Who makes the decisions about a planes altitude?
Assignment of altitudes is part of the structure of the Air Traffic Control system and is determined by the Federal Aviation Administration to ensure that aircraft travel through the National Airspace System in a safe and expeditious manner. Altitudes are structured according to an aircrafts direction (expressed in magnetic course/degrees) and the phase of flight (departure, in flight/enroute, arrival). Around the vicinity of an airport (up to 10 miles from the runway), separate altitudes are reserved specifically for arrivals and departures for safe separation and efficiency. This includes separation from aircraft coming from or going to other airports that are nearby. Altitude assignments for a particular aircraft also depend upon whether the aircraft is operating under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) or Visual Flight Rules (VFR). Aircraft flying IFR receive altitude and direction assignments from an Air Traffic Controller to maintain adequate separation from other aircraft in accordan
