FF-ICE

Flight and flow information for a collaborative environment

FF-ICE is an ICAO concept that addresses limitations and constraints of the current flight planning mechanism, commonly known as the ICAO 2012 flight plan (FPL2012)

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Introduction to FF-ICE

FF-ICE aims to facilitate the transition to a fully collaborative environment where a flight trajectory is shared and optimised during all phases of a flight, known as trajectory-based operations or TBO.

In the first release, FF-ICE/R1, the concept introduces six services for use mainly in the pre-departure phase of flight. Each service is supported by harmonised procedures and standardised messages. They will enable stakeholders to plan, file, update or cancel flights plans, provide data on certain flight events and request and receive flight plan information and data. The second release, FF-ICE/R2, will address post-departure negotiation between airspace users and ATM service providers.

A key innovation within FF-ICE is the concept of the Globally Unique Flight Identifier (GUFI). GUFI provides a unique reference to a specific flight, helping distinguish between similar flights and associate messages to the correct flights.

The first FF-ICE flight plan for an operational flight, anywhere in the world, was filed by Lufthansa to EUROCONTROL NM, for a flight from Munich to Hamburg on 15 December 2022.

FF-ICE provides:

  • the ability to exchange more flight and flow related information (including 4D trajectory and flight specific performance data) in a robust, systematic, and expandable manner. This will facilitate future requirements for both operators and ATM;
  • a systematic collaboration or negotiation procedure between operators and ATM, which facilitates the determination of an optimal route and trajectory.
     

FF-ICE Presentation

Watch our presentation to learn more about FF-ICE.

NM implementation of FF-ICE Services

FF-ICE operates within a system-wide information management (SWIM) operational environment in which the main procedures and processes are described in terms of services. The EUROCONTROL Network Manager (NM) provides the following FF-ICE services for the IFPS Zone (IFPZ). Detailed descriptions of these services are available in the SWIM Registry .

  • Filing Service, allowing the submission, update and cancellation of FF-ICE flight plans (eFPLs) that include 4D trajectory information, flight specific performance data, and other FF-ICE data elements, such as the GUFI;
  • Trial Service, that enables airspace users to determine the acceptability/validity of their flight plan and the ATM feedback without actually filing the plan;
  • Flight Data Request Service, which can be used to obtain information about a flight such as the complete flight plan, supplementary flight plan data or the filing status for a flight plan already submitted;
  • Notification Service, allowing users to pass departure and arrival information;
  • Data Publication Service, providing flight data to subscribed users such as flight plans, flight plan updates, flight plan cancellations and so on.

The current NM implementation of FF-ICE is described in the IFPS User Manual (procedures, data items and specific associated errors) and the NM B2B Reference Manual (systems interface specification).

IFPS Users Manual

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MAINT-1 / MAINT-2
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The implementation of FF-ICE flight planning and its adoption within the IFPZ involves an extensive transition period, requiring mixed mode of operations, where FPL2012 (via AFTN/SITA) and eFPL (via NM B2B) will coexist. Consequently, NM will support both modes during this transition period.

User steps for FF-ICE implementation

  1. Obtain a NM B2B PREOPS certificate: As NM provides FF-ICE services via Business-to-Business web services (B2B), a PREOPS certificate issued by NM with FF-ICE capabilities is required to access and use the NM FF-ICE services on the NM test (PREOPS) platform.
  2. Develop and test user application: The NM B2B PREOPS certificate allows users to develop and test their B2B eFPL applications.
  3. Perform the operational validation process: An NM B2B OPS certificate is required to access and use FF-ICE Services on the OPS platform. An NM B2B OPS certificate will be obtained by undertaking the operational validation process.

Further details about NM B2B including the validation process and a certificate request form are available on the dedicated NM B2B webpage:

NM B2B

Network Manager business-to-business web services

More info

Reference documentation

Related regulations

The deployment of FF-ICE/R1 is mandated by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/116 (Common Project 1) by the implementation target date of the 31st of December 2025. The mandate applies to airspace users, ANSPs and NM and further details are provided in the SESAR Deployment Programme.

FF-ICE Use Cases to enable use of FF-ICE services and information as mandated by the CP1 regulation and the SESAR Deployment Programme have been documented and are available on the SESAR Deployment Manager (SDM) website.

See the regulation Use cases & Information Exchange Requirements

FAQs

The full (updated) FF-ICE flight plan (eFPL) will be distributed via the FF-ICE Publication Service or returned via the FF-ICE Flight Data Request Service.

The implementation of FF-ICE flight planning and its adoption within the IFPZ involves an extensive transition period, during which mixed modes of operation have to be supported.

This transition period is foreseen to last until all NM stakeholders including airspace users and ANSPs have migrated to FF-ICE.

The new cruising level (and speed, even if not changed) has to be added in a routeChange node of the element that corresponds to the significant point where the change would have been included in the Field 15 route of an FPL2012.

To be noted: cruising level changes should not be provided on SIDs and STARs.

In addition, when a trajectory is provided:

  • The start of a climb will be provided as a 4D Point marked with TCP_VERTICAL as propertyType and a TOP_OF_CLIMB propertyType for the element at the end of the climb.
  • The start of a descent will be provided as a 4D Point marked with TCP_VERTICAL as propertyType and another TCP_VERTICAL property type for the element at the end of the descent.

Example for a climb

Example for a climb
Example for a climb 2

1. Does the FLIGHT_PLAN Subscription Topic provide FF-ICE data using FIXM?
No, the FFICE_PUBLICATION topic must be used to receive FF-ICE flight plans (eFPLs).

2. If an FF-ICE flight plan (eFPL) is filed and accepted, is the information sent to both FFICE_PUBLICATION and FLIGHT_PLAN topics?
Yes; the eFPL will be published via the FFICE_PUBLICATION using FIXM format, and via the FLIGHT_PLAN topic using NM B2B format.

Contact us

For any further questions, please get in touch with the FF-ICE team using the "Contact us" button on the bottom right of this page.

Related links

Consult the IFPS Users Manual
Consult the FIXM User Manual
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