Number 2,
It's that old pilot-dispatcher-managment psychosis again. Everybody wants us to do it their way -- whichever one happens to be in charge on that day.
It took a long tme to get it -- and even then it's watered down to where it's almost useless -- but they finally put this in
this in the FAA 7110.65.
4-4-6. DIRECT CLEARANCES
a. Do not issue a routing clearance that will take an aircraft off of its flight plan route if the destination airport is included in a ground delay program (GDP), ground stop (GS), or Playbook route, when known, unless operational necessity dictates.
b. EN ROUTE. Do not issue revised routing clearances that will take an aircraft off its flight plan route past the last fix in your facility's airspace, unless requested by the pilot or operational necessity dictates.
NOTE-
Nothing in this paragraph shall preclude a controller from issuing a routing clearance that conforms to a letter of agreement or standard operating procedure within their own facility or between facilities, is required to maintain separation or comply with traffic flow management initiatives.
I've seen Air Force One put back on a pref route (a
STAR). They are there for a reason and a million requests to go direct hasn't ever made that reason go away.
BTW, it's mighty ironic to see the RNAV gurus at Communicating for Safety talk about leaving airplanes on the RNAV routes 24/7. Imagine -- an air carrier that can't go direct on the midnight shift because of RNAV procedures and
CDAs.
"Free Flight" for all.
Don Brown