June 5 has been set by FAA as the date when use of the international flight plan format, also known as the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) format, will be required for all civil flight plans filed with flight service for flights within the National Airspace System and to Canada.
FAA’s original implementation from October 2015 was revised at AOPA’s request to allow ample time to communicate the change to pilots, accommodate automation enhancements, and test schedules for CSRA, Leidos, and Harris., the three flight service vendors.
Those pilots who file flight plans with non-FAA contracted providers third-party vendors should follow the guidance given by those providers. Some providers may require that the domestic flight plan format be used temporarily while automation upgrades to their system are completed.
FAA’s statement on the transition read as follows:
“The target date for ICAO flight plan cutover is June 5th. The date is dependent on integration testing with our Canadian partners, to ensure a seamless and safe transition. On this date, it is mandatory for all civil flights within the NAS and to Canada filed with Flight Service systems to use the international format. Flight Service refers to Alaska Flight Service, the Flight Service contracted service provider in CONUS, HI, and PR, and/or the FAA contracted on-line service providers (i.e. 1800wxbrief.com and duats.com). Flight Service has modified the international format to accommodate enhancements to the fields on the form.”
Guidance for completing the modified international flight plan is available at www.faa.gov/go/flightservice.”