ATSRoutes

ATSRoutes is a standardized framework for defining and exchanging air traffic service (ATS) routes used by civil aviation authorities and air navigation service providers. It encompasses the conventions for naming routes, the geometry of route segments, the associated waypoints, airways, and the altitude or flight level constraints that apply to a route. The goal of ATSRoutes is to improve interoperability across FIR (flight information region) boundaries, enable efficient route planning, and support safer and more predictable air traffic operations.

The data model of ATSRoutes describes routes as a collection of segments, each segment linking waypoints or airways, with attributes such as distance, expected altitude bands, maximum authorized speeds, and tempo constraints. Serializations are provided in multiple formats, including JSON, XML, and domain-specific encodings derived from ARINC 424-like schemas, enabling integration with flight planning systems, ATS automation tools, and cockpit routing applications. Validation rules cover naming conventions, waypoint validity, and consistency of altitude constraints.

Routing engines implementing ATSRoutes can compute feasible trajectories that respect airspace restrictions, weather, seasonal traffic management initiatives, and separation minima. They support dynamic rerouting in response to real-time advisories and generate conflict alerts for controllers and flight crews. The framework also supports auditing, versioning, and change tracking to maintain historical route data.

ATSRoutes is maintained by an international consortium of aviation authorities and industry partners, with governance emphasizing interoperability, safety, and data quality. It is used in flight planning, airspace design, and traffic management studies to model and simulate ATS route networks.