Gulfstream IV / G350 / G450
Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Air Traffic Control Time Certified In Pos 1 (yrs) 7
Communication Breakdown; Workload; Troubleshooting; Situational Awareness; Confusion
ATC Issue All Types; Airspace Violation All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Airspace Structure; Human Factors; Procedure; Weather
While working the southwest arrival gate the weather was moving eastbound and we were already one route over LARKS. The aircraft wanted to deviate further east into DR4's airspace. I told the [Front Line Manager]; who was working as the TM [Traffic Management Coordinator] at the time; that we needed to shut down my gate. When he asked why; I told him the aircraft were deviating into DR4's airspace. He said he would coordinate for airspace to SOLAR (inside DR4's airspace). I told him that our ATM [Air Traffic Manager] just put out a memo that stated that working aircraft outside your airspace was unsafe and is even worse when it is a non-standard operation. He told me that that coordination is standard and told me I would have to work it like that. I told him that I didn't want to run that operation; but if he was ordering me to then we need to stop ZOMBI arrivals into APA. He never responded to me and walked away. Next thing I know I had aircraft deviating into DR4's airspace while the last coordination with ZDV was over LARKS at 170. I had to guess what every aircraft was doing when they came over to me and I had at least two aircraft out of about 20 that were well above 17;000 feet. And there was still a ZOMBI that came in that was handed off to DR4 that I never received a point out on and was a limited data block on my scope. This has been a problem for years and happens all the time and is still a dangerous procedure. So much so that our own ATM recognizes that we work outside of the SOP [Standard Operating Procedure] so much and put out a memo that we shouldn't be doing it. And while controllers like myself that try to comply with the SOP; best practice; and orders by the highest level of management in the facility; we are meet by opposition from the lowest level of management as well as other controllers and TMC's. There need to be a directive to this facility that we will not 'borrow' other controller's airspace for extended periods of time. If we can't get the aircraft there with a simple point out then it shouldn't be done.
Denver TRACON Controller reported airspace issues relating to weather and improper procedure.