Who Controls Offshore Airspace?

The airspace is called the Western Atlantic Route System, known by its acronym, WATRS.

Wednesday, December 13, 2023 at 10:30 AM ET

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WATRS is controlled by New York Oceanic FIR, which owns a huge swath of the western Atlantic between 21 and 45 degrees north. [Adobe Stock]

Key Takeaways:

The Western Atlantic Route System (WATRS) comprises dedicated airways for flights between the Northeastern U.S. and the eastern Caribbean, offering a shorter route with Bermuda as an engine-out alternative.
New York Oceanic FIR controls WATRS, historically relying on High-Frequency (HF) radio for communication beyond radar/VHF range, often with position reports relayed by communication specialists, which could lead to delays.
Modern operations in WATRS increasingly use Controller-Pilot Data Link Communications (CPDLC) via satellite, enabling automatic position reporting and instantaneous text communication with ATC, thereby easing previous communication challenges.

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Question: On an airline flight from New York to St. Thomas, I noticed that we ventured 400 miles offshore. Who controls this airspace, presumably beyond VHF and radar range?

Answer: Most traffic between the Northeastern U.S. and the eastern Caribbean uses this routing, several hundred miles shorter than following the East Coast. The airspace is called the Western Atlantic Route System, known by its acronym, WATRS. It uses 12 published airways labeled (from west to east) L451 through L462. Most are oriented north-south and spaced 60 nm apart. The availability of Bermuda as an engine-out alternative makes these routes usable even for non-ETOPS aircraft.