Flight & Flow Information for a Collaborative Environment (FF-ICE)

In the next generation of air traffic management, information sharing will be the backbone of efficiency, safety, and sustainability.

That’s where Flight & Flow Information for a Collaborative Environment (FF-ICE) comes in — an ICAO-led framework designed to enhance data exchange between all stakeholders in flight operations.

ICAO FF-ICE Information

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Enable collaboration and flexibility between airlines, flight planning service providers, ANSPs (Air Navigation Service Providers), and airports.

Support Trajectory-Based Operations (TBO) – meaning, instead of just a filed route, the whole 4D trajectory (time, altitude, route, constraints) is shared and updated dynamically.

Enhance efficiency, capacity, predictability, and environmental performance.

How are Flight Planners involved?

Flight planners (whether airline dispatchers, operations control, or flight planning service providers) are key users and providers of FF-ICE data. Their role shifts from filing a static flight plan to collaborating in real time across the ATM system.

1. Pre-flight (strategic & pre-tactical phases)

Submit initial trajectory proposals using the FF-ICE format.
Share rich data (performance, fuel, environmental data, preferred constraints, cost index, alternate aerodromes, etc.).
Allow early collaboration with ANSPs for slot allocation, route negotiation, and flow management.
Example: planners can propose trajectories that avoid contrail-prone areas or optimize for CO₂.

2. Day of Operations (tactical phase)

Update trajectory in near real-time as conditions change (weather, ATFM restrictions, military airspace opening/closure).
ANSPs and flight planners exchange data to negotiate the “reference business trajectory” (RBT) – the agreed trajectory the flight will actually fly.

3. Post-flight (post-operations phase)

Provide performance data and reporting (fuel burn, emissions, deviations).
Enable MRV (Monitoring, Reporting, Verification) for regulatory or sustainability reporting.

In Short

FF-ICE is the future of flight planning – it replaces static flight plan filing with dynamic, data-rich trajectory sharing. Flight planners are central actors, providing the trajectory data, negotiating constraints with ANSPs, and updating plans collaboratively throughout the flight lifecycle.