Air Traffic Control Priority in Issuing Clearances

Priority in Issuing Clearances

• Priority is given to flights in a specific order when requesting clearance, with higher category flights being dealt with first.
• The order of priority for arriving aircraft is:
• Emergency
• Ambulance or aircraft carrying seriously ill passenger
• Search and rescue (SAR)
• Fighter scramble
• Head (if mentioned in item “18” of the flight plan)
• Flight check
• Firefighting aircraft
• Flight carrying hazardous materials
• Medical evacuation
• The order of priority for departing aircraft is:
• Fighter scramble
• Special mission
• Ambulance
• Search and rescue (SAR)
• Head (if mentioned in item “18” of the flight plan)
• Firefighting aircraft
• Medical evacuation
• Flight check
• Flight carrying hazardous materials

Safety Related Alerts and Warnings

• Within Flight Information Areas (FIA), controllers must warn aircraft flying below minimum flight altitude, specifying the minimum safe level and intended flight path.
• The warning phrase used is: "(callsign) CAUTION, MINIMUM SAFE LEVEL (level).[YOU ARE AT (level).ADVISE INTENTIONS.]"
• Controllers must also warn of any AIRPROX (air proximity) incidents, using the standard format for passing essential traffic information.
• Other safety related alerts and warnings may be issued for:
• Possibility of CFIT (controlled flight into terrain)
• Infringement of Special Use Areas (P, D, R, or C)
• Unintentionally duplicated SSR (secondary surveillance radar) codes
• Essential traffic information to flights reporting the generation of Resolution Advisories (RAs) to the TCAS
• Once an alert or warning is issued, it is the pilot-in-command's responsibility to determine what course of action, if any, to take.

Minimum Fuel and Fuel Emergency

• Minimum fuel is a situation where an aircraft's fuel supply is low, and it must land at a specific aerodrome, with no additional delay acceptable.
• Minimum fuel is not an emergency situation, but it indicates a possible emergency if a delay occurs.

Declaring Minimum Fuel

• When a pilot reports minimum fuel, they must inform air traffic control (ATC) using the phrase "MINIMUM FUEL".
• ATC responds with "ROGER [NO DELAY EXPECTED or EXPECT (delay information)]".
• The declaration of minimum fuel informs ATC that all planned aerodrome options have been reduced to a specific aerodrome of intended landing.

Fuel Emergency

• A fuel emergency is declared when the calculated fuel on landing at the nearest suitable aerodrome will be less than the planned final reserve fuel.
• The declaration is made using "MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY, FUEL".
• A fuel emergency requires immediate action by the pilot and ATC to ensure the airplane can land as soon as possible.
• An emergency declaration opens all options for pilots, including available closed runways and military fields, and allows ATC added flexibility in handling the airplane.