SECTION 4 Flight plans

Formulaire Plan de Vol CERFA N° 14806*01 à télécharger ici.

SERA.4001 Submission of a flight plan - Regulation (EU) 2023/1772

1. Information relative to an intended flight or portion of a flight, to be provided to air traffic services units, shall be in the form of a flight plan. The term ‘flight plan’ is used to mean variously, full information on all items comprised in the flight plan description, covering the whole route of a flight, or limited information required, inter alia, when the purpose is to obtain a clearance for a minor portion of a flight such as to cross an airway, to take off from, or to land at a controlled aerodrome.
2. A flight plan shall be submitted prior to operating:
   1. any flight or portion thereof to be provided with air traffic control service;
   2. any IFR flight within advisory airspace;
   3. any flight within or into areas, or along routes designated by the competent authority, to facilitate the provision of flight information, alerting and search and rescue services;
   4. any flight within or into areas or along routes designated by the competent authority, to facilitate coordination with appropriate military units or with air traffic services units in adjacent States in order to avoid the possible need for interception for the purpose of identification;
   5. any flight across international borders, unless otherwise prescribed by the States concerned;
   6. any flight planned to operate at night, if leaving the vicinity of an aerodrome.
3. A flight plan shall be:
   1. submitted, before departure:
      1. to the Network Manager directly or via an air traffic services reporting office, in accordance with the operations manuals containing the necessary instructions and information developed and maintained by the Network Manager, if there is the intent for the flight to operate in accordance with IFR for a portion, or the entire route, of the flight within the single European sky airspace; or
      2. to an air traffic services reporting office for other cases;
   2. transmitted, during flight, to the appropriate air traffic services unit or air–ground control radio station.
4. Unless a shorter period of time has been prescribed by the competent authority for domestic VFR flights, a flight plan for any flight planned to operate across international borders or to be provided with air traffic control service or air traffic advisory service shall be submitted as follows:
   1. not more than 120 hours before the estimated off-block time;
   2. at least 3 hours before the estimated off-block time for flights that may be subject to air traffic flow management measures;
   3. at least 60 minutes before departure for all other flights not covered in point (2); or
   4. if submitted during flight, at a time which ensures its receipt by the appropriate ATS unit, at least 10 minutes before the aircraft is estimated to reach:
      1. the intended point of entry into a control area or advisory area; or
      2. the point of crossing an airway or advisory route.
5. For flights operated partially or entirely in accordance with IFR, entering the area of responsibility of an air traffic services unit, for which no flight plan has previously been received from the Network Manager, the unit concerned shall transmit to the Network Manager the aircraft identification, aircraft type, point of entry to its area of responsibility, time and flight level at that point, route and destination aerodrome of the flight.
6. Requirements laid down in points (c), (d), and (e) shall not apply in the Single European Sky airspace that is not part of the ICAO EUR region.

SERA.4005 Contents of a flight plan - Regulation (EU) No 2023/1772

1. A flight plan shall include all information considered relevant by the competent authority as regards the following:
   1. Aircraft identification;
   2. Flight rules and type of flight;
   3. Number and type(s) of aircraft and wake turbulence category;
   4. aircraft equipment and capabilities;
   5. Departure aerodrome or operating site;
   6. estimated off-block date and time;
   7. Cruising speed(s);
   8. Cruising level(s);
   9. Route to be followed;
   10. Destination aerodrome or operating site and total estimated elapsed time;
   11. Alternate aerodrome(s) or operating site(s);
   12. Fuel endurance;
   13. Total number of persons on board;
   14. emergency and survival equipment, including ballistic parachute recovery system;t
   15. Other information.
2. For flight plans submitted during flight, the departure aerodrome or operating site provided shall be the location from which supplementary information concerning the flight may be obtained, if required. Additionally, the information to be provided in lieu of the estimated off-block time shall be the time over the first point of the route to which the flight plan relates.

SERA.4010 Completion of a flight plan - Regulation (EU) No 2023/1772

1. A flight plan shall contain information, as applicable, on relevant items listed in point SERA.4005(a)(1) to (11) regarding the whole route or the portion thereof for which the flight plan is submitted.
2. Aircraft operators, flight plan originators and air traffic services units following the necessary instructions referred to in point SERA.4001(c)(1)(i) shall comply with the following:
   1. the instructions for completion of the flight plan form contained in Appendix 6;
   2. any constraints identified in relevant Aeronautical Information Publications (AIPs).
3. Aircraft operators, or the agents that act on their behalf, which intend to operate within the single European sky airspace for a portion of or the entire route in accordance with IFR shall insert the appropriate indicator for the aircraft equipment available on board and its capabilities in accordance with Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/1770 ^(*1) in the relevant item in the flight plan as required in point SERA.4005(a)(4).
4. Operators of aircraft not equipped in accordance with Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/1770 which intend to operate within the single European sky airspace shall insert the appropriate indicator for the aircraft equipment available on board and its capabilities, and any potential exemptions in the relevant items in the flight plan as per points SERA.4005(a) (4) and SERA.4005(a) (15) respectively. The flight plan shall, in addition, contain information, as applicable, on all other items when so prescribed by the competent authority or when otherwise deemed necessary by the person submitting the flight plan.

^(*1) Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/1770 of 12 September 2023 laying down provisions on aircraft equipment required for the use of the Single European Sky airspace and operating rules related to the use of the Single European Sky airspace and repealing Regulation (EC) No 29/2009 and Implementing Regulations (EU) No 1206/2011, (EU) No 1207/2011 and (EU) No 1079/2012 (OJ L 228, XX.9.2023, p. 39)

SERA.4013 Acceptance of a flight plan - Regulation (EU) No 2023/1770

1. The Network Manager, for the portion of the route operated in accordance with IFR, and the air traffic services reporting office shall take the necessary measures to ensure that when a flight plan is received, or when changes are made to it, it is:
   1. in compliance with the applicable format and data conventions;
   2. complete and, to the extent possible, accurate;
   3. if necessary, made acceptable to the air traffic services; and
   4. accepted, or the changes made to it are also accepted, and this is indicated to the originator of the flight plan.
2. ATC units shall provide the Network Manager with any necessary changes of a flight plan affecting items related to the route or flight level as listed in point SERA.4005 (a) (1) to (10) that could affect the safe conduct of a flight, for flight plans and associated update messages previously received by them from the Network Manager. No other changes to, or cancellation of, a flight plan shall be made by an ATC unit in the pre-flight phase without coordination with the aircraft operator.
3. The Network Manager shall communicate to all affected ATS units the accepted flight plan and any accepted pre-flight-phase changes made to the items listed in point SERA.4005 (a) (1) to (10) of the flight plan and associated update messages.
4. The Network Manager shall communicate to the aircraft operator any necessary pre-flight-phase changes made to the flight plan affecting items listed in point SERA.4005 (a) (1) to (10) related to the route or flight level that could affect the safe conduct of a flight, for flight plans and associated update messages previously received.
5. The originator of a flight plan, when not being the aircraft operator or the pilot, shall ensure that the conditions of acceptance of a flight plan and any necessary changes to these conditions as notified by the Network Manager for the portion of the flight operated in accordance with IFR, or by the air traffic services reporting offices, are made available to the aircraft operator or the pilot that has submitted the flight plan.
6. The aircraft operator shall ensure that the conditions of acceptance of a flight plan and any necessary changes to it as notified by the Network Manager or by the air traffic services reporting office to the originator of the flight plan are incorporated into the planned flight operation and communicated to the pilot.
7. The aircraft operator shall ensure prior to the operation of the flight that the content of the flight plan correctly reflects the operational intentions.
8. The Network Manager shall process and distribute the information on the 8,33 kHz channel spacing capability received in the flight plans.
9. Requirements laid down in points (a) to (h) shall not apply in the Single European Sky airspace that is not part of the ICAO EUR region.

SERA.4015 Changes to a flight plan - Regulation (EU) No 2023/1772

1. All changes to a flight plan submitted for an IFR flight, or a VFR flight operated as a controlled flight, shall be reported:
   1. during the pre-flight phase, to the Network Manager for flights intended to operate in accordance with IFR for a portion of or the entire route, and to air traffic services reporting offices as soon as practicable;
   2. during the flight, subject to the provisions of point SERA.8020(b), to the appropriate air traffic services unit.
   For other VFR flights, significant changes to a flight plan shall be reported as soon as practicable to the appropriate air traffic services unit.
2. In the event of a delay of 30 minutes in excess of the estimated off-block time for a controlled flight or a delay of 1 hour for an uncontrolled flight for which a flight plan has been submitted, the flight plan shall be amended, or a new flight plan submitted, and the old flight plan cancelled, whichever is applicable. For any flight operated in accordance with IFR, delays of more than 15 minutes shall be communicated to the Network Manager.
3. In the case of a change in the aircraft equipment and its capability status for a flight, aircraft operators, or the agents that act on their behalf, shall send a modification message to the Network Manager or the air traffic services reporting offices with the appropriate indicator inserted in the relevant item of the flight plan form.
4. Information submitted prior to departure regarding fuel endurance or total number of persons carried on board, if incorrect at the time of departure, constitutes a significant change to the flight plan and, as such, shall be reported.
5. Requirements laid down in points (a) to (d) shall not apply in Single European Sky airspace that is not part of the ICAO EUR region.

SERA.4020 Closing a flight plan - Regulation (EU) No 923/2012

1. An arrival report shall be made in person, by radiotelephony, via data link or by other means as prescribed by the competent authority at the earliest possible moment after landing, to the appropriate air traffic services unit at the arrival aerodrome, by any flight for which a flight plan has been submitted covering the entire flight or the remaining portion of a flight to the destination aerodrome.
   1. Submission of an arrival report is not required after landing on an aerodrome where air traffic services are provided on condition that radio communication or visual signals indicate that the landing has been observe.
2. When a flight plan has been submitted only in respect of a portion of a flight, other than the remaining portion of a flight to destination, it shall, when required, be closed by an appropriate report to the relevant air traffic services unit.
3. When no air traffic services unit exists at the arrival aerodrome or operating site, the arrival report, when required, shall be made as soon as practicable after landing and by the quickest means available to the nearest air traffic services unit.
4. When communication facilities at the arrival aerodrome or operating site are known to be inadequate and alternate arrangements for the handling of arrival reports on the ground are not available, the following action shall be taken. Immediately prior to landing the aircraft shall, if practicable, transmit to the appropriate air traffic services unit, a message comparable to an arrival report, where such a report is required. Normally, this transmission shall be made to the aeronautical station serving the air traffic services unit in charge of the flight information region in which the aircraft is operated.
5. Arrival reports made by aircraft shall contain the following elements of information:
   1. aircraft identification;
   2. departure aerodrome or operating site;
   3. destination aerodrome or operating site (only in the case of a diversionary landing);
   4. arrival aerodrome or operating site;
   5. time of arrival.