Memphis Air Route Traffic Control Center

Memphis Air Route Traffic Control Center
Name	Memphis Air Route Traffic Control Center
Nativename	ZME
Location	Memphis, Tennessee
Coordinates	35°04′N 89°59′W
Opened	1960s
Operator	Federal Aviation Administration
Type	Area Control Center
Website	FAA

Memphis Air Route Traffic Control Center is a Federal Aviation Administration area control center that provides en route air traffic control services for high-altitude and transitioning aircraft over portions of the central and eastern United States. The center coordinates flight information and separation services with major terminal radar approach control facilities, major airports, and adjacent centers to manage traffic flow across routes connecting hubs and international gateways. It supports operations involving air carriers, cargo operators, and military flights while integrating procedures developed with industry stakeholders and regulatory bodies.

Overview

Memphis Center, designated ZME, is one of the United States' 22 Air Route Traffic Control Centers and serves airspace containing parts of Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Kentucky, Missouri, and Louisiana. The center interfaces with major airports such as Memphis International Airport, Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, Nashville International Airport, St. Louis Lambert International Airport, and Chicago O’Hare International Airport via coordination with terminal facilities like Memphis International Airport Tower and TRACONs. ZME operates under procedures and standards promulgated by the Federal Aviation Administration and coordinates with organizations including Air Line Pilots Association, Air Traffic Controllers Association, and carriers such as FedEx Express and Delta Air Lines. It participates in national programs like the NextGen (air transportation system) modernization initiative and implements directives from the National Transportation Safety Board when relevant.

Facilities and Operations

The center's operations are housed in a centralized facility equipped with en route radar displays, long-range communications, and automation systems derived from technologies developed by Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, and others supporting FAA modernization. Controllers use the FAA's En Route Automation Modernization components and coordinate oceanic or international flights with agencies such as International Civil Aviation Organization and neighboring centers including Indianapolis Air Route Traffic Control Center and Kansas City Air Route Traffic Control Center. Support functions include technical services maintained by Department of Transportation contractors, coordination with Transportation Security Administration for special events, and contingency operations aligned with standards from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for severe weather. The facility includes dispatch coordination rooms, training simulators, and redundancy systems to support continuous operations.

Airspace and Sectors

The center manages a complex mosaic of sectors divided by altitude, route structure, and traffic flows, interfacing with route structures such as the Victor airway concept historically and modern high-altitude jet routes. Sectors are realigned periodically in conjunction with airspace redesign initiatives like those endorsed by RTCA, Inc. and the Air Traffic Organization. Memphis Center's airspace contains major jet corridors connecting hubs including Memphis International Airport for cargo and Atlanta Hartsfield–Jackson through traffic, linking with oceanic entry points and boundary fixes used in coordination with New York Air Route Traffic Control Center and Cleveland Air Route Traffic Control Center. Special use airspace and military operating areas require coordination with commands such as United States Air Force and Air National Guard units at regional bases.

Traffic and Traffic Management

Traffic handled by the center includes scheduled air carriers, cargo operators, general aviation, and military flights operating on transcontinental and domestic routes between hubs like Chicago O’Hare International Airport, Los Angeles International Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport, and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. Traffic management tools include ground delay programs, miles-in-trail restrictions, and reroute programs implemented through coordination with the Air Traffic Control System Command Center and airline operations centers such as those of FedEx Express and American Airlines. The center applies flow control measures during weather events affecting facilities like Nashville International Airport and Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, and uses Collaboration Decision Making processes with stakeholders including National Business Aviation Association and major airline dispatch organizations.

Safety and Incidents

Safety oversight involves incident investigation coordination with the National Transportation Safety Board, enforcement coordination with FAA offices, and safety management system practices aligned with International Civil Aviation Organization standards. Notable incidents in the region have involved coordination among agencies following occurrences near major airports like Memphis International Airport and Little Rock National Airport, requiring joint responses with Emergency Operations Center equivalents and local Memphis Fire Department or county emergency services. The center incorporates lessons learned from historical airspace events and systemic reviews conducted by Department of Transportation and independent aviation safety bodies.

Staffing and Training

Staffing comprises certified air traffic controllers, traffic management coordinators, technical support specialists, and administrative personnel represented in part by National Air Traffic Controllers Association. Training programs include initial Academy instruction at FAA Academy, on-site simulator training, and recurrent proficiency checks using scenarios derived from incidents overseen by National Transportation Safety Board and standards from RTCA, Inc.. Coordination with universities and programs such as Middle Tennessee State University and industry partners supports workforce development and research into human factors and automation integration.

History and Development

The center's origins trace to the mid-20th century expansion of en route air traffic control following developments by organizations like Civil Aeronautics Administration and later consolidation under the Federal Aviation Administration. Over decades it has evolved through technological upgrades tied to programs by IBM, Raytheon, and the FAA's modernization initiatives, and operational changes driven by events affecting continental traffic patterns such as deregulation policies from the Airline Deregulation Act and shifts in cargo hub prominence associated with FedEx Express. The center has participated in national airspace redesign efforts and continuous improvement programs to integrate NextGen capabilities and respond to changing aviation demands.

Category:Air traffic control centers of the United States