Air Traffic Flow Management (ATFM) Levels of Implementation

A Reference for ANSPs

Air Traffic Flow Management (ATFM) is a fundamental component of Air Traffic Management (ATM), designed to ensure the safe, orderly, and efficient flow of air traffic by aligning demand with available capacity. As air traffic continues to grow globally, and with new ICAO provisions expected to become applicable in November 2030, requiring States to ensure that ATFM services are established and provided, the question facing most Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs) is not whether to implement ATFM — but what level of implementation is appropriate for their operational environment, and how best to deploy it.

This document, developed by the CANSO ATFM/A-CDM Workgroup (WG), provides ANSPs with a practical framework to understand, evaluate, and select the appropriate level of ATFM implementation. It recognises that ATFM is not a single, uniform solution but a scalable capability that can be matched to the complexity and demand profile of any airspace and aerodrome, from small regional FIR/aerodromes with low traffic volumes to complex, high-density airspaces with cross-border coordination requirements.