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Air Traffic Services
Air Traffic Services
Reaching communities across Canada
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- NAV CANADA is the non-share capital corporation that owns and operates Canada's civil air navigation service (ANS). Aircraft services provided by the company across the country include air traffic control, flight information, weather briefings, aeronautical information, airport advisory services and electronic aids to navigation.
- The ANS provides essential services to aircraft operating in Canadian domestic airspace, and in international airspace assigned to Canadian control.
- NAV CANADA's mandate is to provide an ANS that is safe, efficient and responsive to user needs.
- The ANS consists of a network of air routes providing services in accordance with need. The volume and mix of traffic at a given location dictate the type of service provided.
- Control services are ensured in high-density traffic and instrument flight rule (IFR) areas. Air traffic controllers maintain vertical, and lateral or time separation according to strictly defined criteria. Air traffic controllers work in Area Control Centres and Control Towers.
- There are seven Area Control Centres (ACCs) located in Vancouver, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto, Montreal, Moncton and Gander. ACCs provide control, advisory and alerting services for IFR and Controlled Visual Flight Rules (CVFR) aircraft in a Flight Information Region (FIR).
- Forty-two Control Towers provide pilots approaching and departing busy airports with clearances and instructions to ensure their aircraft have sufficient spacing (horizontal, lateral and vertical distance from each other). Controllers also ensure separation between aircraft and aircraft and vehicles operating on the manoeuvring area of the airport. This is done primarily using visual control methods, although busier airports have air and ground surveillance radar to monitor aircraft movements.
- In lower density VFR traffic areas, aircraft are responsible to stay clear of one another. For these aircraft, Flight Service Specialists working in Flight Service Stations or Flight Information Centres provide advisory services.
- There are 57 Flight Service Stations (FSS) whose services may include the following: weather observations and briefing; pilot pre-flight information; airport advisory; vehicle control; flight plan acceptance and processing; enroute communications; relay of air traffic control clearances; assistance to aircraft in emergency situations; VFR flight planning and alerting; direction finder assistance; issuance of aviation safety notices.
- NAV CANADA also has eight Flight Information Centres (FIC) established in Halifax, Quebec City, London, North Bay, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Whitehorse and Kamloops. The FICs provide centralized flight information services - including interpretive weather briefings, flight planning services and enroute advisories.
- The Company provides aviation weather services, flight and vehicle information and emergency assistance services in Canada’s north through 50 Community Aerodrome Radio Stations (CARS) at designated sites in northern and remote areas.
- Air traffic services provided by NAV CANADA are more comprehensive than those offered in other countries. For instance, in the United States, airport advisory services are not available at airports with less than 100,000 movements annually.
- Since taking over the ANS, the company has adopted a strategy to modernize and enhance the delivery of air traffic services across the country in order to improve safety and efficiency. The company has invested and committed close to $1.3 billion in new systems and technologies since 1996. These include improved radar displays for operational personnel, new voice and data communications systems, state-of-the-art flight data processing, and numerous other innovations. NAV CANADA technology solutions are among the best in the aviation industry.
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