Friday 12 June 2009

SITA Message Examples explained...

So despite the cryptic code, a few of you were able to decipher the bulk of the message which is more than I could do when I first started. Here's a quick explanation of the message examples I posted.

Starting with the departure message:

MVT
RAT0123/09.ECENZ.IST

AD1245/1253 EA 1559DUS

PX323

It's a Movement (MVT) message for flight number RAT0123 on the 9th of the month, aircraft registration EC-ENC, departing IST or Istanbul. The flight departed, as in off-blocks time or push back from the gate) at 1245z, and was airborne 8 minutes later at 1253z. It's estimated arrival time in DUS, Dusseldorf is 1559z, and it has 323 passengers on board.

The arrival message is pretty similar:

MVT
RAT0123/12.ECENZ.IST

AA1340/1354

SI NIL


It's a movement for RAT0123 again, for the 12th of the month, aircraft EC-ENZ arriving at Istanbul. It touched down on the runway at 1340z, and was on blocks at 1354z. The SI section is for supplementary information. We might use it to explain there were no stands available upon arrival if there is a large interval between touch down time and on blocks time.


The Load message:
LDM
RAT0123/09.ECENZ.Y323.3/8

-DUS.161/119/43/19.T.9335.2/2105.4/5330 5/1900 PAX/323 B/8775 C/1450


It's a Load/Distribution message for RAT0123 on 9th month, aircraft again EC-ENZ, with a seating configuration of 323Y, Y denoting economy class. 3/8 is the crew configuration, 3 flight deck member and 8 cabin crew.

Destined for Dusseldorf, there are 161 males, 119 females, 43 children and 19 infants (yikes!) Some airlines rather than using males, females, children and infants will instead using adults, children and infants, in which case it would read -DUS.280/43/19.

In the holds, there is a total of 9335kg of cargo and bags.
In hold 2, there is 2105kg,
In hold 4, there is 5330kg
In hold 5, there is 1900kg
There are 323 passengers on board, and of the total load in the holds, 8775kg of it is baggage, denoted by the B/8775, and the remaining 1450kg is Cargo, denoted by the C.
If it were a multi stop flight, say continuing on to Heathrow, it would have another line beginning -LHR with similar information on the load destined for Heathrow.


Finally, the CPM.
CPM
RAT0123/02.ECENZ.31904H01

-11L/PKC/IST/630/C

-12L/AKH/IST/600/C

-41L/AKH/IST/620/C

-42L/AKH/IST/583/BC/BY0

-43L/DZH/IST/96/E/BY

-5/IST/50/BY

SI - TWO BABY-STROLLERS IN CPT 5

The anonymous reply to the first post mentioned when reading CPMs, they picture it as an aircraft, which is a good idea to help understand it. By now you'll probably now it's a CPM message for RAT0123 on 2nd of the month, aircraft ECENZ. The 31904H01
part I'm not actually sure about, usually it mentions an aircraft type but I'm not familiar with these numbers. Any of my readers able to educate me?

Referring back to one of my old posts about widebody aircraft and their loading, that will explain the hold positions mentioned in the CPM of 11L and container types such as AKE and ALF.

The CPM simply describes what is located in each position in the hold, a bit like a more detailed LDM. So for the example, in position 11L, there is a ULD container, type PKC, destined for IST weighing 630kgs and contained Cargo. Similarly, in 12L and 41L there two AKH type containers for IST containing 600 and 620kgs of cargo respectively. In 42L, there is another AKH container with 583kg of club class or business class baggage, denoted by the BC, and no economy baggage denoted by the BY0.

In most aircraft I have dealt with, if they have a hold 5 it tends to be a smaller bulk hold in the tail of the aircraft where crew bags will go or last minute gate items. In this case, there is 50kg of economy baggage, and the SI section explains that it is two baby strollers/prams/buggies, call it what you will, or I prefer dpierce's explanation of "a duo of infant conveyances may be discovered in the fifth of the aircraft's various and sundry compartments."

I'm not sure whether part of the CPM got lost in the formatting while posting, or whether the example just didn't have it, but it should have twice as many lines or at least be twice as 'wide,' listing the contents of the right hand positions in the aircraft, so 11R, 12R etc.

The more you work with these messages the quicker you become at reading them. On a busy day in work, messages like these will be pouring out of a telex printer constantly together with other types of messages. As such, unless you keep up with it you'll find yourself with 30 ft of paper to go through looking for the information you need and checking you haven't missed anything!



39 comments:

Wayne Conrad said...

I've truly enjoyed your explanation of the secret language of dispatchers. Thank you. Or should I say "SI TKS"?

Anonymous said...

Thanks a ton for explaining in a layman language.

Prashant Bujone said...

Hi,
Can you please provide explanation in similar way for FPM,FCM and
MCL ?

Anonymous said...

Hi Dear,

How the MAIL & CARGO denoted in LDM ?

Thalia said...

THNX 4 UR EXPLN! CUD U ALSO PRVDE e.g. 4 PTM & PSM? THNX A LOT!

Unknown said...

I highly appreciate your explanation.
tks 4 ur kindness.

Anonymous said...

For Thalia and many others, PTM and PSM stand for PASSENGER TRANSIT MESSAGE and PASSENGER SERVICE MESSAGE. The first one provides inf. about passengers in transit at the first destination. The second one provides inf about WCHR's (wheelchairs) UM's (Unacompanied Minors) DEPA (Accompanied Deported) etc

Fasahat said...

Nicely explained, brief and consize. Thank you very much. I really admire your guidance.. regards
Fasahat

Anonymous said...

I have a question regarding the flight date. Take for example the LDM message.

LDM
RAT0123/09.ECENZ.Y323.3/8
-DUS.161/119/43/19.T.9335.2/2105.4/5330 5/1900 PAX/323 B/8775 C/1450

It's a Load/Distribution message for RAT0123 on 9th month, aircraft EC-ENZ etc.

According to AHM, the date is in UTC. Now, how do we identify this flight Locally. Is it a flight for 8th or 10th according to your Local Date. Because there isnt any time mentioned how do we convert to Local Date ? Is it safe to ignore this date and use the CURRENT DATE. I could have taken example from MVT but that has ETA which gives some hint of time which could be used to identify the flight but LDM is tough one.

Are said...

Just come to this page while searching for something else, and I know this is three years old. But I can explain the CPM you was not sure about. In the example provided 31904H01 means the version "below deck" of the aircraft, compare it to the seating configuration of the LDM. This version will describe the aircraft type and where the locking of the containers and pallets will be. These are mostly specific for the airline. It is most likely a Airbus 319, and as it has a single fixed container position (when not in bulk config) so there is only one version, I would imagine the airline use the versioning as follows 04 = full "AKH" positions, and H01 for the half position. The oddity compared to other airlines is that they use xxL for the positions and not xxP. The 319 does not have L and R positions (being a narrow body).

Anonymous said...

The CPM show xxL instead of xxP due to the programming of the DCS used. The DCS in this case (most likely axsControl) is configured to "think" in widebody A/C's only. Therefore the DCS will always show xxL ISO xxP. Of course the A319 is configured with only 1 loading lane as you truly mentioned that it is a narrowbody....

Unknown said...

Can you send me a sample for passenger flight departure message

Unknown said...

Does anybody knows how to get transit passenger numbers from PTM message with multiple destinations (i.e. those who would stay in the same flight/aircraft to continue their journey)

Anonymous said...

MVT
VS0019/02.GVHOT.LHR
AD021159/021227 EA2251 SFO
PX44/62/260
EB2306

What does EB stand for here?

MVT
VS0012/02.GVUFO.BOS
ED020230
EA0850 LHR
DL01

And what is DL here??

Please help

Deepak said...

EB - Estimated Block time
DL - Delay code

Anonymous said...

Greetings.
What do we use in case there is no callsign such as ferry flight?
Thank you.

Porkipine65 said...

Hi,

Not sure if anyone has asked this, but the total weight of bags and cargo in your LDM states 9335kg of Bags and Cargo. When summing 2/2105.4/5330 5/1900, you end up with that number. When you then write that PAX/323 B/8775 C/1450, I have trouble understanding why the weight of Bags and Cargo are > 9335.

THanks

Iwon said...

Hi,

I have the same question as Samuel.. Pls help :)

Anonymous said...

Hello there, I'd like to remind you that I've found some errors in your blog; please correct it

Starting with the departure message:

MVT
RAT0123/09.ECENZ.IST
AD1245/1253 EA 1559DUS
PX323

It's a Movement (MVT) message for flight number RAT0123 on the 9th of the month, aircraft registration EC-ENC (ERROR AT ENC, supposed to be ENZ , (PLEASE LOOK MVT MESSAGE ABOVE) ) , departing IST or Istanbul. The flight departed, as in off-blocks time or push back from the gate) at 1245z, and was airborne 8 minutes later at 1253z. It's estimated arrival time in DUS, Dusseldorf is 1559z, and it has 323 passengers on board.

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Unknown said...

Qs LHRFFKQ JNBOOBA BAKKDAR EBBKKQU NBOCMKL 92230

MVT
KQ 432/09.5Y BET EBB.
AD 2205/2217 EA 0230 FCO
DL21/0045
SI BAD WX
PAX 90/125.explain for me.

Porkipine65 said...

@Edward Roni, that's a departure movement message.
Mvt= movement
(IATA 2 letter airline code) flt number/date . Registration
Actual department/arrival push/takeoff or landing/chock estimate time 0230Z at FCO airport
Delay code 21 for 00hr 45 minute
Special: due to bad weather
Pax on board. This depends on different company standards. Some use J/Y, some do M/F/C/I,some do Adult /C/I, others just TTL pax +inf

Unknown said...

Given :
O.A.T:ISA +10c
Pressure altitude:5000ft
Aeroplane mass :3400Ibs
Headwind component :5kt
Flaps:up
Runway :Tarred and dry.
With regard to the takeoff performance chart for the single engine aeroplane determine the take off speed for
(1)rotation and (2)at a height of 50ft.(For the question use Annex 032-6577A)

Indian-Spartucus said...

Hello,

Did the LDM standards changed? The AHM-583 does not contain B/ C/ and M/ .
Could you please give an updated sample.

Porkipine65 said...

@Indian-Spartucus

B/C/M is just the payload info.

They use it for LDM messages.

B/XXX for the weight of bags
C/XXX for the weight of cargo
M/XXX for the weight of mail.

Sometimes there's "E" as well for Equipment.


Ullas D said...

The Numbers after the Registration is the ULD configuration code

Indian-Spartucus said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Ullas D said...

The Numbers after the Registration is the ULD configuration code in CPM

Ullas D said...

In the MVT Message
MVT
RAT0123/12.ECENZ.IST
AA1340/1354
SI NIL

As per AHM, 12 is the day of Departure rather than the Day of Arrival. But is it that way it is being used. Typically I see it is the Day of operation rather than Departure. Which is correct?

Anonymous said...

What's FFM

Anonymous said...

What about msg of cargo

Anonymous said...

EXAMPLE:
AA
LDM
QZ321/15.PK-AZP.Y180.2/4
SUB.84/1/1.T2030.1/1400.3/630.4/0.5/0
PAX/84.PAD/1

BB
LDM
QZ321/15.PK-AZP.Y180.2/4
SUB.84/1/1.T2030.1/1400.3/630.4/0.5/0
PAX/85.PAD/1

WHICH OF THE IS EXAMPLE IS CORRECT TO ANNOTATE THE PAD IN LDM MSGE (AA/BB).

THANKING YOU IN ADVANCE.

RGDS.

Porkipine65 said...

AA should be right. If I recall correctly, PAD is non rev pax, so PAX +PAD should be TTL SOB (not including inf.)

Anonymous said...

Meaning, tis is correct?...tq

LDM
QZ321/15.PK-AZP.Y180.2/4
SUB.85/1/1.T2030.1/1400.3/630.4/0.5/0
PAX/85.PAD/1

Anonymous said...

you cant put in ldm passengers and cargo in the same time.

Lostglory said...

Hi
Any LDM sample for private jets such like PA31
Thanks

Unknown said...

Any one flt Retur to Ramp after airbone mvt format

Anonymous said...

HI,
If I liked the sita Mail Manager to forward a MVT of a certain flight to an email address how I should fill out the "Value" of the "Message body"? I'd like to forward the MVT about actual arrival only. How can I separate the words within the rubric of the "Value"? (MVT?flight number?AA??)
Thanks help in advance

Teacher said...

YOU are right. Cargo should be 560 kg I think.