Madrid ACC (LECM) and Bordeaux ACC (LFBB)
1. Purpose
The purpose of this Letter of Agreement (LoA) is to define the coordination procedures to be applied between Madrid ACC and Bordeaux ACC when providing Air Traffic Services (ATS) under IFR or VFR flight rules.
The content of the agreement is approved by the concerned ATC Operations Department and FIR Chiefs and its application is mandatory for all IVAO members providing ATS within an active position concerned by this LoA.
2. General Procedures
Traffic in sequence at the same flight level shall be handed over with minimum spacing of 10 NM.
This separation must be constant (aircrafts restrained to the same speed) or increasing (succeeding aircraft is not faster).
Coordination of speed control should be granted via entries in radar labels and does not need neither approval nor acknowledgement by receiving sector.
Traffic shall be handed over as soon as practical and, whenever possible, at latest 3000 ft before reaching the cleared flight level and in case the transfer point is not defined within this LoA, at latest ten (10) miles before the airspace limits.
Traffic in sequence shall be handed over properly separated and clear of any conflict. The receiving ATC unit cannot issue a clearance modifying the traffic’s route, altitude, or speed (unless by direct coordination between ATC units) until it enters his sector and therefore leaves the area of responsibility from the transferring ATC unit, which remains responsible for separation.
Regarding flight levels for transfers between ATC positions:
| From | To | Flight Level |
| Madrid | Bourdeaux | EVEN |
| Bourdeaux | Madrid | ODD |
Free Route Airspace Operations within Spanish airspace (HispaFRA) is defined from FL245 to FL660. However, the use of the traditional ATS route network is available too. Free Route Airspace Operations within some French airspace including Bordeaux FIR (LFFRAASW) are defined from FL195 to FL660.
Free Route Airspace (FRA) is a specified airspace within which users may freely plan a route between a defined entry point and a defined exit point, with the possibility of routing via published intermediate significant points, without reference to the ATS route network.
3. ATS Unit Description
The ATC unit in charge of FIR and UIR airspaces under the responsibility of the North-East Madrid ACC is Madrid Control and includes three primary sectors: LECM_R1_CTR, LECM_R2_CTR and LECM_BLL_CTR. One additional secondary sector (opened only via NOTAM), LECM_DPI_CTR, covers the eastern part of LECM_R1_CTR. This subsector is not shown on the following chart as it is considered an inactive position.
LECM_BLL_CTR, LECM_BDI_CTR, LECM_DPI_CTR can be consolidated in one main sector (LECM_R1_CTR).
The ATC unit in charge of FIR and UIR airspaces under the responsibility of Bordeaux ACC is Bordeaux Control and consists in only one primary sector (LFBB_CTR). This ATC unit may be split into two different subsectors (LFBB_CTR and LFBB_U_CTR). The lateral and vertical boundaries of the airspace under the responsibility of the ACC are indicated in the figure and table below.
The lateral and vertical boundaries of the airspace under the responsibility of the ACC are indicated in the images and tables below
3.1. Madrid ACC
| ATC Position | Callsign | Frequency | Remarks |
| Primary Sectors | |||
| Madrid Control | LECM_R1_CTR | 135.700 | SFC-FL660; FL305-FL660 above LECM_BLL_CTR when active |
| Madrid Control | LECM_R2_CTR | 133.755 | SFC-FL660 |
| Madrid Radar | LECM_BLL_CTR | 118.275 | SFC-FL305 |
| Secondary Sectors | |||
| Madrid Control | LECM_DPI_CTR | 132.055 | SFC- FL660 (NOTAM req) |
3.2. Bordeaux ACC
| ATC Position | Callsign | Frequency | Remarks |
| Primary Sectors | |||
| Bordeaux Control | LFBB_CTR | 125.105 | SFC-UNL; SFC-FL295 if LFBB_U_CTR is active |
| Secondary Sectors | |||
| Bordeaux Control (Upper) | LFBB_U_CTR | 127.675 | FL295-UNL |
4. Coordination Procedures
Coordination procedures between the ATC under the responsibility of the Madrid FIR/UIR and those under the responsibility of the Bordeaux FIR/UIR are defined as follows. They represent a general framework that does not replace the coordination between ATC. Any coordination procedure not mentioned in this LoA must be established on a caseby-case basis.
FRA Horizontal Entry Point (E) is a published Significant Point on the horizontal boundary of the Free Route Airspace from which FRA operations are permitted while an Exit Point (X) is a Point to which FRA operations are permitted.
4.1. From Madrid to Bordeaux (LECM → LFBB)
Upper airspaces routes start at FL195 in Bordeaux’s airspace. Therefore, Madrid should make sure every traffic is cleared at FL200 or above before a transfer is made to Bordeaux.
| Transfer Point | Route | Receiving Sector | Restrictions | ||
| Airways LECM | HispaFRA | LFFRASW | |||
| ABRIX | UN858 | X (eXit) FL>245 |
E (Entry) FL>195 |
LFBB_CTR | EVEN FL |
| LUSEM | UL176 | ||||
| URUNA | R10 UP181 | ||||
| TOPTU | UN871 | ||||
| LATEK | UN955 | ||||
| DONOS | R299 UM299 | - | - | ||
4.2. From Bordeaux to Madrid (LFBB → LECM)
| Transfer Point | Route | Receiving Sector | Restrictions | ||
| Airways LFBB | LFFRASW | HispaFRA | |||
| TILVI | - | X (eXit) FL>195 |
E (Entry) FL>245 |
LECM_R2_CTR | ODD FL |
| NETUK |
FL>305
|
||||
| ARVID | |||||
| PIPOR | |||||
| ERAKI | |||||
| LATEK | |||||
| URUNA | R10 | ||||
| DONOS | R299 UM299 | - | - | ||
5. ATS Delegation
The airspace corresponding to the restricted zone LF-R-266 (SFC - 2000 ft AMSL) is a conflicting area between the CTR of LESO (SFC - 1700 ft) and the TMA of LFBZ (1500 ft ASFC/2000 ft AMSL - FL145). This is the so-called “special-use airspace” of San Sebastian into French territory where operations are delegated to LESO_TWR.
Whenever LFBZ_APP (and/or LFBB_CTR) is active, the approach ATC services are provided by LFBZ_APP for LESO departures inbound BTZ and arrivals from OSGOT or BTZ (VOR/RNP APP RWY22). The preferred approach to be used is the RNP Y for RWY22.
Whenever LESO_TWR (or LECM_BLL_CTR/LECM_R1_CTR) is active and LFBZ_APP and LFBB_CTR are inactive, the approach ATC services are provided by LESO_TWR, for both LESO departures and arrivals.
In all cases, LFBZ_APP (and/or LFBB_CTR) are never supposed to provide tower ATC services at LESO.
All VFR traffic entering inside the LF-R-266 zone will be transferred stable at 1000 ft AMSL.
Given the delegation of this airspace, each departure (RWY04) and arrival (RWY22) of LESO must be coordinated between the adjacent ATC units.
6. Departures and Arrivals
Coordination procedures for the departure/arrival traffic management are defined as follows. It is recalled that whenever TWR or APP units indicated below are inactive, they should be replaced by the higher ATC active unit (for example, if LESO_TWR is inactive, the coordination procedure applies to LECM_BLL_CTR). Moreover, whenever the LECM_BLL_CTR is consolidated into LECM_R1_CTR, the same coordination procedures apply to LECM_R1_CTR.
6.1. Departures from LECM
| Airport | SID | Procedure | Remarks |
| LEBB | SSN | LECM_BLL_CTR → LFBB_CTR | FL150 minimum |
| LEPP LERJ | - | RFL < 145: LECM_BLL_CTR → LFBZ_APP | RFL |
| RFL > 145: LECM_BLL_CTR → LFBB_CTR | Climbing to FL160 | ||
| LESO | BTZ | LESO_TWR → LFBZ_APP (passing 2000 ft) | - |
| BLV CEGAM PPN | Only from RWY 04 LESO_TWR → LFBZ_APP (passing 2000 ft) LFBZ_APP → LECM_BLL_CTR (leaving TMA) |
Refer to section 4 for airspace delegation details and specific coordination procedures | |
| LEBB | - | LECM_BLL_CTR → LFBB_CTR | via URUNA/LUSEM climbing to FL220 |
| LEXJ | via URUNA/LUSEM climbing to FL260 | ||
| LEZG | LECM_R2_CTR → LFBB_CTR | via TOPTU climbing to FL280 |
6.2. Arrivals to LFBB
| Airport | SID | Procedure | Remarks |
| LFBO | TOPTU | LECM_BLL_CTR → LFBB_CTR | DCT TOPTU FL280 |
| LFBP LFBT | BTZ | DCT BTZ FL180 | |
| LFBZ | DONOS | LECM_BLL_CTR → LFBZ_APP | DCT GOMSO FL150 |
6.3. Departures from LFBB
| Airport | SID | Procedure | Remarks |
| LFBO | TILVI | LFBB_CTR → LECM_R2_CTR | DCT TILVI |
| LATEK | LFBB_CTR → LECM_R1_CTR | DCT LATEK | |
| LFBZ | DONOS SSN | LFBZ_APP → LECM_BLL_CTR | DCT DONOS/SSN FL140 |
6.4. Arrivals to LECM
|
Airport |
STAR |
Procedure |
Remarks |
|
LEPP |
- |
LFBB_CTR → LECM_BLL_CTR |
via URUNA descending to FL170 |
|
LEVT LEBB |
- |
LFBB_CTR → LECM_BLL_CTR |
via URUNA descending to FL230 via PPN descending to FL270 |
|
LEXJ |
- |
LFBB_CTR → LECM_BLL_CTR |
via URUNA/PPN Descending to FL270 |
|
LESO |
SSN |
LFBZ_APP issues the approach clearance down to 3000 ft and transfers to LESO_TWR passing 2000 ft |
Refer to section 5 for airspace delegation details and specific coordination procedures |
|
LEZG |
- |
LFBB_CTR → LECM_R2_CTR |
via TIVLI at FL310 or below |
|
LFBB_CTR → LECM_R1_CTR |
via PPN at FL330 |
The chart for the RNP-22 approach is available here and the chart of the VOR 22 approach is available here.
7. Contributions
This document has been drafted in coordination between the ATC Operations Department of Spain and France and
Bordeaux FIR staff and Madrid FIR staff.
8. Changelog
| Version | Date | Changes |
| 5.0 | 21/4/2022 |
New format Implementation of Free Route Airspace in Spain (HISPAFRA) |