Southern California TRACON (SoCal TRACON or SCT, radio communications: SoCal, SoCal Approach, SoCal Departure) is a terminal radar approach control (TRACON) facility in San Diego, California, that serves the Southern California region. It is a unit of the Air Traffic Organization (ATO) of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Southern California TRACON is the busiest approach control facility in the United States. In 2024, SoCal handled 2,212,674 aircraft operations, handling more aircraft than 11 of the 22 area control centers in the United States.
Area breakdown SCT serves the following major Southern California airports (in order of volume, Class B & C), in addition to many surrounding satellite airports.
Los Angeles International Airport - LAX - Los Angeles John Wayne Airport - SNA - Costa Mesa Long Beach Airport - LGB - Long Beach San Diego International Airport - SAN - San Diego Marine Corps Air Station Miramar - NKX - San Diego Hollywood Burbank Airport - BUR - Burbank Ontario International Airport - ONT - Ontario
SCT is broken down into six areas and a Traffic Management Unit:
Burbank Area: Responsible for BUR, VNY, & WHP Del Rey Area: Responsible for SMO, LAX, TOA & HHR departures Los Angeles Area: Responsible for LAX & HHR & SMO arrivals Coast Area: Responsible for SNA, LGB, FUL, TOA & SLI San Diego Area: Responsible for SAN, NKX, NZY, NFG, MYF, SEE, SDM, RNM & CRQ Empire Area: Responsible for ONT, AJO, PSP, RIV, SBD, RAL, CNO, EMT, & POC
Each area has five or six individual sectors that are worked by controllers. SoCal TRACON is responsible for the handling of aircraft departing and arriving these airports, generally below . SCT is responsible for sequencing inbound, separating from crossing and VFR traffic, and departing traffic. Separation is achieved by vectoring traffic and assigning altitudes.
Sectors
Area 1 (Burbank) Source: Moorpark - 1M - 128.750 Valley - 1V - 124.600 Woodland - 1W - 134.200 Filmore - 1F - 120.400 Glendale - 1X - 135.050 Pasadena - 1J - 119.850
Area 2 (Los Angeles)
Downey - 2D - 124.900 Stadium - 2U - 128.500 Zuma - 2Z - 124.500 Feeder - 2F - 124.050 ILS Monitor 25 - 120.950 ILS Monitor 24 - 133.900
Area 3 (Empire)
Norton - 3N - 127.000 Pomona - 3P - 125.500 March - 3M - 119.250 Riverside - 3I - 135.400 Hemet - 3V - 134.000 Springs - 3S - 126.700 Desert - 3D - 135.275
Area 4 (Coast)
Pacific - 4P - 128.100 Tustin - 4T - 121.300 Beach - 4B - 125.350 Harbor - 4H - 127.200 Maverick - 4A - 133.850 Shore - 4S - 124.100
Area 5 (San Diego)
North - 5N - 125.300 South Bay - 5Z - 125.150 East - 5E - 124.350 West - 5W - 119.600 Del Mar - 5D - 127.300 Miramar - 5M - 132.200
Area 6 (Del Rey)
Katalina - 6K - 127.400 Laker - 6L - 134.900 Malibu - 6N - 125.200 Manhattan - 6S - 124.300 Newport - 6X - 134.350
See also Northern California TRACON
References