I have to revise my original assessment…
Belgium blocks the northerly routing via L179 during “office hours” with a CDR2 but it does not close the airspaces in IFPS which means it still allows traffic with DCTs in that area. That is not how they are supposed to do it but it’s a common problem in several member countries. The ANSPs enthusiasm to correctly communicate their airspace and routing situation with Eurocontrol could be greater.
In Germany, the filed routing doesn’t really matter, DFS controllers are used to not even look at it and just try to get you to your destination as quickly as possible. We’ve had several exchanges with DFS about e.g. the possibility to file through active shooting ranges and their position has repeatedly been that it doesn’t really matter.
In Europe, you cannot expect to fly what you file. Usually the actual routing is better than what you file but sometimes it’s not. Eurocontrol had all tools available but the Belgian airspace administrators did not make use of them. We’re considering to penalize DCTs in Belgium more strongly even though it hurts and the future is FRA…
I have just found this IR image, for the return flight
It’s interesting to relate the shade of grey to ~4000ft tops and -1C
I have had some interesting emails with ATCOs familiar with the flight. There is no single answer to what happened with the routing, but it looks like somebody has not been sending relevant info to Eurocontrol, as one of the things.
What were your initial clearances? As filed, or rerouted from the start?
Outbound as filed.
Return, I got a modified initial route, but not relevant to the big reroute later on.
