Medium Transport
Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Air Traffic Control Time Certified In Pos 1 (yrs) 4.5
Situational Awareness; Communication Breakdown
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance
Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance
Human Factors
Aircraft was handed off to me at 41;000 feet with a pilot's discretion descent to 35;000 feet. I had faster traffic behind them at 34;000 feet that I needed to get them underneath; so I gave them descent to 24;000 feet to get them under my traffic and they were only 100 miles from their destination. The pilot's response was unable. So I told them I have traffic and [they] need to descend; they responded that they could not for operational reasons. They would not take a descent until 60 miles from their destination. With the amount of enroute traffic in the area it makes the workload for the controller much more difficult because they refuse to take an ATC clearance. This same aircraft does the same thing every time they come into our airspace. Every time it's a struggle to get them to take a clearance to clear traffic as they say they can't do it. It doesn't matter what our traffic is they will not take a clearance.The pilot of this aircraft needs to be talked to about the situation that he creates every time he flies through. This creates a dangerous situation every time he comes through.
An aircraft refused descent clearance from ATC. The reporter states this aircraft routinely refuses descent clearances.