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Sectors
Last updated: 2026-06-02
Sources: myVATSIM FIR list, Discord AIRAC Updates, AeroNav GNG Register, AeroNav Download Page, GitHub (VATSIM-SSA), Control Center Positions Export, Control Center Areas Export, GitHub Issue Template (AIRAC 2412 #44)
These are two distinct things that are often confused:
VATSIM FIRs are the official airspace designators registered in myVATSIM. They represent real-world (or simulated) FIR boundaries. A controller logs on to a VATSIM FIR position.
Sector Files are the operational packages managed in GitHub. A sector file may cover exactly one FIR, bundle several adjacent FIRs together into one file, or span a large combined area (FSS/oceanic). The sector file code does not always equal a VATSIM FIR code.
From myVATSIM — these are the authoritative VATSSA FIRs. All under Division: Sub-Sahara Africa.
| Code | Name | Sector File | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| DGAC | Accra | sectorfile-dgac | 1:1 |
| DNKK | Kano | sectorfile-dnkk | 1:1 |
| FACA | Cape Town | sectorfile-fasa | Bundled into FASA sector file |
| FAJA | Johannesburg | sectorfile-fasa | Bundled into FASA sector file |
| FAJO | Johannesburg Oceanic | sectorfile-fajo | Combined oceanic sector file |
| FBGR | Gaborone | sectorfile-fbgr | 1:1 |
| FCCC | Brazzaville | sectorfile-fccc | 1:1 |
| FIMM | Mauritius | sectorfile-fimm | 1:1 |
| FLFI | Lusaka | sectorfile-flfi | 1:1 |
| FMMM | Antananarivo | sectorfile-fmmm | 1:1 |
| FNAN | Luanda | sectorfile-fnan | 1:1 |
| FQBE | Beira | sectorfile-fqbe | 1:1 |
| FSSS | Seychelles | sectorfile-fsss | 1:1 |
| FVHF | Harare | sectorfile-fvhf | 1:1 |
| FWLL | Lilongwe | sectorfile-fwll | 1:1 |
| FYWH | Windhoek | sectorfile-fywf |
1:1 (repo naming discrepancy) |
| FZZA | Kinshasa | sectorfile-fzza | 1:1 |
| GLRB | Roberts | sectorfile-gooo | Bundled into GOOO sector file |
| GOOO | Dakar | sectorfile-gooo | 1:1 (sector file also covers GLRB) |
| GVSC | Sal | sectorfile-gvsc | 1:1 |
| HBBA | Bujumbura | sectorfile-htdc | Bundled into HTDC sector file |
| HKNA | Nairobi | sectorfile-hkna | 1:1 |
| HRYR | Kigali | sectorfile-htdc | Bundled into HTDC sector file |
| HTDC | Dar es Salaam | sectorfile-htdc | 1:1 (sector file also covers HBBA, HRYR) |
| HUEC | Entebbe | sectorfile-huec | 1:1 |
Note: GVSC (Sal/Cape Verde) has a sector file and GNG entry but is absent from myVATSIM. Needs to be registered.
Sector files are the operational packages. There are four types.
| Sector File | FIR Code | FIR Name | GitHub Repo |
|---|---|---|---|
| DGAC | DGAC | Accra | sectorfile-dgac |
| DNKK | DNKK | Kano | sectorfile-dnkk |
| FBGR | FBGR | Gaborone | sectorfile-fbgr |
| FCCC | FCCC | Brazzaville | sectorfile-fccc |
| FIMM | FIMM | Mauritius | sectorfile-fimm |
| FLFI | FLFI | Lusaka | sectorfile-flfi |
| FMMM | FMMM | Antananarivo | sectorfile-fmmm |
| FNAN | FNAN | Luanda | sectorfile-fnan |
| FQBE | FQBE | Beira | sectorfile-fqbe |
| FSSS | FSSS | Seychelles | sectorfile-fsss |
| FVHF | FVHF | Harare | sectorfile-fvhf |
| FWLL | FWLL | Lilongwe | sectorfile-fwll |
| FYWH | FYWH | Windhoek |
sectorfile-fywf |
| FZZA | FZZA | Kinshasa | sectorfile-fzza |
| GOOO | GOOO | Dakar | sectorfile-gooo |
| GVSC | GVSC | Sal |
sectorfile-gvsc |
| HKNA | HKNA | Nairobi | sectorfile-hkna |
| HUEC | HUEC | Entebbe | sectorfile-huec |
These sector files package multiple adjacent VATSIM FIRs into one file for operational convenience.
| Sector File | Covers FIRs | GitHub Repo |
|---|---|---|
| FASA | FACA (Cape Town) + FAJA (Johannesburg) | sectorfile-fasa |
| HTDC | HTDC (Dar es Salaam) + HBBA (Bujumbura) + HRYR (Kigali) | sectorfile-htdc |
| GOOO | GOOO (Dakar) + GLRB (Roberts) | sectorfile-gooo |
Note: FASA is a sector file name only — there is no VATSIM FIR called FASA. The actual FIRs are FACA and FAJA.
Oceanic sector files covering large oceanic areas. FAJO is a registered VATSIM FIR; GOOOO is an operational construct only (not a VATSIM FIR).
| Sector File | Name | VATSIM FIR? | GitHub Repo | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FAJO | Johannesburg Oceanic | ✓ Yes | sectorfile-fajo | Combined oceanic sector |
| GOOOO | Dakar Oceanic | ✗ No | sectorfile-goooo | Operational construct; oceanic positions assigned to GOOO in control center |
These sector files span large areas across multiple FIRs for upper-level/FSS operations. They are not VATSIM FIRs — they are purely operational constructs.
| Sector File | Name | VATSIM FIR? | GitHub Repo |
|---|---|---|---|
| AFRC | Africa Central | ✗ No | sectorfile-afrc |
| AFRS | Africa South | ✗ No | sectorfile-afrs |
| AFRW | Africa West | ✗ No | sectorfile-afrw |
From areas_export_2026-06-02_195624.csv. These are the training/operational areas within VATSSA's control center system.
| area_id | Name |
|---|---|
| 1 | Southern Africa |
| 2 | Eastern Africa |
| 3 | Western Africa |
| 4 | Central Africa |
| 5 | Vanilla |
Southern Africa (1) FACA, FAJA, FASA (sector file), FAJO, FBGR, AFRS, FQBE, FVHF, FYWH
Eastern Africa (2) HKNA, HTDC, HBBA, HRYR, HUEC, FWLL
Western Africa (3) DGAC, DNKK, GOOO, GLRB, GVSC, AFRW
Central Africa (4) AFRC, FCCC, FLFI, FNAN, FZZA
Vanilla (5) FIMM, FMMM, FSSS
The Discord AIRAC update post groups sectors into "Central", "West", and "South". These do not map 1:1 to the control center's area classification, as Discord groups by operational region rather than the training system's area.
| Discord Group | Sector File | Control Center Area | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central | FNAN | Central Africa | ✓ |
| Central | FZZA | Central Africa | ✓ |
| Central | FLFI | Central Africa | ✓ |
| Central | HTDC | Eastern Africa | ← Discord groups with Central |
| Central | HKNA | Eastern Africa | ← Discord groups with Central |
| Central | FWLL | Eastern Africa | ← Discord groups with Central |
| Central | HUEC | Eastern Africa | ← Discord groups with Central |
| Central | FSSS | Vanilla | ← Discord groups with Central |
| West | GOOO | Western Africa | ✓ |
| West | GVSC | Western Africa | ✓ |
| West | DGAC | Western Africa | ✓ |
| West | DNKK | Western Africa | ✓ |
| South | FASA | Southern Africa | ✓ |
| South | FBGR | Southern Africa | ✓ |
| South | FQBE | Southern Africa | ✓ |
| South | FVHF | Southern Africa | ✓ |
| South | FYWH | Southern Africa | ✓ |
| South | FCCC | Central Africa | ← Discord groups with South |
| South | FIMM | Vanilla | ← Discord groups with South |
| South | FMMM | Vanilla | ← Discord groups with South |
Discord never lists FAJO, GOOOO, AFRC, AFRS, AFRW — these should be included in posts when updates apply to them.
These are AeroNav download page constructs that bundle multiple sector files. They are not VATSIM FIRs and not GitHub repos.
| Code | Bundles | Available On |
|---|---|---|
| FAXX | FASA + FAJO (South Africa + Johannesburg Oceanic) | AeroNav download page, GNG register |
| Code | Type | myVATSIM | Discord | GNG | Download | Control | GitHub | Positions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DGAC | FIR + SF (1:1) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| DNKK | FIR + SF (1:1) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| FACA | FIR (in FASA SF) | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | via FAXX | ✓ | via FASA | 1 pos |
| FAJA | FIR (in FASA SF) | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | via FAXX | ✓ | via FASA | ✓ |
| FAJO | FIR + SF (oceanic) | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | via FAXX | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| FASA | SF only (not a FIR) | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | via FAXX | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| FBGR | FIR + SF (1:1) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| FCCC | FIR + SF (1:1) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| FIMM | FIR + SF (1:1) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| FLFI | FIR + SF (1:1) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| FMMM | FIR + SF (1:1) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| FNAN | FIR + SF (1:1) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| FQBE | FIR + SF (1:1) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| FSSS | FIR + SF (1:1) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| FVHF | FIR + SF (1:1) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| FWLL | FIR + SF (1:1) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| FYWH | FIR + SF (1:1) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| FZZA | FIR + SF (1:1) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| GLRB | FIR (in GOOO SF) | ✓ | ★ parenthetical | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | via GOOO | via GOOO |
| GOOO | FIR + SF (multi) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| GOOOO | SF only (not a FIR) | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| GVSC | FIR + SF (1:1) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| HBBA | FIR (in HTDC SF) | ✓ | ★ parenthetical | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | via HTDC | via HTDC |
| HKNA | FIR + SF (1:1) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| HRYR | FIR (in HTDC SF) | ✓ | ★ parenthetical | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | via HTDC | via HTDC |
| HTDC | FIR + SF (multi) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| HUEC | FIR + SF (1:1) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| AFRC | SF only (FSS) | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| AFRS | SF only (FSS) | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | via AFRC | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| AFRW | SF only (FSS) | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | via AFRC | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
From positions_export_2026-06-02_195639.csv. Positions are assigned to sector file FIR codes, not always to individual VATSIM FIR codes (e.g. HBBA, HRYR positions appear under HTDC; GLRB positions appear under GOOO).
| FIR / Sector | Positions | Control Center Area |
|---|---|---|
| FASA (covers FACA+FAJA) | 71 | Southern Africa |
| DNKK | 37 | Western Africa |
| GOOO (covers GLRB) | 33 | Western Africa |
| FZZA | 22 | Central Africa |
| HKNA | 23 | Eastern Africa |
| FNAN | 17 | Central Africa |
| FYWF (FYWH) | 14 | Southern Africa |
| FCCC | 16 | Central Africa |
| FBGR | 12 | Southern Africa |
| FVHF | 13 | Southern Africa |
| FQBE | 13 | Southern Africa |
| DGAC | 13 | Western Africa |
| FLFI | 12 | Central Africa |
| GVSC | 12 | Western Africa |
| FMMM | 9 | Vanilla |
| HTDC (covers HBBA+HRYR) | 10 | Eastern Africa |
| FIMM | 7 | Vanilla |
| HUEN (HUEC) | 6 | Eastern Africa |
| FSSS | 6 | Vanilla |
| FWLL | 6 | Eastern Africa |
| FAJO | 4 | Southern Africa |
| AFRC | 1 | Central Africa |
| AFRS | 1 | Southern Africa |
| AFRW | 2 | Western Africa |
| GOOOO | 0 | Western Africa (positions assigned to GOOO) |
| DIII (Abidjan) | 6 | Western Africa |
| FACA (Cape Town FIR) | 1 | Southern Africa |
The VATSIM FIR code (myVATSIM) and GNG register both use FYWH. However the GitHub repo is named sectorfile-fywf, the control center positions export uses FYWF as the FIR field, and older documents use FYWF. FYWH is correct — repo and positions need updating.
All sources use HUEC except the positions export which uses HUEN in the FIR field (even for the position callsign HUEC_CTR). HUEN is Entebbe airport code — it leaked into the FIR field by mistake. HUEC is correct — positions need fixing.
The Discord AIRAC post has FZAA — confirmed typo. All other sources use FZZA.
GVSC (Sal/Cape Verde) has a GitHub repo, GNG entry, 12 positions, and a download package but is not registered as a FIR in myVATSIM. This is a VATSIM-side registration error, not a VATSSA data problem.
➡️ Action: Follow up with VATSIM Staff to register GVSC as an official FIR in myVATSIM. Once added, the official FIR count becomes 25.
FIR code DIII (Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire) has 6 positions in the control center assigned to Western Africa, but has no GitHub repo, no GNG entry, and is not in the myVATSIM list. Either a repo/GNG entry needs creating, or the positions should be reassigned (possibly to DGAC) or removed.
FACA is the real VATSIM FIR for Cape Town. In the positions export, however, almost all Cape Town positions are assigned to fir=FASA (the sector-file bundle code) — e.g. FACT_DEL, FACT_TWR, FACT_APP, FACA_CTR, FACA_E_CTR. Only FACT_GND (Cape Town Ground) uses fir=FACA, the actual FIR code.
This is a consistency issue, not a wrong entry — FACA is valid. A decision is needed on whether the control center should assign Cape Town positions to the real FIR code (FACA) or to the sector-file code (FASA), then apply it uniformly. Currently it is mixed.
Several ground positions in GOOO (Dakar) and DGAC (Accra) have area_id=2 (Eastern Africa) despite both FIRs being in Western Africa (area_id=3). All other position types (TWR, APP, CTR) in those FIRs correctly use area_id=3. Appears to be data entry errors.
Affected: GOBD_GND, GOOY_GND (GOOO); DGAA_GND (DGAC).
FAJO, GOOOO, AFRC, AFRS, AFRW are never listed in the Discord AIRAC update post. These should be included when updates apply.
FASA has no direct download entry — it is only available via the combined FAXX package. Users looking specifically for FASA will not find it directly.
Expected behaviour: GOOOO is an operational oceanic construct. Its oceanic positions (GOOC_FSS, GOOC_A_FSS, GOOC_B_FSS) are assigned to fir=GOOO in the control center rather than to GOOOO.
| # | Item | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rename GitHub repo sectorfile-fywf → sectorfile-fywh and update positions FYWF → FYWH
|
High |
| 2 | Fix positions export: HUEN → HUEC in fir column for all Entebbe positions |
High |
| 3 | Follow up with VATSIM Staff to register GVSC (Sal) in myVATSIM — VATSIM-side error | High |
| 4 | Clarify DIII (Abidjan) — create repo + GNG entry, or reassign/remove positions | Medium |
| 5 | Fix positions export: FACT_GND fir=FACA → FASA
|
Medium |
| 6 | Fix positions export: GOBD_GND, GOOY_GND area_id=2 → 3
|
Medium |
| 7 | Fix positions export: DGAA_GND area_id=2 → 3
|
Medium |
| 8 | Fix Discord post: FZAA → FZZA typo |
Low |
| 9 | Include FAJO, GOOOO, AFRC, AFRS, AFRW in Discord AIRAC posts when applicable | Low |
| 10 | Consider adding standalone FASA entry on AeroNav download page | Low |