ESPAÑA

1. OBJECT

The purpose of this AIC is to inform Spanish airspace users of the changes that will take place in the Air Traffic Services Reporting Offices (AROs) of most Spanish airports.

2. CONTEXT

The ATS Reporting Offices (ARO) are in charge of receiving reports concerning air traffic services, providing flight plan management services, flight monitoring and alerting services (hereinafter referred to as ARO service). Currently, AROs are located at the aerodrome they serve, except in the case of aerodromes and heliports without a designated ARO, where this service is provided from the ARO of another aerodrome to which they are assigned.

Currently, the ARO service in Spain is provided by different entities:

• AENA: at aerodromes in the AENA network and assigned aerodromes;

• Air Force: at military aerodromes and assigned aerodromes;

• Others: at airports not operated by AENA (ANDORRA/La Seu d'Urgell, CASTELLÓN, etc.).

This change involves a transition from the current operational scenario where the AROs are physically located in the airports of the AENA network, to another operational scenario where ENAIRE will provide the ARO service centrally, from a single office, for 42 airports in the AENA network and their assigned aerodromes and heliports (currently listed in the AIP ENR 1.10).

This Centralised ARO will be located at the Madrid ACC, in Torrejón de Ardoz.

3. AREA OF APPLICATION

The following table lists the AENA AROs that will cease to provide ARO services following this change:

4. MODE OF OPERATION OF THE CENTRALISED ARO

The airports of the AENA network and their assigned aerodromes and heliports will be grouped into geographical zones covering aerodromes that are geographically close to each other.

Each Centralised ARO Technician will be assigned the ARO service of one or more geographical areas. Each geographical area will have a different contact number so that calls may be routed to the technician providing the ARO service for that specific area.

The following table shows the geographical zones that have been defined and the airports contained in each of them:

Note: The aerodromes and heliports currently under the responsibility of each Airport in this table (listed in AIP ENR 1.10) will be included in the same geographical area to which the Airport belongs.

The contact details for each geographical area are as follows:

Means of submitting FPL and associated messages to the Centralised ARO:

a. Prior to departure:

• Through the ENAIRE website https://notampib.enaire.es/icaro/. (1)

• Through an ICARO client. (1)

• By telephone.

• Via AFTN (Aeronautical Fixed Telecommunication Network). (2)

• Other means as determined by the IFPS.

• Other means as instructed by the appropriate ATS authority.

b. During the flight:

• By radio to the appropriate air traffic services unit.

(1) When submitting a flight plan or associated message through the ENAIRE website or through an ICARO client, the "CENTRALISED ARO" shall be selected as the ARO office..
(2) The AFTN addresses for sending flight plan messages or associated messages are as follows: 

• For Airports within the AENA network: to the ARO address of each airport (ICAO code of the airport of origin followed by ZPZX).

• For aerodromes and heliports without a designated ARO and listed in ENR 1.10: to the AFTN address of the CENTRALISED ARO (LEANZPZX).

Changes with the mode of operation of the Centralised ARO

1. The ARO service will no longer be provided in person at the current AENA AROs and therefore no FPL or associated messages may be submitted in person.

2. The current AENA ARO terminals granting access to ICARO XXI in order to submit FPLs or associated messages will be removed.

3. Flight plans can no longer be submitted via FAX.

4. When the transition of all ARO offices to the Centralised ARO has been completed, the service will be provided 24H. During transitions, the Centralised ARO's schedule will be the same as the airport it is serving.

5. At Airports where the ATS service schedule does not cover all Airport operating hours, the pilot shall report the flight departure or arrival to the Centralised ARO office, when these occur outside the ATS schedule.

5. Phases and deadlines for the changeover

The transfer of the ARO service from AENA to the Centralised ARO will be carried out in several phases in order to ensure its continuity. During each phase, a group of ARO offices will be transferred, and each ARO will be transferred on a different day within that period.

The following table displays the ARO offices to be taken over by the Centralised ARO in each phase and the scheduled dates for each phase.

6. Publication of user information

The operational change will be published via AIRAC amendment. Each transitional phase will enter into force on the dates of entry into force of the AIRAC amendments, and within each phase, each ARO office will be taken over on a different date. The AIP information will be kept up to date at all times via NOTAMs.

The changes introduced in the AIRAC amendments will affect the AD part and ENR.1.10 of the AIP.