Albuquerque Air Route Traffic Control Center (ZAB) (radio communications: Albuquerque Center) is located at 8000 Louisiana Boulevard,
Albuquerque
Albuquerque ( ; ), also known as ABQ, Burque, the Duke City, and in the past 'the Q', is the List of municipalities in New Mexico, most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico, and the county seat of Bernalillo County, New Mexico, Bernal ...
,
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States. It is one of the Mountain States of the southern Rocky Mountains, sharing the Four Corners region with Utah, Colorado, and Arizona. It also ...
,
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
. The Albuquerque
ARTCC is one of 22 Air Route Traffic Control Centers in the United States.
The primary responsibility is the separation of overflights, and the expedited sequencing of arrivals and departures along STARs (
Standard Terminal Arrival Routes) and SIDs (
Standard Instrument Departure
Standard instrument departure (SID) routes are published flight procedures followed by aircraft on an IFR flight plan immediately after takeoff from an airport. SIDs are one of the two types of departure procedures (DP); the other type being Ob ...
s) for the airspace over most of
Arizona
Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...
and New Mexico, as well as parts of Colorado, Oklahoma, and Texas. Albuquerque Center is the 16th busiest ARTCC in the United States. In 2024, Albuquerque Center handled 1,799,593 aircraft.
ZAB covers an area that includes one ''
class Bravo'' airport.
*
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is a civil-military public international airport east of downtown Phoenix, in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. It is Arizona's largest and busiest airport; among the largest commercial airports ...
(PHX) in
Phoenix, AZ
Phoenix ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona. With over 1.6 million residents at the 2020 census, it is the ...
ZAB also includes five ''
class Charlie'' airports.
*
Albuquerque International Sunport (ABQ) in
Albuquerque, NM
*
El Paso International Airport (ELP) in
El Paso, TX
*
Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport (AMA) in
Amarillo, TX
*
Tucson International Airport
Tucson International Airport is a civil-military airport owned by the City of Tucson
south of downtown Tucson, in Pima County, Arizona, United States. It is the second busiest airport in Arizona, after Phoenix Sky Harbor International Air ...
(TUS) in
Tucson, AZ
Tucson (; ; ) is a city in Pima County, Arizona, United States, and its county seat. It is the second-most populous city in Arizona, behind Phoenix, with a population of 542,630 in the 2020 United States census. The Tucson metropolitan s ...
*
Davis Monthan Air Force Base (DMA) in
Tucson, AZ
Tucson (; ; ) is a city in Pima County, Arizona, United States, and its county seat. It is the second-most populous city in Arizona, behind Phoenix, with a population of 542,630 in the 2020 United States census. The Tucson metropolitan s ...
Control location
Subdivision
ZAB's airspace is divided both geographically and altitudinally.
ZAB's primary subdivisions are known as specialties. There are five different specialties known as the North, East, Southeast, Southwest and Northwest. Each specialty is broken down further into 7 or 8 sectors.
By altitude, ZAB comprises 39 sectors (6 ultra-high sectors, 17 high-altitude sectors, 12 low-altitude sectors, and 4 low-high sectors). The vertical strata of these sectors vary greatly depending on the terrain, the geographic location covered, and the variety of traffic the controllers work.
North specialty
* *SANLO (16) , SANDIA , 132.8/346.35 , SFC - FL280
* LAVLO (17) , LAVAN , 124.325/288.25 , SFC - FL280
* BLKUH (58) , BLACK ROCK , 126.925/353.85 , FL370+
* ABQHI (68) , ALBUQUERQUE , 134.6/251.15 , FL290 - FL360
* OTOHI (79) , OTTO , 118.65/269.475 , FL370+
* GUPHI (93) , GALLUP , 120.55/285.4 , FL290 - FL360
* CNXLH (94) , CORONA , 133.65/284.6 , SFC - FL360
East specialty
* *BGDLO (15) , BORGER , 127.85/285.475 , SFC - FL280
* PANHI (70) , ESPAN , 120.95/263.1 , FL290+
* KENHI (71) , KENTO , 133.05/269.35 , FL290 - FL360
* CIMUH (72) , CIMARRON , 128.225/291.6 , FL370+
* LVSHI (95) , LAS VEGAS , 125.075/279.5 , FL290 - FL360
* TCCHI (96) , TUCUMCARI , 128.675/360.8 , FL370+
* AMAHI (97) , AMARILLO , 134.75/239.25 , FL290 - FL360
* DHTUH (98) , DALHART , 132.125/307.05 , FL370+
Southeast specialty
* DMNLO (19) , DEMING , 128.2/285.5 , SFC - FL350
* SFLLO (20) , SALT FLAT , 135.875/292.15 , SFC - FL270
* CVSLO (21) , CANNON , 126.85/285.6 , SFC - FL350
* ROWHL (23) , ROSWELL , 132.65/257.6 , SFC+
* *ELPHI (63) , EL PASO , 120.975/278.3 , FL280 - FL350
* FSTUH (78) , FORT STOCKTON , 133.225/270.35 , FL360+
* TXOHI (87) , TEXICO , 132.325/251.1 , FL360+
* SUNHI (89) , SUNLAND , 125.525/269.45 , FL360+
Southwest specialty
* GBNLO (42) , GILA BEND , 126.45/288.3 , SFC - FL250
* TUSLO (46) , TUCSON , 125.4/269.3 , SFC - FL250**
* SVCLO (47) , SILVER CITY , 134.45/327.15 , SFC - FL230
* TFDLO (49) , STANFIELD , 125.25/307.3 , SFC - 11,000'
* PHXUH (65) , PHOENIX , 132.45/371.9 , FL340+
* CIEUH (80) , CIMARRON , 126.225/341.7 , FL340+
* SSOHI (90) , SAN SIMON , 133.0/281.5 , FL240 - FL330
* *GBNHI (91) , GILA BEND , 135.15/350.2 , FL260 - FL330
**except over Sector 49 (12,000' - FL250)
Northwest specialty
* HIPHI (37) , HIPII , 134.325/259.3/263.05/279.55 , FL240 - FL290
* MIALH (38) , MIAMI , 132.9/239.05 , SFC - FL310
* FOSLH (39) , FOSIL , 135.725/339.8 , SFC - FL310
* *DRKLO (43) , DRAKE , 128.45/298.9 , SFC - FL230
* INWLO (45) , WINSLOW , 127.675/306.2 , SFC - FL290
* PAYHI (50) , PAYSON , 128.125/317.75 , FL320+
* INWHI (67) , WINSLOW , 133.925/282.35 , FL300+
* PRCHI (92) , PRESCOTT , 135.325/370.9 , FL300+
*Mid Shift Sector
References
External links
Albuquerque Center Weather Service Unit (CWSU)(
NWS/
FAA)
{{coord, 35, 10, 24.8, N, 106, 34, 2.6, W, region:US, display=title
Air traffic control centers
Transportation in Albuquerque, New Mexico
WAAS reference stations
Aviation in New Mexico