EASA has issued a ‘Note’ on ‘Adherence to Filed Flight Plans in European Airspace’.
EASA Note
Its key point is
‘It is important that aircraft operators and ATS adhere to filed flight plans unless there are safety reasons’. I interpret the message to be
‘don’t ask for directs or higher levels than planned’.
This has caused some confusion amongst colleagues, especially at one operator which does all flight planning at max weights, but often operates with much lower payload - so we may be planned at FL300 but able to go much higher, for example.
Meanwhile, it seems to be business as usual when airborne, with controllers still offering directs and better levels, leaving me unclear whether to follow management instructions to obey the EASA instruction and insist on staying on the plan, or save time, money (and in a tiny way, the environment), and accept the better option.
I have, for now, stopped asking for directs or better levels.
May I ask Area ATCOs in Europe to comment?