monitored AP whose air traffic expectation is greater than the capacity adopted, it will be declared through NOTAM as a coordinated one, as a result, all of its LDG and TKOF OPS are conditioned to the obtention of ATC slot.

6.2.2.2. Any airport can be changed to coordinated condition on account of an atypical seasonal demand. Flights registered by the Brazilian Civil Aviation Authority will have their schedules adjusted for the available ATC SLOT.

6.2.2.3. In a period in which a certain airport is declared as to be coordinated, the operation will be accomplished in accordance with item 6.2.1.3 above and, in addition, in agreement with the following critera:

a) air transport companies that intend to accomplish national or international non-regular passenger or cargo (charter/freight) flights shall coordinate with the airports administration and require the CGNA the ATC SLOT with a minimum advance of 5 (five) week days from the desired date for the operation, by sending the respective request through the email addresses: internacional @ cgna.gov.br and/or charter @ cgna.gov.br, being its attendance conditioned to the airport practiced capacity;

b) aircraft performing special air services, taxi airplane services as well as those performing general aviation shall require the ATC SLOT to the Central Integrated de Slot (CIS) of CGNA, activated by NOTAM, through the website www.cgna.gov.br or by the phone +55 (21) 2174-7500 with minimum advance of 01 (one) and maximum of 120 (one hundred and twenty) hours of the desired time. The service will be conditioned to the airport practiced capacity and will be confirmed by the supply of a numeric code preceded by the acronym ATC SLOT, with two letters added from the ICAO indicator of the involved airport, which shall be included in item 18 of the flight plan. example: RMK/CLR RJ 86145.

c) the following aircraft are not subject to ATC Slot obtaining:

- in emergency situation;

- in SAR mission;

- ambulance aircraft performing air medical operation, according to specific legislation;

- transporting vital organs for human transplant, according to specific legislation;

- transporting State or Government Chiefs;

- transporting governors of Brazilian Federative Units;

- rotary wing in VFR flight;

- in inspection in flight; and

- in military operation.

d) aircraft with an ATC Slot that do not file a flight plan in the expected time will miss the allocation, so the slot will be used as an oportunity ATC SLOT;

e) ACFT in possession of an ATC SLOT, which are aware of its non-use in advance of more than 04 (four) hours of the scheduled time, must cancel it through the CGNA website;

f) ACFT in possession of an ATC SLOT, which are aware of its non-use in advance of less than 04 (four) hours of the scheduled time, must inform it to the coordinated AP AIS Room or to the ATC unit, when flying. The reuse of the allocation code without CGNA authorization if forbidden;

g) all schedule changes (EOBT/ETA) will be conditioned to the obtention of a new ATC SLOT, except if modified by the ATC unit or on account of adverse MET conditions or by air traffic flow management measures;

h) aircraft performing special air services, taxi airplane services as well as those performing general aviation that have not got an ATC SLOT up to one hour prior to intended schedule can require a TKOF and/or LDG opportunity Slot; and

i) operations without an ATC SLOT or out of the ATC SLOT validity period, as well as their systematical non use, at a coordinated airport, will be considered as an air traffic rules infringement.

6.2.3.1. The opportunity ATC SLOT for departure will be conceded in the event of ATC SLOT canceling prior allocated for another aircraft and/or the air traffic flow at the moment allows the intended operation by means of the following procedures:

a) the flight plan form shall be presented at the AIS unit of the departure airport, without filling the field TIME in item13 until 30 (thirty) minutes prior the wished time;

b) on account of time exiguity between a slot release and its reuse, the flight plan related to an opportunity slot shall be presented personally to the AIS unit of the departure airport;

c) after presenting the flight plan, the pilot in command shall maintain contact with the TWR, waiting for initial contact with the ATC unit; and

d) the opportunity slot for departure is managed by the TWR with coordination with the AIS unit, being the TWR the sole competent unit to inform about the availability of the opportunity SLOT.

6.2.3.2. The opportunity ATC SLOT for landing will be conceded in the event of ATC SLOT canceling prior allocated for another aircraft and/or the air traffic flow at the moment allows the intended operation by means of the following procedures:

a) being presented a Flight Plan for an airport in the proximity of the co-ordinated airport and adding to the FPL item 18 the following remark: RMK/OPT (coordinated airport). Example: RMK/OPT SBSP;

b) establishing contact with the APP under whose jurisdiction is the coordinated airport and reiterate its real intention of landing which will be conceded on account of the air traffic flow; and

c) the opportunity SLOT for landing is managed by the Approach Control (APP) by means of coordination to the TWR.

6.2.4.1. The procedures to register the phases of air traffic services and the calendar of activities for each season (winter/ summer) are established by specific legislation published by the National Civil Aviation Agency - ANAC (www.anac.gov.br).

6.2.4.2. Each phase of flight may only be registered at ANAC after previous agreement of the air operator with the involved airport operators and with the Air Navigation Management Center (CGNA) on the use of airport and aeronautical infrastructure required for the planned period.

6.2.5.1.1. Direct Routing (DCT) provides airspace users with more planning options, at the FIR level, so that the route's nominal distance decreases compared to the fixed ATS route network.

6.2.5.1.2. Direct Routing will be available according to the following conditions:

a)  Flights between FIR sectors located in Airspaces where the concept of DCT routes is already implemented, described in item 6.2.5.2 (Brazilian DCT routing airspace) below, the DCT route to be completed must start (entry point) at a waypoint published in this AIP on the boundary between the FIRs or between ATC sectors or, in the absence of these, at the waypoint immediately after entering these airspaces;

b) flights departing from FIR sectors where Direct Routing is applicable going to or crossing sectors where this concept is not available, the DCT Route shall end (exit point) at a waypoint published on this AIP at the FIR boundary or at ATC sectors boundaries or in the absence thereof, at any given waypoint located immediately before the entry into the Airspace where DCT Routing is not available.

c) flights departing from aerodromes where Direct Routing Airspace is available shall maintain lateral profile until the last point of the corresponding SID, hence the DCT Routing shall start only after the last point of the SID.

d) flights going to aerodromes where Direct Routing Airspace is available shall include the first waypoint of the STAR on their flight plan, where such procedure is made available.

e) the DCT Route shall be indicated in item 15 of the flight plan and it shall be filed using waypoints published on this AIP, hence DTC Routes between coordinates shall not be filed;

f) the distance between waypoints inserted in the flight plan shall not be greater than 500 NM; and

g) flight plans shall be filed in accordance with the table of cruising levels in Appendix 3 to the ICAO Annex 2.

6.2.5.1.3. DCT Routing may be suspended after coordination between CGNA and the ACC, in the airspace subject to:

a) partial or total contingency plans activation;

b) ATS surveillance contingency;

c) VHF communication contingency; or

d) flight planning system contingency.

The Direct Routing concept is available in the following portions of the Brazilian Airspace: