Shanwick Oceanic Control

Shanwick is the Air Traffic Control (ATC) name given to the area of International Airspace which lies above the northeast part of the Atlantic Ocean.

The Shanwick Oceanic Control Area abuts Reykjavik Oceanic Control Area to the north, Gander Oceanic Control Area to the west and Santa Maria Oceanic Control Area to the south. Shanwick also has eastern boundaries with the Scottish, Shannon, Brest and Madrid domestic Flight Information Regions.

Prior to 1966, the United Kingdom and Ireland both provided ATC and Communications services in the same area of the North Atlantic. The air/ground communication station at Ballygirreen, near Shannon, worked to the ATC centre at Shannon and the communication station at Birdlip, Gloucestershire worked to the ATC centre at Prestwick, Ayrshire, Scotland. This caused duplication of work and an agreement was reached between the UK and Irish governments where Prestwick and Ballygirreen would work as one unit. Prestwick assumed the ATC (Air Traffic Control) function and Ballygirreen assumed responsibility for communications. Hence the name Shanwick originated, SHANnon and PrestWICK being the original ATC providers.

Responsibility for the provision of air traffic services within International Airspace is delegated to United Nations Member States by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). ICAO divides such airspace into Flight Information Regions, parts of which may be deemed Controlled airspace and, where appropriate, classified as an Oceanic Control Area (OCA).

The flight control (Procedural ATC) aspect within the Shanwick OCA is the responsibility of the United Kingdom and is provided by National Air Traffic Services (NATS) from the Prestwick Centre and the voice communication aspect is shared between the CDOs (Clearance Delivery Officers) based at Prestwick Centre and the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) from Shannon Aeradio, based in Ballygirreen Radio Station. Shanwick Control further delegate oceanic control of traffic in the NOTA (Northern Oceanic Transition Area) and the SOTA (Shannon Oceanic Transition Area) to Shannon Control, and traffic in the Brest Oceanic Transition Area (BOTA) to Brest Control.

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