Guidelines for filing, canceling, and amending IFR flight plans with ForeFlight vary by region. For detailed information, refer to the tables below (for Canada and the United States) to find the specific region from which the flight is departing.
Filing IFR Flight Plans
All IFR flight plans can be filed up to 28 days in advance. When filed in advance, flight plans are stored on ForeFlight's servers and transmitted to ATC once the flight plan acceptance time has been reached. ATC specifies flight plan acceptance times, which can vary by region.
Canada
ATC accepts IFR flight plans in Canada up to 22 hours before the proposed departure time. Flight plans filed less than 22 hours before the proposed departure time are sent to ATC immediately.
Europe
EUROCONTROL accepts IFR, YFR, and ZFR flight plans 120 hours in advance of the Estimated Off-Block Time (EOBT). Flight plans filed less than 120 hours before EOBT are sent to ATC immediately.
The United States
ATC accepts IFR flight plans up to 22 hours before the departure time in the United States. Flight plans filed less than 22 hours before the proposed departure time are sent to ATC immediately.
Canceling and Amending Flight Plans
Once ATC has received a flight plan, it can be canceled or amended up to the flight plan's lock-out period.
IMPORTANT: ForeFlight Mobile cannot be used to cancel an IFR flight plan when operating at an uncontrolled airport. The option to cancel a flight in ForeFlight Mobile only changes the plan's filing status from Filed to Canceled.
Canada
In Canada, the lock-out period is 45-60 minutes before the proposed departure time. The table below shows specific times by Flight Information Region (FIR).
Once inside the lock-out window, manual coordination (over the phone or radio) is required to amend or cancel the flight plan (exceptions apply).
Amending specific flight plan fields can result in a new flight plan being filed. As a result, these fields can be amended at any time (including after the lock-out). Those fields include:
- Aircraft
- Call Sign
- Departure Airport
- Destination Airport
- Departure Time
NavCanada lock-out times table:
Flight Information Region (FIR) | FIR ID |
Filer Lock-out Time (Minutes) |
Edmonton | CZEG | 60 |
Gander | CZQX | 60 |
Moncton | CZQM | 45 |
Montreal | CZUL | 60 |
Toronto | CZYZ | 45 |
Vancouver | CZVR | 45 |
Winnipeg | CZWG | 55 |
NOTE: NavCanada flights can only be amended after the lock-out period if they depart from the United States.
Europe
EUROCONTROL allows IFR, YFR, and ZFR flight plans to be amended or canceled up to 2 hours before the Estimated Off-Block Time ("EOBT"). Between 2 hours prior to EOBT and EOBT, the flight plan may be changed. However, the flight plan will be labeled as a "Late Updater" by EUROCONTROL. If the flight plan is labeled as a "Late Updater," there may be negative consequences if the airport begins issuing CTOTs. If the flight has not departed 30 minutes after EOBT, an FLS (Flight Suspension) will be given. Amending to change routing or significantly changing any part of the flight plan is not recommended since this can lead to a higher probability of reaching a rejection.
United States
In the United States, the lock-out period is approximately 45-60 minutes before the proposed departure time. The table below shows specific times by Center (ARTCC).
Once inside the lock-out window, manual coordination (over the phone or radio) is required to amend or cancel the flight plan (exceptions apply).
Amending specific flight plan fields can result in a new flight plan being filed. As a result, these fields can be amended at any time (including after the lock-out). Those fields include:
- Aircraft
- Call Sign
- Departure Airport
- Destination Airport
- Departure Time
FAA lock-out times table:
Center (ARTCC) Name |
Filer Lock-out Time (Minutes) |
Proposed Flight Plan Deletion Time (Minutes) |
Albuquerque | 46 | 120 |
Anchorage | 43 | 90 |
Atlanta | 46 | 120 |
Boston | 55 | 120 |
Chicago | 46 | 120 |
Cleveland | 46 | 120 |
Denver | 46 | 180 |
Fort Worth | 46 | 180 |
Guam (OFDPS) | Manual Coordination | 120 |
Honolulu (OFDPS) | Manual Coordination | 120 |
Houston | 46 | 120 |
Indianapolis | 61 | 240 |
Jacksonville | 46 | 120 |
Kansas City | 46 | 120 |
Los Angeles | 46 | 120 |
Memphis | 46 | 120 |
Miami | 46 | 120 |
Minneapolis | 46 | 120 |
New York | 61 | 121 |
Oakland | 46 | 120 |
Salt Lake City | 46 | 120 |
San Juan | 46 | 120 |
Seattle | 46 | 120 |
Washington | 46 | 120 |
Last Updated: