Flight Information Area

Flight Information Area ( FIR or FIR from the English Flight Information Region ) - airspace of certain sizes, within which flight information services and emergency alerts are provided. ^[1] This is the largest airspace division existing in the modern world. FIRs appeared no later than 1947 . ^{[2] [3]}

Each area of ​​the earth's atmosphere is in the area of ​​responsibility of a certain EPI.

There is no standard size for EPI - this is a matter of ease of administration for the country (or countries) involved. The airspace of small countries can be one EPI; large countries are usually divided into several regional EPIs. ^{[4] [5]} Some FIRs may cover the airspace of several countries. ^[6]

The airspace over the oceans is divided into ocean information regions, which are controlled by coastal states. The division of zones of responsibility occurs by signing international agreements under the auspices of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) .

In some cases, the airspace within a single FIR can additionally be divided vertically. So, the airspace above the territory of the Russian Federation, as well as beyond, where the responsibility for organizing air traffic is vested in the Russian Federation, is divided into lower and upper airspace. The boundary of the lower and upper airspace above the territory of the Russian Federation is a flight level of 8100 m (flight level 265), which refers to the lower airspace. ^[1] In such cases, the lower airspace is called FIR , and the upper is called UIR ( Upper Information Region ).

Flight information services and emergency alerts are the basic tasks for ensuring the safe flight of aircraft and effective response to emergency situations in the air. These services are available for all aircraft located in a particular FIR. Additional aviation support services may be available for the crews of some aircraft of a specific FIR in accordance with the ICAO class for a given part of the airspace (and national legislation) and the availability of appropriate staff and equipment to provide such services.