Who is responsible for aircraft control?

Perth Airport only has direct control over the management of ground-based aircraft noise. Watch this video to hear about the other organisations responsible for managing aircraft noise, including the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, Airservices Australia and Perth Airport, and how Perth Airport keeps the community informed.

Organisation	Roles and Responsibilities
International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO)	Establishes strict noise certification standards for new aircraft Provides guidance on noise management strategy Australia is a member state of ICAO
Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA)	Independent statutory authority with responsibility for regulation of civil aviation operations in Australia Provides overriding consideration to air safety Responsible for airspace regulation through the Office of Airspace Regulation
Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Cities and Regional Development	Advises the Federal Government on the policy and regulatory framework for Australian airports and the aviation industry Provides policy advice to the Minister on the management of aircraft noise Provides regulatory oversight of the Air Navigation (Aircraft Noise) Regulations 1984 as they apply to aircraft which do not meet Australian aircraft noise standards
Airservices Australia	Provides Air Traffic Control (ATC) services Manages and maintains aircraft navigation, surveillance, and noise monitoring infrastructure Establishes flight paths at Perth Airport Manages noise complaints and enquiries through the Noise Complaints and Information Service Provides information on aircraft movements, runway and flight path usage and noise impacts using a range of noise descriptors Conducts noise monitoring in communities surrounding Perth Airport Reviews and endorses the Perth Airport ANEF for technical accuracy
Airlines and aircraft operators	Operate and maintain aircraft that meet the ICAO noise certification requirements Implement noise abatement procedures principles for flight operations
Aircraft Noise Ombudsman (ANO)	Oversees the handling of aircraft noise enquiries and complaints by Airservices Conducts independent reviews of noise complaint handling Makes recommendations for improvements and changes where necessary and feasible
State and Local Government	State Government develop land use planning frameworks to prevent developments that are inappropriate having regard to aircraft noise Local Governments implement State Government land use planning frameworks
Perth Airport	Manages operations at the airport Develops and maintains infrastructure to support aircraft operations Publishes a Master Plan with associated ANEF at least every five years Develops a management plan for managing aircraft noise intrusion in areas forecast to be subject to exposure above significant ANEF levels Applies an engine ground run management plan Engages with the Perth Airport Community Forum (PACF), previously the Perth Airport Community Aviation Consultation Group (CACG), the Planning Coordination Forum and the Perth Airport Aircraft Noise Technical Working Group and broader community
Perth Airport Community Forum (PACF)	The Perth Airport Community Forum (PACF), previously referred to as the Perth Airport Community Aviation Consultation Group (CACG), works collaboratively to recognise and enhance: the long-term sustainability and growth of Perth Airport Perth Airport’s reputation as a responsible corporate citizen within the local and broader community, and Perth Airport’s role as a major economic contributor for Western Australia
Planning Coordination Forum (PCF)	Supports effective engagement between Perth Airport and Government agencies on strategic planning issues, including land use and aircraft noise impacts
Perth Airport Technical Noise Working Group	Enables industry to initiate and evaluate operational changes while ensuring that the noise impact of those changes is considered and opportunities to improve noise outcomes are explored

UK – EU Transition, and UK Civil Aviation Regulations

To access current UK civil aviation regulations, including AMC and GM, CAA regulatory documents, please use this link to UK Regulation. Please note, if you use information and guidance under the Headings, the references to EU regulations or EU websites in our guidance will not be an accurate information or description of your obligations under UK law. These pages are undergoing reviews and updates.

During peak air travel times in the United States, there are about 5,000 airplanes in the sky every hour. This translates to approximately 50,000 aircraft operating in our skies each day. How do these aircraft keep from colliding with each other? How does air traffic move into and out of an airport or across the country?

The task of ensuring safe operations of commercial and private aircraft falls on air traffic controllers. They must coordinate the movements of thousands of aircraft, keep them at safe distances from each other, direct them during takeoff and landing from airports, direct them around bad weather and ensure that traffic flows smoothly with minimal delays.

When you think about air traffic control, the image of men and women in the tower of an airport probably comes to mind. However, the air traffic control system is much more complex than that. In this article, we will examine air traffic control in the United States. We'll follow a flight from departure to arrival, looking at the various controllers involved, what each one does, the equipment they use and how they are trained.

Airspace and Air Traffic Control

The United States airspace is divided into 21 zones (centers), and each zone is divided into sectors. Also within each zone are portions of airspace, about 50 miles (80.5 km) in diameter, called TRACON (Terminal Radar Approach CONtrol) airspaces. Within each TRACON airspace are a number of airports, each of which has its own airspace with a 5-mile (8-km) radius.

The air traffic control system, which is run by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), has been designed around these airspace divisions. The air traffic control system divisions are:

Air Traffic Control System Command Center (ATCSCC) - The ATCSCC oversees all air traffic control. It also manages air traffic control within centers where there are problems (bad weather, traffic overloads, inoperative runways).
Air route traffic control centers (ARTCC) - There is one ARTCC for each center. Each ARTCC manages traffic within all sectors of its center except for TRACON airspace and local-airport airspace.
Terminal radar approach control - TRACON handles departing and approaching aircraft within its space.
Air traffic control tower (ATCT) - An ATCT is located at every airport that has regularly scheduled flights. Towers handle all takeoff, landing, and ground traffic.
Flight service station (FSS) - The FSS provides information (weather, route, terrain, flight plan) for private pilots flying into and out of small airports and rural areas. It assists pilots in emergencies and coordinates search-and-rescue operations for missing or overdue aircraft.

The movement of aircraft through the various airspace divisions is much like players moving through a "zone" defense that a basketball or football team might use. As an aircraft travels through a given airspace division, it is monitored by the one or more air traffic controllers responsible for that division. The controllers monitor this plane and give instructions to the pilot. As the plane leaves that airspace division and enters another, the air traffic controller passes it off to the controllers responsible for the new airspace division.

Some pilots of small aircraft fly by vision only (visual flight rules, or VFR). These pilots are not required by the FAA to file flight plans and, except for FSS and local towers, are not serviced by the mainstream air traffic control system. Pilots of large commercial flights use instruments to fly (instrument flight rules, or IFR), so they can fly in all sorts of weather. They must file flight plans and are serviced by the mainstream air traffic control system

Up next, we'll check in with a commercial airline flight before it takes off.