The Pacific Organised Track System (PACOTS) is an adaptable framework of aircraft routes. It primarily connects commercial air transport hubs in Japan and Southeast Asia with gateways in Hawaii and the North American West Coast, as well as Texas.
As trans-Pacific air traffic continues to grow, efficient use of airspace has become essential. To meet this demand, PACOTS was created. The track routes are set daily, optimizing wind conditions for flights traveling between North America, Hawaii, Japan, and Southeast Asia. These tracks maintain a minimum spacing of 50 nautical miles, following RNP10 standards. While using these tracks, pilots must keep a minimum longitudinal separation of 10 minutes, based on their speed.
PACOTS tracks can be established within the Fukuoka, Oakland Oceanic, and Anchorage Flight Information Regions (FIRs). Additionally, standard routes known as NOPAC may be included based on current wind conditions. The Japanese Air Traffic Management Centre collaborates with the Oakland ARTCC to create these tracks twice a day.
Eastbound routes are available from 0500Z to 1000Z (depending on departure location) until 2100Z, complete with specific crossing time windows at 160E. They are assigned numeric designators. In contrast, westbound routes operate from 1900Z to 0800Z and are labeled alphabetically. Planners adjust the number of tracks based on user requirements, weather patterns, military operations, or other factors.
Here’s a breakdown of the typical tracks and their designators:
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Westbound:
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Hawaii to Japan: 2 tracks (A, B)
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North America to Japan: 5 tracks (C, D, E, F)
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North America to Southeast Asia: 4 tracks (H, I, J)
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Eastbound:
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Japan to North America: 5 tracks (1, 2, 3)
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Japan to Hawaii: 2 tracks (11, 12)
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Southeast Asia to North America: 2 tracks (14, 15)
PACOTS also includes specific tracks between Texas and Japan, designated as M for eastbound and 8 for westbound.
