An Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) is a crucial facility in aviation. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) defines an ARTCC as a place that provides air traffic control services to aircraft flying under instrument flight rules (IFR). This service is mainly active during the en route phase of a flight. If equipment and controller workload allow, ARTCCs can also assist visual flight rules (VFR) aircraft. In total, there are 20 ARTCCs located throughout the continental United States. Outside the U.S., similar facilities are known as area control centers or en route centers. For instance, the UK’s NATS manages the London Area Control Centre, which oversees en route traffic in the London Flight Information Region (FIR). This region covers airspace over England and Wales up to the Scottish border.
