‘air traffic flow management (ATFM) measure’ means the actions taken to perform air traffic flow management and capacity management;

‘operator’ means a person, organisation or enterprise engaged in or offering to engage in an aircraft operation;

‘IFR’ means the symbol used to designate instrument flight rules;

‘air traffic services (ATS) reporting office’ means an ATS unit established for the purpose of receiving reports concerning ATS and flight plans submitted before the first delivery of an air traffic control clearance;

‘local air traffic flow management (ATFM) unit’ means a flow management entity operating on behalf of one or more other flow management entities as the interface between the central unit for ATFM and an ATS unit or a group of such units;

‘critical event’ means an unusual situation or crisis involving a major loss of EATMN capacity, or a major imbalance between EATMN capacity and demand, or a major failure in the information flow in one or several parts of the EATMN;

‘air traffic flow management (ATFM) departure slot’ means a calculated take-off time attributed by the central unit for ATFM with a time tolerance managed by the local ATS unit;

‘route and traffic orientation’ means policies and procedures for the use of routes by aircraft;

‘multiple flight plan’ means more than one flight plan for the same intended flight between two airports;

‘air traffic service (ATS) unit sector configuration’ means the four dimensional description of an ATS unit airspace sector, or group of sectors, which may be operated on a permanent or temporary basis;

‘aerodrome taxi time’ means the pre-determined time value from off-block to take-off, expressed in minutes and valid during normal airport operations;

‘updated flight position’ means aircraft position, updated by surveillance data, flight plan data or position reports;

‘air traffic control clearance’ means the authorisation for an aircraft to proceed under conditions specified by an air traffic control unit;

‘flight plan suspension’ means the process initiated by an entity performing ATFM to ensure that a change is made to the flight plan by the operator before the execution of the flight;

‘air service’ means a flight or a series of flights carrying passengers, cargo or mail for remuneration or hire;

‘operational log’ means a log of the ATFM system, converted into a database to allow quick search of ATFM data.

optimises the overall performance effects on the EATMN through planning, coordination and implementation of ATFM measures;

consults with operators on the definition of ATFM measures;

ensures the effective implementation of ATFM measures, together with local ATFM units;

in coordination with local ATFM units identifies alternative routings to avoid or alleviate congested areas, taking into account the overall performance effects on the EATMN;

offers a re-routing to those flights that would optimise the effect of point (d);

provides information on ATFM in a timely manner to operators and ATS units, including:

monitors the occurrences of missing flight plans and multiple flight plans that are filed;

suspends a flight plan when, considering the time tolerance, the ATFM departure slot cannot be met and a new estimated off-block time is not known;

monitors the number of exemptions granted in accordance with Article 4(5).

organisational and coordination arrangements,

ATFM measures to manage access to affected areas to prevent excessive air traffic demand compared with declared capacity of the whole or part of the airspace or airports concerned,

circumstances, conditions and procedures for the application of priority rules for flights, which respect Member States’ essential security or defence policy interests,

recovery arrangements.