CPDLC 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 datalink. Plus there’s a Logon List to consider. And a Datalink Mandate. And different considerations depending on what kind of CPDLC 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 CPDLC equipage for flights above FL285 throughout Europe. Equipage – not necessarily for logon! More on that later…
But loads of aircraft are exempt from this, the main two 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.
In addition, in Dec 2019 the EU announced that a bunch of other aircraft were exempt too:
Aircraft permanently exempt:
Aircraft which had up to 5 Feb 2022 to do the avionics retrofit:
EASA issued a Bulletin which says that operators who are exempt from the mandate should include the letter “Z” in Field 10 and the indicator “DAT/CPDLCX” in Field 18 of their flight plan. If you don’t, ATC won’t know you’re exempt, and you may struggle to fly above FL285!
Bottom line, for operators who are exempt from the mandate, their flights should not be restricted to the lower flight levels below FL285. Logged-on traffic might just get better directs and faster climbs, that’s all.
So before we press on, if you want to know more about the Datalink Mandate, read our article here.
The Logon List
This is not the same thing as the Datalink Mandate. This is the thing that used to be called the Whitelist. It’s what you need to get registered on to get CPDLC service when flying in Switzerland, Germany, and Maastricht-UAC controlled airspace (i.e. the upper airspace above FL245 over Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg – one of Europe’s busiest and most complex airspace areas.)
Ultimately, 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.
Why is there a Logon List?
Before ATC in Europe had the Logon List, there were still many aircraft with avionics flying around contributing to major connectivity issues – also called “Provider Aborts”. This made the network unusable for properly equipped traffic, since messages got lost or timed out.
With the Logon List in place, ATC can improve the service quality for those who have the proper equipment and render CPDLC usable. The Logon List filters “bad” avionics which generate more than 150% of the average Provider Abort rate.
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?
Lots of places. Though not everywhere. The latest map that Eurocontrol published on this was in Sep 2022, as per the below, which is kinda handy. But to see the actual latest info, check out their ‘Implementation Status Table’ here.
Click for the current status.
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 (EDUU) and Karlsruhe UAC (EDYY) above FL285 (source: Eurocontrol)
- Cyprus (LCCC FIR) above FL285 (source: AIP GEN 3.4.5)
- France (LFFF, LFEE, LFMM, LFBB, LFRR FIRs) above FL195 (source: AIC 10/23)
- Hungary (LHCC FIR) above FL285 (source: AIP GEN 3.2.2.3)
Know of anywhere else that should be in this list? Let us know.
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: the London, Scottish and Shannon FIRs. Everywhere else in Europe is only capable of working with ATN CPDLC. As of Aug 2021, Maastricht Upper Airspace no longer supports FANS 1/A. Dual stack aircraft must be reconfigured to logon via ATN, and aircraft with only FANS 1/A will continue to supported by conventional VHF.
Does CPDLC always work perfectly?
No, not always. Some reasons why:
- There are different levels of implementation and ATC usage of CPDLC across Europe.
- There are still some logon forwarding issues at some of the ground stations, which means that it’s not always a seamless transition when you cross from one sector of airspace to another.
- There’s also still a high logon failure rate, which is only partly mitigated by the Logon List.
- ATC see regular interferences on the CPDLC frequencies caused by a variety of other reasons (voice, background noise, etc) which might lead to connectivity issues at times.
Updating your equipment with the latest software only solves parts of the known issues, so being compliant and having the latest tech does not mean you will always have a system that works 100% perfectly. But hey, don’t sweat it – Eurocontrol are looking into these issues, and working on fixes.
Any more questions?
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 expands CPDLC coast-to-coast
- More: CPDLC Gotcha: Clearance Busts
- More: New Datalink Mandate in France
- More: What we know about the US CPDLC trial
- More: NAT Conundrums Volume III: To GOTA and beyond!
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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!