Free Route Airspace
DFS customers have been able to use Free Route Airspace (FRA) since March 2018. FRA makes additional direct route options available at high altitudes above 7.5 kilometres or flight level (FL) 245. This saves on aircraft fuel and reduces emissions.
DFS Free Route Airspace was introduced in several steps, starting with the airspace over northeast Germany. Since February 2021, Free Route Airspace has been available as follows:
- DFS Karlsruhe UAC
- EDUU North: above FL285, 24 hours
- EDUU East: above FL315, 24 hours
- EDUU West: above FL245, 24 hours
- DFS Munich ACC
- EDMM East: above FL245, 22:30 (21:30) to 04:00 (03:00) UTC
- EDMM South: above FL245, 22:30 (21:30) to 04:00 (03:00) UTC
- DFS Bremen ACC
- EDWW East: above FL245, 22.30 (21:30) to 04:00 (03:00) UTC
On this page, DFS provides news and documents related to the current Free Route Airspaces. Customers will find the latest information about upcoming implementation steps, which will enable them to make adequate preparations and ensure a seamless transition towards FRA operations.
News
The main change on AIRAC 20 APR 2023 in regard to EDUU_FRA is an optimization at the Karlsruhe-Maastricht Interface. Therefore additional FRA relevant points have been added and the flows in the interface EDUUFFM and Maastricht DECO sector group will be better separated.
To offer Airline Operators and Computerised Flight Plan Service Providers the option to prepare optimally for operating in DFS FRA, the following files are available:
FRA Cells
The updated FRA cells overview shows all cells in one map as level PDF to select and deselect objects. The detailed maps for each cell will be available shortly before the AIRAC date. The Excel file with the data contains relevant information for all DFS FRA cells.
Route Availability Documents (RAD)
All related RAD2203 documents are already published on RAD homepage and may be sorted for “ED” in ATC unit and additionally “NEW/AMD/DEL” in column A, so you see at first glance the changes relevant for this AIRAC both in DFS AoR and Maastricht UAC AoR. Especially in RAD App. 7 there are multiple FUA restriction for new NPZs. Besides the standard “not available for traffic” restriction we use more complex restrictions to force traffic between FRA cells during day via certain points to cross a specific NPZ, while at night all available points may be used. In RAD App.4 many DCTs are deleted, as they are now available as crossborder FRA option between the different cells or towards SECSI FRA.
- For the RAD documents related to Free Route implementation, please refer to the Eurocontrol NM RAD website.
http://www.nm.eurocontrol.int/RAD/index.html
Visualisation of restrictions
- DFS offers a tool to visualize restrictions related to Connecting Routes.
DFS FRA Restriction Viewer
Contact:
- Robert Winker, DFS FRA Project Manager
- Tel: +49 (0) 6103 707-1216
- E-mail: rad@dfs.de