ARINCDirect Jump Seat: FAA Holiday Airspace Release Plan and Seasonal Snowbird Routes

Volume 39 | Thursday, November 18th, 2021

FAA Holiday Airspace Release Plan and Seasonal Snowbird Routes

Welcome back to Jump Seat. Today we tackle the FAA’s plans to handle air traffic volume this winter along the U.S. East Coast. While overall numbers are not back to pre-COVID levels, volume remained relatively high during this period last year and we saw several days with moderate to extreme delays. If you consider this and the increased mobility we've seen throughout 2021, air traffic is historically bound to increase again between the upcoming Thanksgiving and Spring Break holidays.

We expect a similar approach from the FAA Command Center as they prepare for the additional volume this winter. This includes implementation of the Holiday Airspace Release Plan, Snowbird route structures, north and southbound Airspace Flow Programs (AFPs), and more.

Holiday Airspace Release Plan

To help mitigate delays and congestion, the FAA coordinates with the U.S. military to implement the Holiday Airspace Release Plan (HARP). This plan includes the "release" of military use airspace along the Mid Atlantic to civil operators in an effort to spread out the flow of traffic. The Virginia Capes (VACAPES) Operations Area (OPAREA) shown below is utilized by Air Traffic Control (ATC) to reroute traffic offshore.

Seasonal Snowbird Routes

Within the FAA Playbook, there exists a list of routing options that can be selected to circumvent traffic or inclement weather. These routes are typically the same each year, however, some adjustments are made as new options become available. Because many of the routes deviate from standards, carrying sufficient fuel on board is critical. Here are the Snowbirds routes for this season:

Jacksonville Center Airspace Flow Programs

This season we will see adjustments to the Jacksonville Center (ZJX) Airspace Flow Programs (AFPs) that are typically issued. Instead of the traditional single-line AFPs, like FCAJX7 and FCAJX1, we will see a combination of the following four ZJX AFPs for southbound traffic across northern Florida:

FCAJG5 – Southbound via Y280/Y290/Q100/Q102
FCAJXW – Southbound via the West Coast Florida
FCAJXE – Southbound via the East Coast Florida
FCAJY3 – Southbound via the ARs/Y Routes

In addition to this change, the recommended deep water “AZEZU” route option will be removed on December 2nd and will be renamed “WATRS_North" and "WATRS_South”. While one direction is active, the other direction will be closed. This new labeling is identical to the existing AZEZU playbook route. Remember, this route is for off-shore capable aircraft only and is used to navigate traffic away from congestion along the coast.

Filling Tips this Winter

Review the FAA Advance PERTI Plan located on your flight planning page. The PERTI Plan lays out how ATC/FAA plans to run the airspace the next day. Within the plan, you can read about potential delays, Airspace Flow programs, and required routes in advance.

File your flight plan early. At 23 hours and 59 minutes, ARINCDirect submits your intent to file to the FAA so that your flight is known as expected traffic in the system. This helps with delay reduction if an FAA Traffic Management Initiative is issued.

Discuss proactive actions with your flight department and passengers in advance of the trip. Sometimes a slight tweak to your plans can avoid long delays. Knowing what type of adjustments are acceptable can be instrumental in this effort.

Plan travel during off-peak hours or days. During the winter, many elect to depart the Northeast on Thursday and Friday afternoons and want to return on Sunday or Monday evenings. This is where we see the heaviest delays due to volume.

Contact an ARINCDirect Flight Coordinator for any support needs. That team has direct contact with the FAA Command Center and ATC facilities to initiate Expected Departure Clearance Time (EDCT) relief. They can also provide up-to-the-moment updates on National Airspace information.

Did you know?

We expect to see heavy volume again at the Ski Country Airports this season. Plan for the Ski Country Playbook routes into ASE, EGE, and RIL and expect similar volume at JAC and BZM. While there are no required slots, it is highly recommended to contact the FBO you plan to use to make ramp space reservations.

Some of the Caribbean airports, in particular TNCM, have had fuel shortages in the peak of winter due to higher demand and fuel delivery dependencies. Plan ahead by tankering fuel or confirming fuel availability before departing.

The Planning, Execution, Review, Training, and Improvement (PERTI) Plan issued yesterday also highlighted this topic. As a reminder, you can find the daily PERTI Plan at the top of our CreateFPL page.

Useful Links:

Thank you for reading!

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