JO 7210.3 Facility Operation and AdministrationJO 7210.3EE · Change 3 · Effective 7/9/2026
Chapter 18 · Section 14
Special Traffic Management Programs
4 Paragraphs18-14-1–18-14-4
18-14-1 SPECIAL EVENT PROGRAMS
Special programs may be established for a location to accommodate abnormally large traffic demands (for example, Indianapolis 500 Race, EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, SUN 'n FUN Aerospace Expo) or a significant reduction in airport capacity for an extended period (airport runway/taxiway closures for airport construction). These special programs may remain in effect until the event is over or local TM procedures can handle the volume.
18-14-2 COORDINATION
Documentation to justify special programs must be submitted by the facility or TMO to their Operations Support Group (OSG) 90 days in advance, with a copy to the appropriate Deputy Director of System Operations (DDSO). The service area must review and forward the request to the ATCSCC for coordination and approval 60 days in advance.
Documentation must include the following as a minimum:
The reason for implementing special programs and a statement of system impact. Include the total number of additional flights expected.
Airport(s)/sector(s) to be controlled.
Capacity restraints by user category (five air carrier, three air taxi, seven general aviation, three military) per hour per airport.
Hours capacity must be controlled specified in both local time and in UTC (e.g., 0900-1859 EST, 1400-2359Z or, 0900-1859 EDT, 1300-2259Z).
Type of flight to be controlled (e.g., unscheduled, arrivals, departures, IFR, VFR).
Days of the week and dates (e.g., Thursday, May 7 through Monday, May 11 or Friday, May 22 and Sunday, May 24).
A draft copy of the associated Domestic Notice and/or temporary flight restrictions (email preferred).
IFR/VFR capacity at each airport/sector.
Begin date and time for the start of reservation acceptance.
The number of slots to be allocated per airport, or group of airports, per time increment (e.g., ten arrivals every fifteen minutes or forty aircraft every sixty minutes).
Coordination accomplished with impacted facilities and any unresolved issues.
The Service Center OSG must forward the Domestic Notice to the Mission Support Services, Policy (AJV-P), Domestic Notices editor at 9-ATOR-HQ-PubGrp@faa.gov for publication no later than 10 days prior to the start date. Domestic Notices for special events may be published up to 60 days prior to the event. Please submit 70 days prior to the event to allow for the 10‐day internal processing.
NOTE
The web address to obtain a STMP slot: 1. www.fly.faa.gov/estmp 2. Call the Traffic Flow Management Help Desk (609) 485-9601 for problems using the web‐based interface.
18-14-3 IMPLEMENTATION
Special TM programs must be managed by the ATCSCC or the affected ARTCC. The ATCSCC must transmit an advisory containing the reason for the program, airport(s)/sector(s) involved, dates and times the program will be in effect, telephone numbers to be used, and any special instructions, as appropriate. The affected ARTCC must monitor special TM programs to ensure that the demand to the center/terminal facilities is equal to the capacity.
The ATCSCC will disseminate a password and instructions for facility STMP reports. Detailed instructions can be found on the web site for the web interface, or in the Aeronautical Information Manual.
18-14-4 AIRPORT RESERVATION OFFICE
The Airport Reservations Office (ARO) has been established to monitor the operation and allocation of reservations for unscheduled operations at airports designated by the Administrator under FAA adopted rules. These airports are generally known as slot controlled airports. The ARO allocates reservations on a first come, first served basis determined by the time the request is received at the ARO. Standby lists are not maintained. Reservations are allocated through the ARO by the Enhanced Computer Voice Reservation System (e‐CVRS) and not by the local air traffic control facility.
Requests for reservations for unscheduled flights at the slot controlled airports will be accepted beginning 72 hours before the proposed time of operation.
Flights with declared emergencies do not require reservations.
Refer to the website for the current listing of slot controlled airports, limitations, and reservation procedures.
NOTE
The URL to obtain a reservation for unscheduled operations at a slot controlled airport is: http://www.fly.faa.gov/ecvrs. Call the ARO trouble number (540) 422-4246 for problems with a slot reservation.