When is a UK arrival passed it's STAR from ATC?
 

Hello all!

Just wondering, in the UK, say for a Birmingham inbound approaching from the south (eg. From Spain), does the STAR get passed from ATC to aircraft on first contact with London, or by the sector in which the first fix of the STAR is located?

Also, using the same principle, say for a Glasgow inbound, is the STAR passed on by ATC on first contact with London, Scottish or by the Scottish sector that has the first fix of the STAR located in it?

Finally, would Manchester/Liverpool be exceptions if the procedure is the first contact way? Surely as both are in Scottish Airspace it's far too late for Scottish to assign an aircraft a STAR if it were a southerly inbound (from the Canary Islands, say) so shouldn't London do it in this case?

Any of that make sense, or is the STAR simply passed by the sector which has the expected TOD of the aircraft in it?

Cheers,
Oliver

It should be passed by the first UK enroute sector, but if it's busy that's the first thing that will be dropped as it takes up too much time. A number of airlines will now tell us the STAR they're expecting and we'll only mention it if it's wrong. As London we don't pass any STARs for inbounds to Scottish airfields

It's a while since I did it, but I agree with Tentacles. The first U.K. en-route sector in the FIR where you're landing is the way I always understood it. Also, If you were transferred o a radar heading, it's usually....."After vectors expect Bovingdon One Alpha".....or whatever.

Alright, got it - thank you to both of you :)