In aviation, a flight information region (FIR) is a specified region of airspace in which a flight information service and an alerting service (ALRS) are provided. It is the largest regular division of airspace in use in the world today.
Any portion of the atmosphere belongs to some specific FIR. Smaller countries' airspace is encompassed by a single FIR, larger countries' airspace is subdivided into a number of regional FIRs. Some FIRs may encompass the territorial airspace of several countries. Oceanic airspace is divided into Oceanic Information Regions and delegated to a controlling authority bordering that region. The division among authorities is done by international agreement through the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
There is no standard size for FIRs, it is a matter for administrative convenience of the country concerned. In some cases there may exist a vertical division of the FIR, in which case the lower portion remains named as such, whereas the airspace above is named Upper Information Region, or UIR.
An information service and alerting service are the basic levels of air traffic service, providing information pertinent to the safe and efficient conduct of flights and alerting the relevant authorities should an aircraft be in distress. These are available to all aircraft through a FIR. Higher levels of Air Traffic Advisory and Control services may be available within certain portions of airspace within a FIR, according to the ICAO class of that portion of airspace (with regard to national regulations), and the existence of a suitably equipped authority to provide the services.
Famous quotes containing the words flight, information and/or region:
“What a cunning mixture of sentiment, pity, tenderness, irony surrounds adolescence, what knowing watchfulness! Young birds on their first flight are hardly so hovered around.”
—Georges Bernanos (1888–1948)
“Information networks straddle the world. Nothing remains concealed. But the sheer volume of information dissolves the information. We are unable to take it all in.”
—Günther Grass (b. 1927)
“I was with Hercules and Cadmus once,
When in a wood of Crete they bayed the bear
With hounds of Sparta: never did I hear
Such gallant chiding; for besides the groves,
The skies, the fountains, every region near
Seemed all one mutual cry. I never heard
So musical a discord, such sweet thunder.”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)