Letter of Agreement
Virtual New York ARTCC and Virtual Washington ARTCC — Letter of Agreement
Effective 2 June 2025
- Purpose
- This agreement prescribes transfer of control procedures, radar handoff procedures, route/altitude assignments, and delegation of airspace between New York ARTCC (ZNY) and Washington ARTCC (ZDC).
- Cancellation
- New York ARTCC (ZNY) and Washington ARTCC (ZDC) Letter of Agreement, dated Cancels ZNY & ZDC LOA dated 23 April 2015, is hereby cancelled.
- Scope
- The procedures contained herein must apply unless prior coordination is effected.
- Disclosure
- vZNY and any other facilities mentioned in this document are affiliated with the Virtual Air Traffic Simulation (VATSIM) network. The procedures outlined in this document are intended exclusively for use in the VATSIM flight simulation environment and must never be used for actual flight or air traffic control operations. vZNY and any other facility mentioned in this document are not affiliated with the FAA in any manner.
- 4. AIRSPACE DELEGATION
- a. Assumption of Airspace. Washington and New York Centers shall assume control of TRACON airspace within their respective ARTCCs if the TRACON position is not manned. When this occurs, all airspace and altitude restrictions apply.
- b. Opening. ZNY or ZDC may establish contact and provide enroute air traffic service to aircraft prior to entering the respective facility's airspace when the other facility is not open to provide better workload management. Upon opening, any aircraft already receiving service may remain with the controlling facility and the controlling facility will utilize an automated point out to indicate that aircraft is already on their frequency. If control of that aircraft is required the opening facility will coordinate with the other facility to handoff the aircraft.
- 5. PROCEDURES
- a. Separation Minima. Minimum lateral separation between aircraft shall be 5nm constant or increasing except that aircraft FL230 and below may be laterally separated by 3nm if separation is increasing to 5nm.
- b. Miles In Trail (MIT) Restrictions. ZDC will provide ZNY the following MIT for aircraft on the same or geographically similar route:
- 1. Kennedy Area Arrivals: 10 MIT minimum.
- 2. LaGuardia Area Arrivals: 10 MIT minimum.
- 3. Newark Area Arrivals: 10 MIT minimum.
- 4. Philadelphia Area Arrivals: 10 MIT on JIIMS-STAR. Note: ZDC will sequence IROKT and HEKMN as one.
- 5. Aircraft on the same route segment and at the same altitude shall be separated by no less than 5 miles, and increasing, regardless of cruise altitude. Aircraft destined to the same airport need not have in trail spacing applied if altitude separated unless otherwise required by this agreement or active traffic management initiatives are in effect.
- c. Altitude Assignment. Unless otherwise required or coordinated by this agreement, aircraft must be climbing to, descending to, or level at the correct altitude for direction of flight prior to any handoff.
- d. Dover AFB and Satellite Departures. Departures from DOV RAPCON entering PHL TRACON will be cleared on course at or below 7000, appropriate altitude for direction of flight. Controllers will exercise good judgement and ensure any necessary coordination is accomplished to facilitate orderly traffic flow between facilities.
- e. Atlantic City TRACON. Departures entering ZNY will be climbed to 7000 and cleared on course. Aircraft landing JFK or JFK satellites will be routed via ACY V184 PANZE V44 CAMRN. Arrivals to ACY may be cleared by ZNY direct to KACY without prior coordination and will be assigned 8000 prior to communications transfer. ACY has control for descent on contact and turns of 30 degrees left or right of course south of the CYN R-100.
- 6. COORDINATION
- a. Automated Point Outs. Use of the automated point out function without further coordination (verbal or textual) is authorized when the datablock accurately reflects the aircraft's current clearance. If an interim altitude is entered in the datablock then approval of the automated point out releases control for climb or descent to the entered flight plan altitude, or the top or bottom of the approving sector's altitude stratum.
- b. Consolidation and Deconsolidation. Prior to consolidating or deconsolidating (or opening or closing) any position within a facility that shares a mutual boundary, or otherwise required by this agreement, coordination with all affected controllers in the neighboring ARTCC must be accomplished. Use of general ATC chat or private chat is acceptable.
- c. Holding. When holding is required at arrival fixes, ZDC or ZNY shall retain communications and control of the holding patterns within their delegated airspace. During periods of airborne holding, ZDC and ZNY will hold at published holding fixes at all times unless coordinated otherwise.
- d. Routing. Use of the FAA's Preferred Route Database (PRD) should be used for all originating and terminating aircraft in either ZNY or ZDC. If routing requirements in this agreement differ from the PRD, the routing in this LOA supersedes the PRD requirement.
- e. Handoffs. Automated handoffs will be initiated only after all conflicts are resolved and no further control instructions will be given to the aircraft.
- 1. The datablock and flight plan must accurately reflect the clearance given to the aircraft. Route amendments (QU or AM) must be made anytime a route clearance amendment is made (i.e. "CLEARED DIRECT <FIX>").
- 2. Aircraft climbing to reach their requested cruise altitude that have not been cleared to the requested final cruise altitude will be climbed to the highest interim altitude available based on traffic, airspace, or LOA requirements. Use of "QQ" for the assigned altitude will be used and constitutes a coordinated altitude when an automated handoff is utilized.
- 3. Aircraft descending to a new assigned altitude will have their flight plan altitude (QZ) updated to reflect the new altitude assignment. Use of interim altitudes for descending aircraft should generally not be used unless the pilot requested lower altitude is not available and an interim altitude is given as the lowest possible altitude available with that controller.
- 4. ERAM fourth line entries made in accordance with FAAO 7110.65 are authorized for coordination. The receiving controller should not accept a handoff and initiate coordination if there is any doubt about the fourth line entries' intended meaning.
- 7. TRANSFER OF CONTROL PROCEDURES
- a. Aircraft enroute between centers must be transferred at specified altitude/flight levels as per Attachment 1 and 2 unless otherwise coordinated.
- b. One center must not require the other to change or issue routing to aircraft if the routing is satisfactory to the first route fix in the receiving center's area.
- c. ZNY shall have control for turns 20 degrees or less, north of V268, for traffic routed J220/Q221/Q227 or Hagerstown VOR.
- d. ZNY shall have control for turns 20 degrees left or right of course north of Woodstown VORTAC for traffic routed Q22.
- e. ZNY may clear traffic routed via Q437/Q409 direct VILLS without prior coordination.
- f. ZDC may clear traffic routed via Q22 or west direct JFK without prior coordination.
- g. Unless otherwise specified in this agreement, ZDC and ZNY each have control for turns up to 15 degrees within 15 miles of the common center boundary for aircraft in level flight, and for aircraft climbing or descending if the turn will be accomplished within the altitude stratum of the transferring controller.
- h. Turbojet traffic northeast bound on Q22 shall be at or above FL230.
- i. ZDC will not route aircraft destined to SWF and SWF area airports departing the Washington metro area via Q221.
- 8. CLOSED FACILITY SERVICE CONTINUITY
- a. ZNY Closed Procedures. When ZNY is closed ZDC may handoff directly to any N90 position that would otherwise have received a handoff from ZNY. Unless otherwise specified in this agreement, ZDC will assign the lowest usable flight level based on the ACY altimeter setting and N90 shall have control for turn and descent. N90 and PHL may handoff departures via J6/J48/Q75, DIXIE, or WHITE, to ZDC, and will be assigned the appropriate top altitude that would have been assigned for a handoff to ZNY. ZDC shall have control for turn and climb.
- b. ZDC Closed Procedures. When ZDC is closed, ZNY may handoff directly to any PCT position that would otherwise have received a handoff from ZDC or other PCT area. Aircraft may be given descend via clearance or 10,000 as appropriate. PCT may handoff departures departing the PCT terminal area to the north or east to ZNY and will assign the appropriate top altitude. ZNY shall have control for turn and climb.
- 9. ATTACHMENTS
- 1. ZNY to ZDC Altitude Restrictions & Routing Requirements
- 2. ZDC to ZNY Altitude Restrictions & Routing Requirements
- 3. ZNY Sectors 82, 83, and 86 and associated Warning Areas
- 4. Overview of Center Airspace Sectorization
- Attachment 1. ZNY to ZDC Altitude Restrictions & Routing Requirements
ZNY to ZDC Altitude Restrictions & Routing Requirements
- Attachment 2. ZDC to ZNY Altitude Restrictions & Routing Requirements
ZDC to ZNY Altitude Restrictions & Routing Requirements
- Attachment 3. ZNY Sectors 82, 83, and 86 and associated Warning Areas
ZNY Sectors 82, 83, and 86 and Associated Warning Areas
- Attachment 4. Overview of Center Airspace Sectorization
Overview of Center Airspace Sectorization
