Editing NOTAM

{{Short description|Aviation notice of potential flight hazards}}
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A '''NOTAM''' (ICAO & FAA: '''Notice to Airmen,'''<ref>{{cite book |title=A Dictionary of Aviation |first=David W. |last=Wragg |isbn=9780850451634 |edition=first |publisher=Osprey |year=1973 |page=203}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Notices to Airmen|url=https://www.icao.int/safety/istars/pages/notams.aspx|access-date=2021-12-01|website=www.icao.int|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211201194917/https://www.icao.int/safety/istars/pages/notams.aspx|archive-date=2021-12-01}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=FAA Order 7930.2S, Change 2, "Notices to Air Men (NOTAM)|url=https://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Order/7930.2S_Chg_2_dtd_12-2-21.pdf|website=www.faa.gov}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=What is a NOTAM? Notice to Airman (NOTAMs) |url=https://www.faa.gov/about/initiatives/notam/what_is_a_notam |website=[[Federal Aviation Administration]] |access-date=11 February 2025}}</ref>  CAA: '''Notice to Aviation'''<ref>{{cite web |title=Notifying airspace users of drone and remotely piloted events or activity {{!}} Civil Aviation Authority |url=https://www.caa.co.uk/drones/airspace-and-restrictions/notifying-airspace-users-of-drone-and-remotely-piloted-events-or-activity/ |website=www.caa.co.uk |publisher=Civil Aviation Authority |access-date=11 February 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Airspace notification of air displays and flypasts {{!}} Civil Aviation Authority |url=https://www.caa.co.uk/general-aviation/flying-displays-and-special-events/airspace-notification-of-air-displays-and-flypasts/ |website=www.caa.co.uk |publisher=Civil Aviation Authority}}</ref> or, for the FAA from 2021 to 2025, '''Notice to Air Missions'''<ref>{{cite web | last=Gilbert | first=Gordon | title=Notam Gets Gender-neutral Name in FAA Procedures Update | website=Aviation International News | date=2021-12-07 | url=https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2021-12-07/notam-gets-gender-neutral-name-faa-procedures-update | access-date=2025-02-19}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=NOTAM Term Change from Notice to Air Missions to Notice to Airmen | website=Federal Aviation Administration | date=2025-02-10 | url=https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/orders_notices/index.cfm/go/document.information/documentID/1043524 | access-date=2025-02-19}}</ref>) is a notice filed with an aviation authority to alert aircraft pilots of potential hazards along a flight route or at a location that could affect the flight.<ref>{{cite web |last=Chambers |first=Dan |title=Flight School 101: What is a NOTAM? |url=http://www.aviator.edu/129/section.aspx/72/post/flight-school-101-what-is-a-notam |publisher=College of Aeronautical Science & Technology |date=February 10, 2010 |access-date=February 9, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203050309/http://www.aviator.edu/129/section.aspx/72/post/flight-school-101-what-is-a-notam |archive-date=December 3, 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref> NOTAMs are notices or advisories that contain information concerning the establishment, conditions or change in any aeronautical facility, service, procedure or hazard, the timely knowledge of which may be essential to personnel and systems concerned with flight operations.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://static.e-publishing.af.mil/production/1/af_a3/publication/afi11-208/afi11-208.pdf |title=Air Force Instruction Interservice Publication 11-208}}</ref>

NOTAMs are created and transmitted by government agencies and airport operators under guidelines specified by Annex 15: Aeronautical Information Services of the [[Convention on International Civil Aviation]] (CICA). A NOTAM is filed with an aviation authority to alert aircraft pilots of any hazards ''en route'' or at a specific location, or [[Flight Information Region]]. The authority, in turn, provides a means of disseminating relevant NOTAMs to pilots.

==History==
The acronym ''NOTAM'' came into common use following the ratification of the CICA, which went into effect on 4 April 1947,<ref name="StLouis">{{cite web |title=NOTAMs and TFRs |url=https://www.stlouisdowntownairport.com/pilot-information/notams-and-tfrs/ |website=St. Louis Downtown Airport |access-date=5 March 2025 |location=St. Louis, Missouri}}</ref> although early recorded use of the "Notice to Airmen" heading can be found in ''[[Flight International]]'' magazine in the [[UK]].<ref name=1stuse>[https://web.archive.org/web/20171018071630/https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1921/1921%20-%200059.html "Notices To Airmen"], a 1921 NOTAM in ''Flight'' magazine</ref> Notices to airmen were normally published in a regular publication by each country's air authorities, as in the UK.<ref name="StLouis" />

Several developments and amendments to the CICA have resulted in the more automated system available today. At some point in the past, the NOTAM system became web-aware.<ref name="enotam">{{cite news |title=Global repository of actual NOTAMS |url=https://www.icao.int/safety/istars/pages/notams.aspx |access-date=16 April 2023 |publisher=International Civil Aviation Organization}}</ref>

In July 2017, [[Air Canada Flight 759]] nearly crashed into four other airliners as it attempted to land on a [[San Francisco]] taxiway misidentified as a runway: the adjacent runway was closed, but the information was buried in the NOTAM. In September 2018, as a consequence of the findings of its investigation, the [[National Transportation Safety Board]] (NTSB) stated NOTAMs were unintelligible and ignored. The NTSB recommended more effective presentation of relevant information. NTSB chairman [[Robert L. Sumwalt (U.S. government official)|Robert Sumwalt]] described NOTAMs as "a bunch of garbage that nobody pays any attention to". This led to an initiative of the [[International Civil Aviation Organization]] (ICAO) to reform the NOTAM system.<ref name="Garbage">{{cite news |last1=Freed |first1=Jamie |title='Bunch of garbage': Campaign to ease pilot overload from antiquated safety warnings |url=https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/bunch-garbage-campaign-ease-pilot-overload-antiquated-safety-warnings-2021-04-28/ |access-date=15 June 2022 |work=Reuters |date=28 April 2021 |language=en}}</ref>

In early 2014, [[Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation|Russia occupied Crimea]] and as part of the takeover, [[Russia]] issued a new code, '''URFV''' to cover the Crimean airspace. The Ukrainian air controller has since been forced to issue NOTAMs under the '''UKFV''' code, basically a verbatim repeater.<ref name="ops21">{{cite news |title=Russia Restricts Flights Over Crimea And Black Sea |url=https://ops.group/blog/russia-restricts-flights-over-crimea-and-black-sea/ |publisher=OPSGROUP |date=21 April 2021}}</ref><ref name="tass21">{{cite news |title=Russia issues warning, restricts flight zone over Black Sea |url=https://tass.com/politics/1280469 |publisher=TASS |date=20 April 2021}}</ref> As a result, all the UKFV NOTAMs advising about this area affix this note:<ref name=ops21/>
 DUE ACTIVITY PUBLISHED BY RUSSIAN FEDERATION.
 THE PUBLICATION BY RUSSIAN FEDERATION OF INFORMATION 
 RELATED TO AIRSPACE UNDER RESPONSIBILITY OF UKRAINE 
 DOES NOT COMPLY WITH THE PROVISIONS OF THE ICAO 
 AIR NAVIGATION PLAN - EUROPEAN REGION (DOC 7754) 
 AND THE ICAO ANNEXES 11 AND 15.

In the run-up to the [[2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine]], Russian authorities closed large parts of the [[Black Sea]], the [[Kerch Strait]], and almost the entire [[Sea of Azov]] "for missile and artillery live fire exercises." A spokesman for the [[Ukrainian Foreign Ministry]] protested the Russian NOTAMs over this unprecedentedly large exercise area, which essentially obstructed international shipping and had economic consequences for Ukrainian ports such as [[Mariupol]].<ref name="tmin">{{cite news |title=[ANALYSIS] What is Russia's actual intent in promulgating NOTAMS in the Black Sea? |url=https://www.turkishminute.com/2022/02/11/sis-what-is-russias-actual-intent-in-promulgating-notams-in-the-black-sea/ |publisher=Turkish Minute |date=11 February 2022}}</ref>

==Usage==
NOTAMs are issued (and reported) for several reasons, such as:
* hazards, including air shows, parachute jumps, kite flying, lasers, rocket launches, etc.
* flights by important people such as heads of state (which sometimes involve [[temporary flight restriction]]s, TFRs)
* closed runways
* inoperable radio navigational aids
* military exercises with resulting airspace restrictions
* inoperable lights on tall obstructions
* temporary erection of obstacles near airfields (e.g., cranes)
* passage of flocks of birds through airspace (a NOTAM in this category is known as a BIRDTAM)
* notifications of runway/taxiway/apron status concerning snow, ice, and standing water (a SNOWTAM)
* notification of an operationally significant change in [[volcanic ash]] or other dust contamination (an ASHTAM)
* software code risk announcements with associated patches to reduce specific vulnerabilities

Aviation authorities typically exchange NOTAMs over [[Aeronautical Fixed Telecommunication Network]] (AFTN) circuits.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Get NOTAM Data |url=https://www.icao.int/safety/iStars/Pages/Get-NOTAM-Data.aspx |access-date=2024-11-03 |website=www.icao.int}}</ref>

Software allows pilots to identify NOTAMs near their intended route or at the intended destination. Some complain that the volume and increasing triviality of NOTAMs has reduced their usefulness.<ref>Multiple sources:
*{{cite web |url=http://flightservicebureau.org/the-problem-of-bullshit-notams/ |title=The problem of Bullshit Notams |first=Mark |last=Zee |date=March 15, 2017 |website=Flight Service Bureau |access-date=September 28, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170316030425/http://flightservicebureau.org/the-problem-of-bullshit-notams/ |archive-date=March 16, 2017 |url-status=usurped}}
*{{cite web |title=The problem of Bullshit Notams |url=https://ops.group/story/the-problem-of-bullshit-notams/ |website=The Opsgroup |access-date=12 January 2023 |date=March 2017}}
</ref>

In the [[U.S. Air Force]] information technology enterprise, '''C4 NOTAMs''' (command, control, communications, and computer notices to airmen) are notices of new or updated Air Force Network Operating Instructions ([[AFNOI]]s). Often, these notices serve to direct Air Force computer administrators to install security updates or change the configuration of computer systems.<ref name=upaf>{{cite web |url=http://www.af.mil/shared/media/epubs/AFI33-115V3.pdf |title=Air Force Instruction 33-115, Volume 3: Air Force Network Operating Instructions |publisher=Air Force Departmental Publishing Office |date=15 April 2004 |access-date=11 May 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121020095438/https://www.af.mil/shared/media/epubs/AFI33-115V3.pdf |archive-date=20 October 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

[[Flight planning]] applications for [[electronic flight bag]] can help decipher and better organize NOTAMs.<ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/blogs/ainsight-notams-are-wall-text-and-bunch-garbage |title= AINsight: Notams Are Wall of Text and Bunch of Garbage |author= Stuart “Kipp” Lau |date= October 26, 2018 |work= AIN online}}</ref>

==Format==
The following describes ICAO NOTAMs. NOTAMs are published using all upper case letters. Some countries, such as the United States, may diverge from the following ICAO standards.

* The first line contains NOTAM identification (series, sequence number, and year of issue), the type of operation (NEW, REPLACE, or CANCEL), as well as a reference to a previously issued NOTAM (for NOTAMR and NOTAMC only).
* The "Q" line holds information about whom the NOTAM affects, along with a basic NOTAM description. This line can be encoded/decoded from tables defined by [[ICAO]]. This allows NOTAMs to be displayed electronically.
* The "A" line is the ICAO code of the affected aerodrome or [[flight information region|FIR]] for the NOTAM. The area of influence of the NOTAM can be several hundred kilometers from the originating aerodrome.
* The "B" line contains the start date and time, and the "C" line contains the finish date and time of the NOTAM. Fields "B" and "C" are in the format YYMMDDhhmm, with times given in [[UTC|Universal Co-ordinated Time]], also known as [[UTC]] or Zulu time.
* Sometimes a "D" line may be present. This gives a miscellaneous [[day|diurnal]] time for the NOTAM if the hours of effect are less than 24 hours a day, e.g., [[parachute]] dropping exercises tend to occur for short periods of a few hours during the day, but may be repeated over many days.
* The "E" line is the full NOTAM description. It is in English but can be heavily abbreviated. These abbreviations can be encoded/decoded by tables defined by [[ICAO]].
* When present, "F" and "G" lines detail the height/altitude restrictions of the NOTAM. Typically SFC means surface height or ground level, and UNL is unlimited height. Other heights are given in feet, [[flight level]], or a combination of the two.

==Example==

This is a typical NOTAM for [[Heathrow Airport|London Heathrow airport]]:
<pre>
A1234/06 NOTAMR A1212/06
Q)EGTT/QMXLC/IV/NBO/A/000/999/5129N00028W005
A)EGLL
B)0609050500
C)0704300500
E)DUE WIP TWY B SOUTH CLSD BTN 'F' AND 'R'. TWY 'R' CLSD BTN 'A' AND 'B' AND DIVERTED VIA NEW GREEN CL AND BLUE EDGE LGT. CTN ADZ
</pre>

This decodes into the following:
:Series and number: <code>A1234</code> issued in 2006 (<code>06</code>)
:Nature of the NOTAM: Replacing (<code>R</code>) <code>NOTAM A1212</code> issued in 2006 (<code>06</code>)

: [[Flight information region|FIR]]: London FIR (<code>EGTT</code>)
: Subject: Taxiway (<code>MX</code>)
: Condition: Closed (<code>LC</code>)
: Traffic: NOTAM issued for [[instrument flight rules|IFR]] (<code>I</code>) flights and [[visual flight rules|VFR]] flights (<code>V</code>)
: Purpose: NOTAM selected for immediate attention of flight crew members (<code>N</code>), for PIB (Pre-flight Information Bulletin) entry (<code>B</code>), concerning flight operations (<code>O</code>)
: Scope: Aerodrome (<code>A</code>)
: Limits: [[Flight level|FL]] 000 to FL 999 (<code>000/999</code>)
: Geographical location: 51°29' N 000° 28' W (<code>5129N00028W</code>)
: Operation radius of the NOTAM: 5 NM (<code>005</code>)

: Aerodrome: London Heathrow (<code>EGLL</code>)

: From: 05:00 UTC 5 September 2006 (<code>060905</code> <code>0500</code>)
: Until: 05:00 UTC 30 April 2007 (<code>070430</code> <code>0500</code>)
: Category: Aerodromes, air routes, and ground aids
: Description: Due to work in progress (<code>DUE WIP</code>), taxiway "B South" is closed between "F" and "R" (<code>TWY B SOUTH CLSD BTN 'F' AND 'R'</code>). Taxiway "R" is closed between "A" and "B" (<code>TWY 'R' CLSD BTN 'A' AND 'B'</code>) and is diverted via a new green centre line and blue edge lighting (<code>AND DIVERTED VIA NEW GREEN CL AND BLUE EDGE LGT</code>). Caution advised (<code>CTN ADZ</code>).

==U.S. domestic NOTAMs==
In the United States, NOTAMs are classified by the [[Federal Aviation Administration|FAA]] into five categories:<ref>AIM, 5–1–3 "Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) System" (August 22, 2013 revision)</ref>

;NOTAM (D) or distant NOTAMs
:A NOTAM (D) information is disseminated for all navigational facilities that are part of the [[National Airspace System]] (NAS), all public use airports, seaplane bases, and [[heliport]]s listed in the [[Airport/Facility Directory]] (A/FD) (e.g.,&nbsp;such information as whether or not an airport or a certain facility is usable). NOTAM (D) information includes, among other topics, such data as taxiway closures, personnel and equipment near or crossing runways, and airport lighting aids that do not affect [[instrument approach]] criteria, such as [[VASI]].

;Flight Data Center (FDC) NOTAMs
:The National Flight Data Center will issue these NOTAMs when it becomes necessary to disseminate information that is regulatory in nature, and they contain such things as amendments to published [[instrument approach procedure|IAPs]] and other current [[aeronautical chart]]s. They are also used to advertise [[temporary flight restriction]]s caused by such things as natural disasters or large-scale public events that may generate congestion of air traffic over a site.

;Pointer NOTAMs
:NOTAMs issued by a flight service station to highlight or point out another NOTAM, such as an FDC or NOTAM (D) NOTAM. This type of NOTAM will assist users in cross-referencing important information that may not be found under an airport or [[NAVAID]] identifier.

;Special activity airspace (SAA) NOTAMs
:SAA NOTAMs are issued when SAA (the term "SAA" includes [[special use airspace|SUA]], as well as instrument and visual military training routes, aerial refueling tracks and anchors<ref name=7930.2>{{cite web |url=http://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/orders_notices/index.cfm/go/document.information/documentID/1021828 |title=FAA Order JO 7930.2N, Notices to Airmen (NOTAM) |date=2013-10-01 |access-date=2014-02-26}}</ref>) will be active outside the published schedule times and when required by the published schedule.

;Military NOTAMs
:NOTAMs pertaining to U.S. Air Force, Army, Marine, and Navy [[navigational aid]]s/airports that are part of the NAS.

=== Format ===

From left to right, U.S. NOTAMs contain the following elements:

* An exclamation point
* Accountability Location (using the [[Location identifier#FAA identifier|FAA identifier]])
* Affected Location (using the [[Location identifier#FAA identifier|FAA identifier]])
* One of the following keywords
{| class="wikitable"
|-
 !Keyword !! Meaning
|-
 | RWY || Runway 
|-
 | TWY || Taxiway
|-
 | RAMP || Terminal ramp 
|-
 | APRON || [[Airport apron]]
|-
 | AD || Aerodrome/Airport 
|-
 | OBST || Obstruction 
|-
 | NAV || Anything relating to navigational equipment, e.g. [[VHF omnidirectional range|VOR]] or [[Non-directional beacon|NDB]] being out of service. 
|-
 | COM || Any other communications, e.g. [[Automatic terminal information service|ATIS]]. 
|-
 | SVC || When tower, fuel, customs service hours are available.
|-
 | AIRSPACE || The [[airspace]] surrounding the affect location. 
|-
 | U || Other aeronautical information, but unverified. 
|-
 | O || Other aeronautical information.
|}
* Surface Identification (i.e., the runway or taxiway number)
* Condition
* Time

These NOTAMS are likely to use [https://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Order/CNT.pdf FAA-specific abbreviations].

==== Examples ====

: !ORT 6K8 (U) RWY ABANDONED VEHICLE
Tok Junction Airport has an unverified vehicle that is abandoned on its runway.

: !LAX LAX NAV VOR OTS
Los Angeles International's VOR is out of service.

: !OSH OSH AIRSPACE AIRSHOW ACFT 5000/BLW 5 NMR AIRPORT AVOIDANCE ADZD WEF 0707152000-0707152200
There is an airshow being held at Oshkosh airport with aircraft flying 5,000 feet and below within a 5 nautical mile radius.  Avoidance is advised from 2000 UTC on July 15, 2007, until 2200 on July 15, 2007.

=== Incidents ===
On 11 January 2023, the [[2023 FAA system outage|US NOTAM system failed]], which grounded all domestic flights until 9:00 AM EST (UTC-5) the same day.<ref>{{Cite web |date=11 January 2023 |title=FAA NOTAMS Statement |url=https://www.faa.gov/newsroom/faa-notams-statement |access-date=11 January 2023 |website=Federal Aviation Administration}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last1=Freed |first1=Jamie |last2=Singh |first2=Rajesh Kumar |last3=Shepardson |first3=David |date=2023-01-11 |title=U.S. flights beginning to resume after FAA system outage |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/us-faa-says-flight-personnel-alert-system-not-processing-updates-after-outage-2023-01-11/ |access-date=2023-01-11}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[NOTAM code]]
* [[Notice to mariners]] — marine equivalent
* [[Area control center]]
* [[Air corridor]]
* [[Air defense identification zone]]
* [[Airspace]]
* [[Air traffic control]]
* [[Airway (aviation)]]
* [[Control area (aviation)]]
* [[Control zone]]
* [[Flight information region]]
* [[List of area control centers]]
* [[Terminal control area]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://notams.aim.faa.gov/notamSearch/ NOTAM Search] (retrieval of Letters to Airmen) FAA
*[https://www.notams.faa.gov/dinsQueryWeb/ NOTAM dinsQueryWeb] 
*[https://ops.group/blog/the-annual-greece-v-turkey-notam-battle/ The Annual Greece v Turkey NOTAM Battle] - '' OPSGROUP''
*[http://www.drorpilot.com/English/notam.htm NOTAM decoder] - drorpilot
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20161108090626/http://simaviotool.altervista.org/notam-tutorial.php NOTAM tutorial]
*[https://www.casa.gov.au/about-us/standard-page/aviation-abbreviations-and-acronyms-full-list Aviation abbreviations] - [[Civil Aviation Safety Authority]], Australia
* {{cite web |url=https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/media/aim.pdf |title=Aeronautical Information Manual |publisher=[[Federal Aviation Administration]]}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Notam}}
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