SERA.4013 Acceptance of a flight plan

(a)The Network Manager, for the portion of the route operated in accordance with IFR, and the air traffic services reporting office shall take the necessary measures to ensure that when a flight plan is received, or when changes are made to it, it is:

(1)in compliance with the applicable format and data conventions;

(2)complete and, to the extent possible, accurate;

(3)if necessary, made acceptable to the air traffic services; and

(4)accepted, or the changes made to it are also accepted, and this is indicated to the originator of the flight plan.

(b)ATC units shall provide the Network Manager with any necessary changes of a flight plan affecting items related to the route or flight level as listed in point SERA.4005(a)(1) to (10) that could affect the safe conduct of a flight, for flight plans and associated update messages previously received by them from the Network Manager. No other changes to, or cancellation of, a flight plan shall be made by an ATC unit in the pre-flight phase without coordination with the aircraft operator.

(c)The Network Manager shall communicate to all affected ATS units the accepted flight plan and any accepted pre-flight-phase changes made to the items listed in point SERA.4005(a)(1) to (10) of the flight plan and associated update messages.

(d)The Network Manager shall communicate to the aircraft operator any necessary pre-flight-phase changes made to the flight plan affecting items listed in point SERA.4005(a)(1) to (10) related to the route or flight level that could affect the safe conduct of a flight, for flight plans and associated update messages previously received.

(e)The originator of a flight plan, when not being the aircraft operator or the pilot, shall ensure that the conditions of acceptance of a flight plan and any necessary changes to these conditions as notified by the Network Manager for the portion of the flight operated in accordance with IFR, or by the air traffic services reporting offices, are made available to the aircraft operator or the pilot that has submitted the flight plan.

(f)The aircraft operator shall ensure that the conditions of acceptance of a flight plan and any necessary changes to it as notified by the Network Manager or by the air traffic services reporting office to the originator of the flight plan are incorporated into the planned flight operation and communicated to the pilot.

(g)The aircraft operator shall ensure prior to the operation of the flight that the content of the flight plan correctly reflects the operational intentions.

(h)The Network Manager shall process and distribute the information on the 8,33 kHz channel spacing capability received in the flight plans.

(i)Requirements laid down in points (a) to (h) shall not apply in the Single European Sky airspace that is not part of the ICAO EUR region.