Gander OCR Change: CPDLC Reroute Clearances Before the Oceanic Entry Point

For Gander, the departure clearance is the oceanic clearance unless it is modified by ATC. The aircraft shall not change the route unless ATC clears it for the route change.

Effective 11 July 2026, when a reroute is required, Gander Domestic FIR (CDQX) will resume issuing CPDLC amended route clearances — CLEARED TO (position) VIA (route clearance) — before an aircraft reaches its Oceanic Entry Point (OEP). The route may be issued by Gander Domestic FIR (CDQX), Moncton Domestic FIR (CZQM), or Montreal North Domestic FIR (CZUL).

Gander Oceanic FIR (CZQX) will continue to issue CPDLC amended route clearances once an aircraft is past its Oceanic Entry Point (OEP).

What is changing

The route clearances are updates to the original departure clearance. Highlights of the changes:

• The CLEARED TO (position) will be a waypoint contained within the filed flight plan, either after oceanic exit or within oceanic airspace.
• With a partial reroute format, if the reroute connects within oceanic airspace, only the changed portion is in the message, as described in GOLD guidance.
• The voice clearances issued since May 2025 are replaced by the CPDLC amended route clearance, unless ATC is unable to connect the reroute to the flight plan. In that case, the reroute will be issued by voice — check for a discontinuity.
• This applies only to eastbound traffic with a Gander Oceanic FIR route.

What stays the same

Other OCR procedures — including oceanic flight planning, RCL submission requirements and timing, and CPDLC route conformance monitoring — continue unchanged.

For voice RCL requests, or for issues with an RCL rejection message, contact ATC on the assigned (current) control frequency.

Refer to AIP Canada Supplement 065/2026 for complete details.