Key Points – Updated 10 Jan 2024
- There is a mandate for Datalink equipage for flights above FL285 throughout Europe. There are various different exemptions for this.
- This mandate only applies to aircraft with ATN Datalink. If your aircraft only has FANS 1/A, you don’t need to comply – but you also won’t be able to get CPDLC across most of Europe.
- There are also some places where Datalink logon is mandatory.
Datalink in Europe can be bamboozling – multiple chunks of airspace, all in close proximity to each other, all with varying levels of operating capability when it comes to CPDLC. Plus there’s a Logon List to consider. And a Datalink Mandate. And different considerations depending on what kind of Datalink you’ve got onboard…
So here’s a simple guide on how it all works, and what the rules are.
Is there a Datalink mandate in Europe?
Yes. The European Datalink mandate is for Datalink equipage for flights above FL285 throughout Europe. (Equipage – not necessarily for logon! More on that later…)
Is my aircraft exempt?
Quite possibly – many aircraft are exempt from the equipage mandate, the main ones being:
- Aircraft with a certificate of airworthiness first issued before 1 Jan 2018 and fitted prior to this date with FANS 1/A.
- Aircraft with 19 seats or less and a MTOW of 45359 kg (100000 lbs) or less, with a first individual certificate of airworthiness issued before 5 Feb 2020.
- Aircraft in this list (Annex I)
- Aircraft in this list (Annex II) with a CofA issued before 5 Feb 2020
You can find these rules and exemptions in this EU doc (updated in Sep 2023).
The Logon List
This is what you need to get registered on to get CPDLC service when flying in:
- Switzerland
- Germany
- Maastricht UAC (i.e. the upper airspace above FL245 over Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg – one of Europe’s busiest and most complex airspace areas.)
- Poland from some time around November 2024.
If you get your aircraft added to the Logon List, that means you’ll be able to use CPDLC in these areas and will probably get better directs and faster climbs. However, if your avionics are not eligible to be on the Logon List, ATC will not restrict you to the flight levels below FL285.
The Logon List is basically to ensure that aircraft with buggy avionics don’t ruin the network for everyone else – including ATC.
For more info, including details of how to get your aircraft registered on the Logon List, check Eurocontrol’s dedicated page here.
Important to note: the Logon List only applies to ATN aircraft – not FANS 1/A. So essentially, if your aircraft only has FANS 1/A, you don’t need to register – but you also won’t be able to get CPDLC across most of Europe (more on that below…)
Where can I get CPDLC in Europe?
As of Jan 2024, these places:
For more info about which FIRs provide Datalink, and at what flight levels, check here.
Is CPDLC logon mandatory?
The European Datalink mandate is for CPDLC equipage, not for logon.
But yes, provided you’ve got ATN CPDLC, there are some places where logon is mandatory:
- Maastricht UAC [EDYY] and Karlsruhe UAC [EDUU] above FL285 (source: Eurocontrol). And from 1 Jan 2024, Maastricht started reporting aircraft which are not compliant with the mandatory logon to the relevant NSAs. We heard this issue is especially true for bizjets – around half of which are capable but don’t log on!
- Cyprus [LCCC] above FL285 (source: AIP GEN 3.4)
- Hungary [LHCC] above FL285 (source: AIP GEN 3.4)
- Finland [EFIN] above FL095 (source: AIP GEN 3.4)
- Sweden [ESMM Malmo, ESOS Stockholm] above FL285 (source: AIP GEN 3.4)
- Romania [LRBB] above FL285 (source: AIP GEN 3.4)
- Serbia and Montenegro [LYBA] above FL205 (source: AIP GEN 3.4)
- Czech Republic [LKAA] above FL195 (source: AIP GEN 3.4)
- France [LFFF Paris, LFEE Reims, LFMM Marseille, LFBB Bordeaux, LFRR Brest] above FL195 (source: AIC 10/23 and AIP GEN 3.4)
- Switzerland [LSAG Geneva, LSAZ Zurich] above FL145 (source: AIP GEN 3.4)
- Slovakia [LZBB Bratislava] above FL285 (source: AIP GEN 3.4)
- Croatia [LDZO Zagreb] above FL285 (source: AIP GEN 3.4)
And some others coming soon:
- 11 July 2024: Bulgaria [LBSR Sofia] above FL215 (source AIRAC AMDT 5/24)
- 30 Oct 2024: Slovenia
- Late 2024: Poland
- Late 2024: Spain
For the countries listed above where we don’t quite know the exact dates yet – these will be in the AIRACs which haven’t been published yet. Know of anywhere else that should be in this list? Let us know.
As of Feb 2024 (after some issues with the new LYBA logon code for Serbia and Montenegro which you can read about here) Eurocontrol are asking operators to make sure their aircraft avionics ATN addressing database is up to date, to include all the right codes as per the latest version of ICAO EUR Doc 028.
My plane only has FANS 1/A. Can I get CPDLC in Europe?
The only bits of airspace in Europe where you can still get CPDLC using FANS 1/A are:
- EGTT/London, EGPX/Scottish, EISN/Shannon FIRs.
- GCCC/Canarias FIR.
- LRBB/Bucaresti FIR.
Everywhere else in Europe is only capable of working with ATN.
As of Aug 2021, Maastricht Upper Airspace (MUAC) no longer supports FANS 1/A. Dual stack aircraft in MUAC airspace must be reconfigured to logon via ATN, and aircraft with only FANS 1/A will continue to supported by conventional VHF.
What should I put in my FPL?
Got ATN Datalink? Put J1 in field 10 of the flight plan. Also put CODE/ in Field 18 – after the CODE/ you need to put your Aircraft/Mode S address in hex (e.g. A519D9). From July 11, 2024, Eurocontrol will start checking correct flight plan filing regarding CPDLC. Flight plans indicating J1 capability, but missing CODE/ in Field 18 will be rejected!
Exempt from the mandate? Put Z in field 10 and DAT/CPDLCX in field 18 of the flight plan. If you don’t, ATC won’t know you’re exempt, and you may struggle to fly above FL285!
One other thing – you should either file J1 or DAT/CPDLCX, not the two together. Flight plans with this wrong filing will be rejected.
Any more questions?
This EASA Q&A site is a good place to try.
Failing that, send us an email at news@ops.group, and we’ll do our best to get it answered for you!
More on the topic:
- More: US Domestic Enroute CPDLC Update
- More: The North Atlantic Datalink Mandate – 2024 update
- More: US expands CPDLC coast-to-coast
- More: CPDLC Gotcha: Clearance Busts
- More: New Datalink Mandate in France
More reading:
- Latest: Dodging Danger: The Three Routes Through the Middle East
- Latest: US Pre-Clearance: How does it work?
- Latest: 2025 North Atlantic Plotting & Planning Chart
- Safe Airspace: Risk Database
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Thanks for your post!
I was wondering if you might have any information on the following topic.
Let’s assume we receive a CPDLC uplink message requesting to contact the next frequency by a voice message. Initially, we send a WILCO message and then make a conventional call. Is there any regulation (EASA or local authority) which mandates that the pilots need to say the word “CPDLC” during this call? Thanks in advance!
Best regards
Algiers (DAAA), although an African country, is part of EUR Airspace but only has FANS 1/A capability and ADS-C.
Canaries islands (GCCC) , although under Spanish administration but on AFRICA and Indian Ocean Airspace (AFI) is both FANS 1/A (over all its airpace) and ATN B1, the latter in a smaller area closer to the islands (North or N26 and East of W019).
Through the documentation I have access from my airline, it is not mandatory to logon in France although the service is available. Many times it doesn’t actually work…
Keep up with the good work!
Where can we find out what regions have mandatory CPDLC? Is there a published list somewhere?
Not really, unfortunately. You just have to check through each country’s AIP 🙁
In general, above FL285 in Europe (Eurocontrol update their map fairly regularly). Everywhere else you would need to check in the country AIPs.
How can I verify my AC is on the login list?
You can check on that here:
https://ext.eurocontrol.int/WikiLink/index.php/Logon_List#How_do_I_get_my_aircraft_added_to_the_Logon_List.3F
I fly a Lear 35, apart from autonomy I need to know leaving Grande and flying the more northerly routes and entering Europe do I need the CPDLC or is there any way to get rid of the requirement.
Do you want to fly above FL285. Is your aircraft type exempt from the datalink mandate?
Thanks for supporting EDUU with the communication of our latest change to use the LOGON list. With this change, we are primarily aiming to stabilize CPDLC performance and to have a positive impact in terms of PA rate.
Best regards from EDUU!