Description
Control and separate aircraft in high-altitude en route airspace from an Air Route Traffic Control Center. Apply IFR separation standards, issue clearances, altitudes, speeds, and reroutes, manage sector flows and holds, and coordinate handoffs with adjacent sectors and facilities to ensure safe and efficient flight between departure and arrival phases.
- • Issue en route clearances, altitude and speed assignments, headings, and crossing restrictions.
- • Monitor and control aircraft within assigned high-altitude sectors to maintain IFR separation and efficiency.
- • Track aircraft using radar and automation, detecting and resolving conflicts.
- • Advise pilots of traffic, adverse weather, turbulence, icing, or visibility along routes.
- • Provide reroutes, vectors, or diversions to suitable airports for weather or emergencies.
- • Coordinate emergency responses and notifications with appropriate facilities and search-and-rescue agencies.
- • Sequence and hand off arrivals to terminal approach controls with required spacing and restrictions.
- • Accept handoffs from departure/approach facilities and transfer control to adjacent sectors, centers, or oceanic facilities.
- • Apply miles-in-trail, altitude-in-trail, and other traffic management initiatives as required.
- • Determine timing for vectors, altitude changes, speed adjustments, and holds to resolve conflicts and manage flows.
- • Coordinate with adjacent sectors, TRACONs, centers, military units, and traffic management on handoffs, point-outs, and airspace status.
- • Provide pilots with en route weather updates, PIREPs, navigation aid status, and route or altitude amendments.
- • Initiate or support search-and-rescue actions for overdue or missing aircraft.
- • Assess traffic and airspace to approve or deny climb or descent requests, including RVSM considerations.
- • Relay flight progress, estimates, and restrictions to adjacent facilities and flight service, as required.
- • Review and update flight data from flight plans, radar tracks, automation systems, and pilot reports.
- • Operate approved automation and communications systems; report equipment outages or degradations.
- • Disseminate weather advisories and solicit, record, and forward PIREPs in the en route environment.
- • Analyze weather, airspace restrictions, and traffic to recommend or assign reroutes and altitude changes.
- • Organize and sequence flight plans for aircraft entering the sector and anticipate peak flows.
- • Maintain required records, flight progress data, and operational logs per regulations and facility directives.
- • Document operational events, clearances, and pilot communications as required.
- • Provide on-the-job training, coaching, and evaluations for developmental controllers.
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Last reviewed: Jan 2026
