Which airspace provides ATC service to both arriving and departing aircraft at high-volume airports?

The Terminal Control Area, often referred to as a TCA, is designed to provide Air Traffic Control (ATC) services to arriving and departing aircraft around high-volume airports. This airspace is established to manage the complex traffic patterns and ensure efficient operation for both departure and arrival flows.

The TCA typically encompasses the immediate vicinity around an airport and extends vertically to include the airspace where aircraft are transitioning into and out of the terminal area. By providing structured routing and separation, TCAs help to minimize the risk of mid-air collisions and manage the workload of air traffic controllers, especially in busy airspace where there is a significant amount of traffic.

In contrast, Control Zones, typically associated with controlled airports, are smaller in scope and focus primarily on the airspace directly above the airport, whereas Transition Areas serve as the buffer zones between terminal airspace and en-route airspace. Control Area Extensions are designed to provide additional space around the Control Area but do not offer the same detailed service to both arriving and departing aircraft as the Terminal Control Area.