What our flight planning services include
A flight plan is more than a route string. It is a set of decisions about routing, cruise levels, alternates and fuel that has to fit the aircraft, the airspace and the conditions on the day. LFS prepares those decisions with you, documents them in an operational flight plan and files the ATC flight plan where that is part of the service you request.
Route planning
The planner builds the route using published airways, direct routings where allowed, and any route availability or flow restrictions that apply. Restricted, closed or advisory airspace is checked, including current conflict-zone information issued by authorities such as EASA and the FAA, and the route is adjusted where it should be avoided.
Cruise levels are chosen with the aircraft's performance, the forecast winds and any level restrictions on the route in mind. Where a shorter route would cross airspace that needs a permit you do not have, the planner shows the alternatives and the trade-off in time and fuel.
Weather
Each plan is checked against current and forecast weather: METAR and TAF for departure, destination and alternates, SIGMETs along the route, and upper winds and temperatures at the planned levels. Significant changes are flagged before filing. To read raw reports yourself, use our METAR and TAF decoder.
NOTAMs
NOTAMs are reviewed for the airports used and for the route: runway and taxiway closures, navigation aid outages, airspace activations and procedural changes. Items that affect the plan are summarised so the crew can see them quickly. Our NOTAM explainer shows how a raw NOTAM is structured.
Fuel planning to your policy
Fuel is planned to the operator's own fuel policy and the regulations that apply to the operation: trip fuel, contingency, alternate, final reserve and any additional or discretionary fuel. LFS does not substitute its own fuel policy for yours. Where tankering is worth considering, the planner can show the figures so you can decide.
Flight plan filing
Where filing is included, the ICAO flight plan is filed with the relevant ATC system and the planner watches for acknowledgement or rejection. Filing windows and addressing rules are set by each air navigation service provider, so the planner files within the window that applies to your route and corrects any rejected items.
What we need from the operator
Good planning depends on accurate inputs. Before the first trip, the planner will ask for:
- Aircraft type, registration, equipment and PBN capabilities as they should appear in the flight plan.
- Performance data or the planning profile you want used, including weights and any limitations.
- Your fuel policy, alternate policy and any company route or level preferences.
- Crew and passenger numbers and the schedule, including required arrival times.
- Any approvals that affect routing, such as RVSM, oceanic, ETOPS/EDTO or specific navigation approvals.
Revisions and re-filing
Schedules move, aircraft change and weather shifts. When the departure time, aircraft or route changes, the planner updates the plan and sends the necessary ATC messages, such as a delay, change or cancellation and re-file. The planner also checks whether the change affects permits, slots or PPR and raises those revisions so everything still describes the same flight.
Each revision is recorded with a reason, so the crew and your operations team can see what changed and why. Before the plan is released to the crew, the planner re-checks the latest weather, NOTAMs and any flow measures so the version on board reflects conditions at departure, not when the plan was first built.
Flight planning vs flight dispatch
The two services overlap, but they are not the same thing. Flight planning produces the plan: route, levels, fuel, alternates and the filed ATC flight plan. It is a defined piece of work for a flight or a series of flights.
Flight dispatch goes further. A dispatcher stays with the flight: following it, watching weather and NOTAM changes en route, coordinating with handlers and re-planning when needed. If you want someone to stay with the trip from planning to arrival, see flight dispatch services. For Gulf operations, see Gulf flight dispatch.
In both cases operational control remains with the operator and the pilot in command.
Special routes and operations
Some flights need extra planning: oceanic crossings, long overwater legs, ferry flights and routes near restricted airspace. For North Atlantic operations see North Atlantic oceanic clearance support; for positioning and delivery flights see ferry flight support. If a route needs a fuel stop, our technical stop support page explains how the stop is planned.
How to request flight planning
- Send the route, dates, aircraft and your planning preferences through the request form.
- The planner confirms the inputs and identifies permits or slots the route will need.
- You receive the plan for review; on approval it is filed where filing is included.
- Changes are re-planned and re-filed until the flight departs.
Planning for different types of operation
Business aviation
Corporate and private flights often change at short notice. The planner keeps the plan ready to revise, watches for schedule changes and re-files quickly so the crew always has a current plan.
Charter
Charter flights add commercial considerations: permit types that differ from private flights, slot and parking constraints at destination airports, and passengers who expect the published schedule to hold. The plan is built with those constraints visible.
Cargo
Cargo planning places more weight on payload. The planner works with your weights and performance figures so the trade-off between payload, fuel and any technical stop is clear before the flight is accepted.
Ferry and positioning
Empty legs, deliveries and maintenance positioning can involve long legs and unusual routings. Alternates, fuel stops and any special permits are planned in advance.
Common causes of plan problems, and how we avoid them
- Equipment and PBN codes that do not match the aircraft's approvals: confirmed with you before the first filing.
- Routes that cross airspace needing a permit that has not been requested: the permit check runs alongside the routing.
- Filed times that no longer match slots or permits after a delay: revisions are raised together.
- Out-of-date NOTAM or weather information at the time of departure: the plan is re-checked before release to the crew.
- Fuel planned to a generic policy instead of the operator's: your policy is held on file and used for every plan.
Who uses LFS flight planning
Operators without an in-house planning team use the service for every flight. Flight departments with their own planners use it for overflow, overnight cover or unfamiliar regions. In both cases, the plan follows your policies and your crews receive it in the format they are used to.
Frequently asked questions
What is included in LFS flight planning?+
Route planning, weather and NOTAM review, fuel planning to your own policy, an operational flight plan and, where requested, filing of the ICAO flight plan with ATC.
Is flight planning the same as flight dispatch?+
No. Flight planning produces and files the plan. Flight dispatch also follows the flight, coordinates services and re-plans as conditions change.
Do you use our fuel policy?+
Yes. Fuel is planned to the operator's fuel policy and the rules that apply to the operation. LFS does not replace your policy.
How early should a flight plan be filed?+
Each air navigation service provider sets its own filing window. The planner files within the window for your route, and earlier work on permits and slots usually starts well before that.
Can you re-file if the schedule changes?+
Yes. The planner sends the appropriate delay, change or cancellation messages, re-files where needed and checks whether permits or slots also need revising.
Do you check overflight permit needs?+
Yes. The route is reviewed for states that require an overflight permit, and the permit desk can file those alongside the plan.
Need a flight plan?
Send your route, aircraft details and schedule through the request form. The planning desk will confirm the inputs and come back to you with the plan.