What happens to the flight plan upon landing at an airport with a functioning control tower?

When a flight plan is filed and the aircraft lands at an airport with a functioning control tower, the flight plan is automatically closed upon landing. This is a standard procedure that helps ensure accurate tracking of aircraft movements and facilitates the overall management of airspace by air traffic control.

The automatic closure of the flight plan serves multiple purposes. It ensures that air traffic control (ATC) has an accurate understanding of which flights are active and which have completed their journeys, allowing them to allocate resources efficiently. Additionally, this process is essential for safety, as it helps prevent confusion regarding the status of a flight that may not have communicated its closure.

In contrast, other scenarios, like airports without a control tower or missing completion notifications, may require different procedures to ensure the flight plan is correctly closed. However, in the case of a functioning control tower, the automation of this process allows for a smooth transition from flight operations to ground operations.