# Area control center

In air traffic control, an area control center (ACC), also known as a center or en-route center, is a facility responsible for controlling aircraft flying in the airspace of a given flight information region (FIR) at high altitudes between airport approaches and departures. In the US, such a center is referred to as an air route traffic control center (ARTCC).
A center typically accepts traffic from — and ultimately passes traffic to — the control of a terminal control center or another center. Most centers are operated by the national governments of the countries in which they are located. The general operations of centers worldwide, and the boundaries of the airspace each center controls, are governed by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
In some cases, the function of an area control center and a terminal control center are combined in a single facility. For example, NATS combines the London Terminal Control Centre (LTCC) and London Area Control Centre (LACC) in Swanwick, Hampshire.

## FAA definition

The United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) defines an ARTCC as:
   [a] facility established to provide air traffic control service to aircraft operating on IFR flight plans within controlled airspace, principally during the en-route phase of flight. When equipment capabilities and controller workload permit, certain advisory/assistance services may be provided to VFR aircraft.
An ARTCC is the U.S. equivalent of an area control center (ACC). There are 22 ARTCCs located in nineteen states.

## Subdivision of airspace into sectors

The flight information region controlled by a center may be further administratively subdivided into areas comprising two to nine sectors. Each area is staffed by a set of controllers trained on all the sectors in that area.
Sectors use distinct radio frequencies for communication with aircraft. Each sector also has secure landline communications with adjacent sectors, approach controls, areas, ARTCCs, flight service centers, and military aviation control facilities. These landline communications are shared among all sectors that need them and are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Aircraft passing from one sector to another are handed off and requested to change frequencies to contact the next sector controller. Sector boundaries are specified by an aeronautical chart.

## Center operations

Air traffic controllers working within a center communicate via radio with pilots of instrument flight rules (IFR) aircraft passing through the center's airspace. A center's communication frequencies (typically in the very high frequency aviation bands, using amplitude modulation (AM) 118 MHz to 137 MHz, for overland control) are published in aeronautical charts and manuals, and are also announced to a pilot by the previous controller during a hand-off. Most VHF radio assignments also have a UHF (225 to 380 MHz) paired frequency used for military flights.
In addition to radios to communicate with aircraft, center controllers have access to communication links with other centers and TRACONs. In the United States, centers are electronically linked through the National Airspace System, which allows nationwide coordination of traffic flow to manage congestion. Centers in the United States also have electronic access to nationwide radar data.
Controllers use radar to monitor the progress of flights and instruct aircraft to perform course adjustments as needed to maintain separation from other aircraft. Aircraft with center contact can be readily distinguished by their transponders. Pilots may request altitude adjustments or course changes for reasons including avoidance of turbulence or adverse weather conditions.
Controllers can assign routing relative to location fixes derived from latitude and longitude, or from radionavigation beacons such as VORs.
Typically, centers have advance notice of a plane's arrival and intentions from its pre-filed flight plan.

## Oceanic air traffic control

Some centers have ICAO-designated responsibility for airspace located over an ocean such as ZNY and ZOA, the majority of which is international airspace. Because substantial volumes of oceanic airspace lie beyond the range of ground-based radars, oceanic airspace controllers have to estimate the position of an airplane from pilot reports and computer models (procedural control), rather than observing the position directly (radar control, also known as positive control). Pilots flying over an ocean can determine their own positions accurately using the Global Positioning System or other means, and can supply periodic updates to a center.
A center's control service for an oceanic flight information region may be operationally distinct from its service for one over land, employing different communications frequencies, controllers, and a different ICAO code.
Pilots typically use high frequency radio instead of very high frequency radio to communicate with a center when flying over the ocean, because of HF's relatively greater propagation over long distances. Military aircraft, however, are typically equipped with ARC-231 SATCOMs that allow over-the-horizon communication.

## List of area control centers

Area control centers (ACCs) control IFR air traffic in their flight information region (FIR).
The current list of FIRs and ACCs is maintained by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Note that the cited ICAO source gives the shapefile coordinates for each FIR, and also its page source gives a list of current ACCs in text form. The following is the alphabetic list of all ACCs and their FIRs as of October 2011:
| ICAO code | Type | FIR or ACC | Oceanic or other subtype | Country or territory |
| AGGG | FIR | Honiara ACC | | Solomon Islands |
| ANAU | FIR | Nauru ACC | | Nauru |
| AYPM | FIR | Port Moresby ACC | | Papua New Guinea |
| BGGL | FIR | Nuuk ACC | | Greenland ( Denmark) |
| BIRD | FIR | Reykjavík ACC | | Iceland |
| CZEG | FIR | Edmonton ACC | | Canada |
| CZQM | FIR | Moncton Southern ACC | | Canada |
| CZQX | FIR | Gander Domestic ACC | | Canada |
| CZUL | FIR | Montreal ACC | | Canada |
| CZVR | FIR | Vancouver ACC | | Canada |
| CZWG | FIR | Winnipeg ACC | | Canada |
| CZYZ | FIR | Toronto ACC | | Canada |
| DAAA | FIR | Alger ACC | | Algeria |
| DGAC | FIR | Accra ACC | | Ghana |
| DIII | FIR | Abidjan ACC | | Ivory Coast |
| DNKK | FIR | Kano ACC | | Nigeria |
| DRRR | FIR | Niamey ACC | | Niger |
| DTTC | FIR | Tunis ACC | | Tunisia |
| EZZZ | FIR | Eurocontrol | Eurocontrol | Belgium |
| EBBU | FIR | Brussels ACC | | Belgium/ Luxembourg |
| EDGG | FIR | Langen ACC | | Germany |
| EDMM | FIR | Munich ACC | | Germany |
| EDUU | UIR | Rhein ACC | | Germany |
| EDVV | UIR | Hannover ACC | | Germany |
| EDWW | FIR | Bremen ACC | | Germany |
| EDYY | UIR | Maastricht ACC | | Belgium/ Germany/ Netherlands |
| EETT | FIR | Tallinn ACC | | Estonia |
| EFIN | FIR | Helsinki ACC | | Finland |
| EGGX | FIR | Shanwick Oceanic OCA | Oceanic | United Kingdom |
| EGPX | FIR | Scottish ACC | | United Kingdom |
| EGQQ | FIR | Scottish ACC (Mil) | Military | United Kingdom |
| EGTT | FIR | London ACC | | United Kingdom |
| EHAA | FIR | Amsterdam ACC | | Netherlands |
| EISN | FIR | Shannon ACC | | Ireland |
| EKDK | FIR | Copenhagen ACC | | Denmark |
| ENOB | FIR | Bodo Oceanic OCA | Oceanic | Norway |
| ENOR | FIR | Polaris ACC | | Norway |
| EPWW | FIR | Warszawa ACC | | Poland |
| ESAA | FIR | Sweden ACC | | Sweden |
| ESMM | FIR | Malmo ACC | | Sweden |
| ESOS | FIR | Stockholm ACC | | Sweden |
| EVRR | FIR | Riga ACC | | Latvia |
| EYVL | FIR | Vilnius ACC | | Lithuania |
| FABL | FIR | Bloemfontein ACC | | South Africa |
| FACA | FIR | Cape Town ACC | | South Africa |
| FACT | FIR | Cape Town ACC | | South Africa |
| FADN | FIR | Durban ACC | | South Africa |
| FAJO | FIR | Johannesburg Oceanic ACC | Oceanic | South Africa |
| FAJX | FIR | Johannesburg ACC | | South Africa |
| FAPX | FIR | Port Elizabeth ACC | | South Africa |
| FBGR | FIR | Gaborone ACC | | Botswana |
| FCCC | FIR | Brazzaville ACC | | Congo, Republic of the |
| FIMM | FIR | Mauritius ACC | | Mauritius |
| FKKK | FIR | Douala ACC | | Cameroon |
| FLFI | FIR | Lusaka ACC | | Zambia |
| FMCX | FIR | Comoros ACC | | Comoros |
| FMMM | FIR | Antananarivo ACC | | Madagascar |
| FNAN | FIR | Luanda ACC | | Angola |
| FOOO | FIR | Libreville ACC | | Gabon |
| FQBE | FIR | Beira ACC | | Mozambique |
| FSSS | FIR | Seychelles ACC | | Seychelles |
| FTTT | FIR | N'Djamena ACC | | Chad |
| FVHF | FIR | Harare ACC | | Zimbabwe |
| FWLL | FIR | Lilongwe ACC | | Malawi |
| FYWF | FIR | Windhoek ACC | | Namibia |
| FZZA | FIR | Kinshasa ACC | | Congo, Democratic Republic of the |
| GCCC | FIR | Canarias ACC | | Canary Islands ( Spain) |
| GLRB | FIR | Roberts ACC | | Liberia |
| GMMM | FIR | Casablanca ACC | | Morocco |
| GOOO | FIR | Dakar Oceanic ACC | Oceanic | Senegal |
| GVSC | FIR | Sal Oceanic ACC | Oceanic | Cape Verde |
| HAAA | FIR | Addis Ababa ACC | | Ethiopia |
| HBBA | FIR | Bujumbura ACC | | Burundi |
| HCSM | FIR | Mogadishu ACC | | Somalia |
| HECC | FIR | Cairo ACC | | Egypt |
| HHAA | FIR | Asmara ACC | | Egypt |
| HKNA | FIR | Nairobi ACC | | Kenya |
| HLLL | FIR | Tripoli ACC | | Libya |
| HRYR | FIR | Kigali ACC | | Rwanda |
| HSSX | FIR | Khartoum ACC | | Sudan |
| HTDC | FIR | Dar es Salaam ACC | | Tanzania |
| HUEC | FIR | Entebbe ACC | | Uganda |
| KZAB | FIR | Albuquerque ARTCC | | United States |
| KZAK | FIR | Oakland Oceanic ARTCC | Oceanic | United States |
| KZAU | FIR | Chicago ARTCC | | United States |
| KZBW | FIR | Boston ARTCC | | United States |
| KZDC | FIR | Washington ARTCC | | United States |
| KZDV | FIR | Denver ARTCC | | United States |
| KZFW | FIR | Ft Worth ARTCC | | United States |
| KZHU | FIR | Houston ARTCC | | United States |
| KZID | FIR | Indianapolis ARTCC | | United States |
| KZJX | FIR | Jacksonville ARTCC | | United States |
| KZKC | FIR | Kansas City ARTCC | | United States |
| KZLA | FIR | Los Angeles ARTCC | | United States |
| KZLC | FIR | Salt Lake ARTCC | | United States |
| KZMA | FIR | Miami ARTCC | | United States |
| KZME | FIR | Memphis ARTCC | | United States |
| KZMP | FIR | Minneapolis ARTCC | | United States |
| KZNY | FIR | New York ARTCC | | United States |
| KZOA | FIR | Oakland ARTCC | | United States |
| KZOB | FIR | Cleveland ARTCC | | United States |
| KZSE | FIR | Seattle ARTCC | | United States |
| KZTL | FIR | Atlanta ARTCC | | United States |
| KZWY | FIR | New York Oceanic ARTCC | Oceanic | United States |
| LAAA | FIR | Tirana ACC | | Albania |
| LBSR | FIR | Sofia ACC | | Bulgaria |
| LBWR | FIR | Varna ACC | | Bulgaria |
| LCCC | FIR | Nicosia ACC | | Cyprus |
| LDZO | FIR | Zagreb ACC | | Croatia |
| LECB | FIR | Barcelona ACC | | Spain |
| LECM | FIR | Madrid ACC | | Spain |
| LECS | FIR | Sevilla ACC | | Spain |
| LFBB | FIR | Bordeaux ACC | | France |
| LFEE | FIR | Reims ACC | | France |
| LFFF | FIR | Paris ACC | | France |
| LFMM | FIR | Marseille ACC | | France |
| LFRR | FIR | Brest ACC | | France |
| LGGG | FIR | Athens ACC | | Greece |
| LHCC | FIR | Budapest ACC | | Hungary |
| LIBB | FIR | Brindisi ACC | | Italy |
| LIMM | FIR | Milano ACC | | Italy |
| LIRR | FIR | Roma ACC | | Italy |
| LJLA | FIR | Ljubljana ACC | | Slovenia |
| LKAA | FIR | Praha ACC | | Czech Republic |
| LLLL | FIR | Tel-Aviv ACC | | Israel |
| LMMM | FIR | Malta ACC | | Malta |
| LOVV | FIR | Wien ACC | | Austria |
| LPPC | FIR | Lisboa ACC | | Portugal |
| LPPO | FIR | Santa Maria Oceanic ACC | Oceanic | Azores ( Portugal) |
| LQSB | FIR | Sarajevo ACC | | Bosnia and Herzegovina |
| LRBB | FIR | Bucuresti ACC | | Romania |
| LSAG | FIR | Geneve ACC | | Switzerland |
| LSAS | FIR | Switzerland ACC | | Switzerland |
| LSAZ | FIR | Zurich ACC | | Switzerland |
| LTAA | FIR | Ankara ACC | | Turkey |
| LTBB | FIR | Istanbul ACC | | Turkey |
| LUUU | FIR | Chisinau ACC | | Moldova |
| LWSS | FIR | Skopje ACC | | North Macedonia |
| LYBA | FIR | Beograd ACC | | Serbia |
| LZBB | FIR | Bratislava ACC | | Slovakia |
| MDCS | FIR | Santo Domingo ACC | | Dominican Republic |
| MHTG | FIR | Central American ACC | | Honduras |
| MKJK | FIR | Kingston ACC | | Jamaica |
| MMFO | FIR | Mazatlan Oceanic ACC | Oceanic | Mexico |
| MMFR | FIR | Mexico ACC | | Mexico |
| MPZL | FIR | Panama ACC | | Panama |
| MTEG | FIR | Port-au-Prince ACC | | Haiti |
| MUFH | FIR | Habana ACC | | Cuba |
| MYNA | FIR | Nassau ACC | | Bahamas |
| NFFF | FIR | Nadi ACC | | Fiji |
| NTTT | FIR | Tahiti ACC | | French Polynesia ( France) |
| NWWX | FIR | Nouméa ACC | | New Caledonia ( France) |
| NZZC | FIR | New Zealand ACC | | New Zealand |
| NZZO | FIR | Auckland Oceanic ACC | Oceanic | New Zealand |
| OAKX | FIR | Kabul ACC | | Afghanistan |
| OBBB | FIR | Bahrain ACC | | Bahrain |
| OEJD | FIR | Jeddah ACC | | Saudi Arabia |
| OIIX | FIR | Tehran ACC | | Iran |
| OJAC | FIR | Amman ACC | | Jordan |
| OKAC | FIR | Kuwait ACC | | Kuwait |
| OLBB | FIR | Beirut ACC | | Lebanon |
| OMAE | FIR | Emirates ACC | | United Arab Emirates |
| OOMM | FIR | Muscat ACC | | Oman |
| OPKR | FIR | Karachi ACC | | Pakistan |
| OPLR | FIR | Lahore ACC | | Pakistan |
| ORBB | FIR | Baghdad ACC | | Iraq |
| ORMM | FIR | ORMM FIR | | Iraq |
| OSTT | FIR | Damascus ACC | | Syria |
| OYSC | FIR | Sanaa ACC | | Yemen |
| PAZA | FIR | Anchorage ACC | | United States |
| PAZN | FIR | Anchorage Oceanic ACC | Oceanic | United States |
| PHZH | FIR | Honolulu ACC | | United States |
| RCAA | FIR | Taipei ACC | | Taiwan |
| RJJJ | FIR | Fukuoka ACC | | Japan |
| RKRR | FIR | Incheon ACC | | South Korea |
| RPHI | FIR | Manila ACC | | Philippines |
| SACF | FIR | Cordoba ACC | | Argentina |
| SACU | UIR | Cordoba UIR | | Argentina |
| SAEF | FIR | Ezeiza ACC | | Argentina |
| SAEU | UIR | Ezeiza UIR | | Argentina |
| SAMF | FIR | Mendoza ACC | | Argentina |
| SAMV | UIR | Mendoza UIR | | Argentina |
| SARR | FIR | Resistencia ACC | | Argentina |
| SAVF | FIR | Comodoro Rivadavia ACC | | Argentina |
| SAVU | UIR | Comodoro Rivadavia UIR | | Argentina |
| SBAO | FIR | Atlantico ACC | | Brazil |
| SBAZ | FIR | Amazonica ACC | | Brazil |
| SBBS | FIR | Brasilia ACC | | Brazil |
| SBCW | FIR | Curitiba ACC | | Brazil |
| SBRE | FIR | Recife ACC | | Brazil |
| SCCZ | FIR | Punta Arenas ACC | | Chile |
| SCEZ | FIR | Santiago ACC | | Chile |
| SCFZ | FIR | Antofagasta ACC | | Chile |
| SCIZ | FIR | Easter Island ACC | | Easter Island ( Chile) |
| SCTZ | FIR | Puerto Montt ACC | | Chile |
| SEFG | FIR | Guayaquil ACC | | Ecuador |
| SGFA | FIR | Asuncion ACC | | Paraguay |
| SKEC | FIR | Barranquilla ACC | | Colombia |
| SKED | FIR | Bogota ACC | | Colombia |
| SLLF | FIR | La Paz ACC | | Bolivia |
| SMPM | FIR | Paramaribo ACC | | Suriname |
| SOOO | FIR | Rochambeau ACC | | French Guiana ( France) |
| SPIM | FIR | Lima ACC | | Peru |
| SUEO | FIR | Montevideo ACC | | Uruguay |
| SVZM | FIR | Maiquetia ACC | | Venezuela |
| SYGC | FIR | Georgetown ACC | | Guyana |
| TJZS | FIR | San Juan ACC | | Puerto Rico ( United States) |
| TNCF | FIR | Curaçao ACC | | Curaçao ( Netherlands) |
| TTZP | FIR | Piarco ACC | | Trinidad and Tobago |
| UAAX | FIR | Almaty ACC | | Kazakhstan |
| UACX | FIR | Astana ACC | | Kazakhstan |
| UAFX | FIR | Bishkek ACC | | Kyrgyzstan |
| UASS | FIR | Semipalatinsk ACC | | Kazakhstan |
| UDDD | FIR | Yerevan ACC | | Armenia |
| UEMH | FIR | Tyoply Klyuch ACC | | Russia |
| UENN | FIR | Nyurba ACC | | Russia |
| UESS | FIR | Chersky ACC | | Russia |
| UESU | FIR | Zyryanka ACC | | Russia |
| UEVV | FIR | Gigansk ACC | | Russia |
| UGEE | FIR | Yerevan/Zvartnots ACC | | Russia |
| UGGG | FIR | Tbilisi ACC | | Georgia |
| UHBI | FIR | Magdagachi ACC | | Russia |
| UHBI | FIR | Magdagachi ACC | | Russia |
| UHHH | FIR | Khabarovsk/Novy | | Russia |
| UHMI | FIR | Mys Shmidta ACC | | Russia |
| UHMM | FIR | Magadan Oceanic | Oceanic | Russia |
| UHMP | FIR | Pevek ACC | | Russia |
| UHNN | FIR | Nikolayevsk-na-Amure ACC | | Russia |
| UHPT | FIR | Tilichiki ACC | | Russia |
| UHPU | FIR | Ust-Khairyozovo ACC | | Russia |
| UHSH | FIR | Okha ACC | | Russia |
| UIKB | FIR | Bodaybo ACC | | Russia |
| UIKK | FIR | Kirensk ACC | | Russia |
| UKBV | FIR | Kyiv ACC | | Ukraine |
| UKCV | FIR | Donetsk ACC | | Ukraine |
| UKDV | FIR | Dnepropetrovsk ACC | | Ukraine |
| UKFV | FIR | Simferopol ACC | | Ukraine |
| UKHV | FIR | Kharkiv ACC | | Ukraine |
| UKLV | FIR | Lviv ACC | | Ukraine |
| UKOV | FIR | Odesa ACC | | Ukraine |
| ULLL | FIR | Sankt Peterburg ACC | | Russia |
| ULOL | FIR | Velikiye Luki ACC | | Russia |
| UMKD | FIR | Kazan ACC | | Russia |
| UMMV | FIR | Minsk ACC | | Belarus |
| UNLL | FIR | Kolpashevo ACC | | Russia |
| UOTT | FIR | Turukhansk ACC | | Russia |
| URRV | FIR | Rostov-Na-Donu ACC | | Russia |
| USDK | FIR | Mys Kamenny ACC | | Russia |
| USHB | FIR | Beryozovo ACC | | Russia |
| USHH | FIR | Khanty-Mansiysk ACC | | Russia |
| UTAK | FIR | Turkmenbashi ACC | | Turkmenistan |
| UTNR | FIR | Nukus ACC | | Uzbekistan |
| UTSD | FIR | Samarkand ACC | | Uzbekistan |
| UTTR | FIR | Tashkent ACC | | Uzbekistan |
| UUWV | FIR | Moscow ACC | | Russia |
| UUYW | FIR | Vorkuta ACC | | Russia |
| UUYY | FIR | Syktyvkar ACC | | Russia |
| UWOO | FIR | Orenburg/Tsentralny ACC | | Russia |
| VABF | FIR | Mumbai ACC | | India |
| VCCC | FIR | Colombo ACC | | Sri Lanka |
| VDPF | FIR | Phnom Penh ACC | | Cambodia |
| VECF | FIR | Kolkata ACC | | India |
| VGFR | FIR | Dhaka ACC | | Bangladesh |
| VHHK | FIR | Hong Kong ACC | | Hong Kong |
| VIDF | FIR | Delhi ACC | | India |
| VLIV | FIR | Vientiane ACC | | Laos |
| VLVT | FIR | Vientiane ACC | | Laos |
| VNSM | FIR | Kathmandu ACC | | Nepal |
| VOMF | FIR | Chennai ACC | | India |
| VRMF | FIR | Male ACC | | Maldives |
| VTBB | FIR | Bangkok ACC | | Thailand |
| VVHM | FIR | Ho Chi Minh ACC | | Vietnam |
| VVHN | FIR | Hanoi ACC | | Vietnam |
| VYMD | FIR | | | Myanmar |
| VYYF | FIR | Yangon ACC | | Myanmar |
| WAAF | FIR | Ujung Pandang | | Indonesia |
| WAAZ | FIR | Ujung Pandang ACC | | Indonesia |
| WABZ | FIR | Biak Sector | Sector | Indonesia |
| WADZ | FIR | Bali Sector | Sector | Indonesia |
| WAJZ | FIR | | | Indonesia |
| WAKZ | FIR | Merauke Sector | Sector | Indonesia |
| WALZ | FIR | Balikpapan Sector | Sector | Indonesia |
| WAMZ | FIR | Manado Sector | Sector | Indonesia |
| WAOZ | FIR | Banjarmasin Sector | Sector | Indonesia |
| WAPZ | FIR | Ambon Sector | Sector | Indonesia |
| WATZ | FIR | Kupang Sector | Sector | Indonesia |
| WBFC | FIR | Kota Kinabalu ACC | | Brunei/ Malaysia |
| WIIF | FIR | Jakarta | | Indonesia |
| WIIZ | FIR | Jakarta ACC | | Indonesia |
| WIMZ | FIR | Medan Sector | Sector | Indonesia |
| WIOZ | FIR | Pontianak Sector | Sector | Indonesia |
| WIPZ | FIR | Palembang Sector | Sector | Indonesia |
| WMFC | FIR | Kuala Lumpur ACC | | Malaysia |
| WSJC | FIR | Singapore ACC | | Singapore |
| YBBB | FIR | Brisbane ACC | | Australia |
| YMMM | FIR | Melbourne ACC | | Australia |
| ZBPE | FIR | Beijing ACC | | China |
| ZGJD | FIR | Zhuhai ACC | | China |
| ZGZU | FIR | Guangzhou ACC | | China |
| ZHWH | FIR | Wuhan ACC | | China |
| ZJSA | FIR | Sanya ACC | | China |
| ZKKP | FIR | Pyongyang ACC | | North Korea |
| ZLHW | FIR | Lanzhou ACC | | China |
| ZMUB | FIR | Ulan Bator ACC | | Mongolia |
| ZPKM | FIR | Kunming ACC | | China |
| ZSHA | FIR | Shanghai ACC | | China |
| ZWUQ | FIR | Ürümqi ACC | | China |
| ZYSH | FIR | Shenyang ACC | | China |