{"id":30509,"date":"2026-07-01T08:13:09","date_gmt":"2026-07-01T12:13:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/?p=30509"},"modified":"2026-07-01T18:18:58","modified_gmt":"2026-07-01T22:18:58","slug":"ganders-bringing-back-cpdlc-oceanic-reroutes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/ganders-bringing-back-cpdlc-oceanic-reroutes\/","title":{"rendered":"Gander\u2019s Bringing Back CPDLC Oceanic Reroutes"},"content":{"rendered":"

On July 2, NAV CANADA is bringing back CPDLC route clearance uplinks<\/strong> for eastbound NAT flights, ending the use of voice clearances that have been required for these route amendments since May 2025.<\/p>\n

The change will apply to eastbound flights that receive route amendments from Gander Oceanic, prior to<\/strong> oceanic entry.<\/strong> An AIP SUP will shortly follow on July 9 – the one to look out will be 065\/2026.<\/p>\n

Instead of receiving a reroute by voice, crews will once again receive a CPDLC uplink in the following format:<\/p>\n

CLEARED TO [position] VIA [route clearance]<\/strong><\/p>\n

This is the standard ICAO route clearance format, known in ICAO docs as \u2018UM79.\u2019<\/p>\n

Why the change?<\/h4>\n

CPDLC route clearances are preferred because they can be uplinked directly to the FMS, negating the need for error-prone manual entry.<\/strong><\/p>\n

However following the implementation of Canada\u2019s Oceanic Clearance Revision (OCR) in late 2024, problems emerged.<\/p>\n

It was identified that some reroute uplinks were creating route discontinuities in the FMS.<\/strong> As a result, NAV CANADA decided to revert to voice clearances for these amendments in May last year while improvements were made to the back end.<\/p>\n

Now these issues have been fixed.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s different?<\/h4>\n

Under the previous system, a route amendment could terminate at a waypoint that wasn\u2019t connected to the remainder of the active flight plan, creating a route discontinuity in the FMS. Crew then had to manually reconnect the route before oceanic entry.<\/p>\n

With the new system (effective July 2), the \u2018CLEARED TO\u2019 waypoint will be a waypoint already contained in the filed flight plan,<\/strong> either within oceanic airspace or after oceanic exit. The amended route strings automatically with the existing plan, allowing the route to be loaded without creating a disco (of the non-musical variety \ud83e\udea9).<\/p>\n

For crew, this will make eastbound oceanic reroutes easier to load and review prior to NAT entry.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Crew Errors<\/h4>\n

All sounds pretty straight forward, right? Well it is, but with some important caveats.<\/p>\n

Pilot error when handling CPDLC route amendments remains a persistent issue across at the NAT region.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Last month, EUROCONTROL published<\/a> some guidance highlighting several common CPDLC mistakes made by flight crews, many of which create significant workload for controllers or lead to clearance busts.<\/p>\n

We covered this in a seperate article<\/a>, and the lessons apply just as much in oceanic airspace as they do in Europe.<\/p>\n

With this update, NAV CANADA reiterates many of the same precautions – especially the importance of acknowledging route amendments correctly and not misinterpreting them as \u2018direct-to.\u2019<\/p>\n

For the avoidance of error, the following flow is suggested whenever a route amendment is received via CPDLC:<\/p>\n

\"\"

We all like to say rog’ immediately. Don’t send ACCEPT\/WILCO before you have loaded and executed it!<\/p><\/div>\n

Quick reminder: OCR hasn’t changed<\/h4>\n

Gander remains fully in Oceanic Clearance Removal (OCR) mode. In normal human speak that means there’s no oceanic clearance<\/strong> in Gander. You still send an RCL 90-60 mins before the OEP, but it’s for planning only – you’re not requesting an oceanic clearance, and none will be issued. Continue in accordance with your current ATC clearance unless ATC issues a change before the OEP. Once oceanic, any further changes will be issued via CPDLC or HF as required!<\/p>\n

The only thing changing on July 2 is how pre-entry route amendments are delivered: they return to CPDLC instead of voice.<\/p>\n

Key Docs<\/h4>\n

This is a significant change for Gander\u2019s airspace. There are two official documents to look out for:<\/p>\n