Flight Data Service

The Flight Data Service provides customers with an accurate representation of the intention of flights through the UK Flight Information Region (FIR).

NATS receives and processes UK FIR relevant flight plan data from the centralised European Network Manager’s Initial Flight Plan Processing System (IFPS). NATS’ Flight Data Service updates and manages the flight plan data based on the actual operation of the flight in the UK FIR. The Flight Data Service distributes the updated flight data to customers to support electronic flight strip and other flight data systems.

The Flight Data Service augments, and in the future* replaces, the route-based NAS flight data with the next generation of trajectory-based Flight Data Processing (FDP) technology. This enables NATS and our customers to support SESAR concepts, whilst enabling new FDP features and advanced ATC tools to boost safety, reduce operating costs and support capacity growth.

*When the Flight Data Service is available for lower airspace operations

Key features include:

• Flight data updates: For managed flights in the UK FIR, provided to the customers’ flight data systems via a TCP/IP connection
• Flight data filtering: A large dataset can be filtered to meet customers’ operational needs
• Interactive aerodrome flight data services: Allowing electronic co-ordination between customers’ and NATS’ operations (When the Flight Data Service is available for lower airspace operations).

Pre-Requisites/Dependencies

• Client system capable of supporting standard internet-based information exchange technologies
• TCP/IP Network - for connection between the customers’ flight data system and the NATS service delivery point

Service Delivery

Under normal operating conditions, the Flight Data Service is accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Technical support is provided 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Technical support is available for installation and integration.

Key benefits include:

• Enriched flight data: As the Flight Data Service is based on 4D trajectories, it offers richer and more accurate flight data compared with current route-based flight data services
• Modern information interface: The Flight Data Service adopts a modern and agreed interface for flight data, which adopts European guidelines for flight data exchange
• European alignment: The Flight Data Service technology is developed and maintained as part of a wider European collaboration, ensuring ongoing alignment with European regulation and interoperability with future developments