Most of us who are used to flying in the North American region only find the SLOT and CTOT situation In the EU nations a bit unnerving. I’ve noticed that in Europe, mostly in Nice and Munich, Berlin, Luton airports, when we do pick up a slot or a CTOT, the passengers are already on board the aircraft and now we have a 2-hour delay for take-off.
At Icarus Jet Trip Support, we always make sure that our crew and clients are well informed of any situation that will cause a delay that could’ve been avoided. A lot of airports In the EU region are now A-CDM airports and they require a constant communication from the crew, handler and the ATC. Let’s look at some of the definitions and abbreviations that are Important for a smooth operation-
EOBT– Estimated off-block time ( As filed in the flight plan)
TOBT Target off-block time. It’s communicated to the pilot Initially by the handling agent and Icarus flight ops.
TSAT– Represents the time provided by the ATC at which an aircraft can expect startup/push back approval, taking into account the TOBT, CTOT ad the traffic situation. It’s Issued at EOBT -40 minutes. Any conflict has to be solved before this time. TSAT is communicated by the handling agent to the crew.
ASAT– Actual start-up approval time. Given by the ATC.
ARDT– Actual ready time is the time at which the Airport Ops releases the flight from handling operations. An ARDT can only be +- 5 min TOBT.
Ready Earlier?
If you’re ready to leave earlier than your TOBT, you should advise your Icarus Trip Support team to submit a revised TOBT; the TOBT must be accurate to ensure proper pre-departure sequence calculation (TSAT).
Start-up approval will normally be issued within 5 minutes of the Target startup time or push back time. If you have an updated EOBT then it only needs to be done when the new off block time is 15 minutes or more than your originally planned time. If the aircraft is not able to start its engines and taxi within +5 min of your off-block time then you must update your new off-block time asap via your handler.
Remember, this is complicated, yet simple if you contact your Icarus trip-support team and continuously update them about your departure. The summer is upon us and Europe will be busier than ever. These are simple communications that can help us avoid costly delays for you and make your operation a lot smoother in the EU region.
Ready means–
- Loading bridge retracted
- Push back tractor connected
- All doors closed
- Stand clear of vehicles and personnel.
Please contact me at fltops@icarusjet.com or you can always whatsapp me on +1 817 233 7746 for further inquiries. We are here for your every need.
