Key Points – Updated 2 Dec 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 November 2024)
- France (expected in February 2025)
So when France joins in early 2025, this will mean you pretty much can’t cross Europe without being on the Logon List!
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 June 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 ⬇️
Blue = logon mandatory, Orange = logon soon to be mandatory!
Here’s a running list of the places we know where logon is mandatory, in chronological order of when they implemented the rule:
- Maastricht UAC [EDYY] above FL245 (source: Eurocontrol) and Karlsruhe UAC [EDUU] above FL285 (source: Germany AIP GEN 3.4)
- Cyprus [LCCC Nicosia] above FL285 (source: AIP GEN 3.4)
- Hungary [LHCC Budapest] above FL285 (source: AIP GEN 3.4)
- Finland [EFIN Helsinki] above FL095 (source: AIP GEN 3.4)
- Denmark (EKDK Copenhagen] above FL285 (source: AIC 5/23)
- Sweden [ESMM Malmo, ESOS Stockholm] above FL285 (source: AIP GEN 3.4)
- Romania [LRBB Bucharest] above FL285 (source: AIP GEN 3.4)
- Serbia and Montenegro [LYBA Belgrade] above FL205 (source: AIP GEN 3.4)
- Czech Republic [LKAA Prague] 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)
- Bulgaria [LBSR Sofia] above FL215 (source AIRAC AMDT 5/24)
- Slovenia [LJLA Ljubljana] above FL285 (source: AIP GEN 3.4)
- Poland [EPWW Warsaw] above FL285 (source: AIP GEN 3.4)
- Spain & Canaries – coming in early 2025!
Some Logon and FPL Filing stuff to watch our for! ⬇️
From Oct 2024: MUAC have started reporting to the relevant NSAs those aircraft which don’t comply with the requirement to file either J1 or DAT/CPDLCX in the FPL if filed above FL285. We heard this issue is especially true for bizjets – around half of which are capable but don’t log on! At some point in the future when various datalink exemptions no longer apply, this filing requirement will be a pre-requisite for ATC to determine which flights are eligible for upper airspace and which ones will be kept below FL285.
From July 2024: Eurocontrol started checking correct flight plan filing regarding CPDLC. Flight plans indicating J1 capability, but missing CODE/XXX in Field 18 will be rejected!
From Feb 2024: After some issues with the new LYBA logon code for Serbia and Montenegro which you can read about here) Eurocontrol started 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.
So what do I put in my FPL?
Got ATN Datalink? Put J1 in field 10 of the flight plan. Also put CODE/XXX in Field 18 – instead of the XXX you need to put your Aircraft/Mode S address in hex (e.g. CODE/A519D9).
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.
My aircraft only has FANS 1/A. Can I get CPDLC in Europe?
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.
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. But be aware that in EGTT there is no automatic logon transfer from FANS1/A to ATN – ie. if you’re flying from EGTT to EDYY and you are connected via FANS1/A to EGTT then you will have to log on again with EDYY.
- 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.
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: 2024 Flight Ops Changes: The Big Ones
- Latest: High levels of Pilot Error with NAT RCL: New Briefing and Checklist
- Latest: US FAA Improves Flight Tracking Privacy
- 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!