ATC entering London

[SamDunlop]

ATC clears you to descend FL220, level by point X and change freq. You check in stating the restriction from the previous controller. They say descend FL180, no radar vector, no direct to. No restrictions on the STAR plate. Does the restriction at point X from the previous controller still exist? This has been a London debate for a long time, can we get to the bottom of it?

[mustafagander]

In my years operating into LHR we, my airline, worked on the principle that when sent to another controller, that one now was in charge of the airspace.
So, if cleared lower as in the example we would descend to maintain our profile - the last guy is now irrelevant. Perhaps their airspace was limited to F220.

[Dan Dare]

Strictly, the new clearance supersedes the old one and if the restriction was important it would have to be reiterated in the new clearance (the previous controller is unlikely to transfer you to the new one if there are traffic reasons to worry about). Sensibly, you would do well to maintain the profile which complied with the old clearance otherwise you could deprive the ops room of a controller (or two) who will be filling in paperwork for being in another sector without coordination.

[Dave Gittins]

I'd expect ATC to be co-ordinated and so the second controller saying cleared to descend, maintain FL 180 to be no different to if the first controller had said re-cleared FL 180.

[jmmoric]

Exactly, one controller would turn his head and ask the other controller for the aircraft to cross a fix at a flightlevel before handing him over, the other then instructs the aircraft to do so, and hand him off to the first controller.... first controller is satisfied he now has a separation to a conflicting aircraft...... until the pilot decides the restriction was not important.