NOTAM — Notice to Airmen
The AIP tells you how things normally are — a NOTAM tells you what is different today: the runway that is closed, the crane next to the approach, the restricted area that is active this afternoon. Checking NOTAMs is a legal part of every pre-flight preparation, and the exam tests both the definition and the format of a NOTAM.
Definition and purpose
A NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) is, per ICAO Annex 15, a notice distributed by means of telecommunication containing information on the establishment, condition or change of any aeronautical facility, service, procedure or hazard, the timely knowledge of which is essential to personnel concerned with flight operations.
The division of labour with the AIP is simple: information of a lasting character belongs in the AIP; short-notice, temporary or unplanned changes are too time-critical for the AIP publication cycle and are therefore issued as NOTAMs.
What triggers a NOTAM
Typical events that require a NOTAM include:
- establishment or closure of aerodromes,
- commissioning, maintenance or failure of radio navigation aids,
- availability of or changes to flight procedures,
- activation of special-use airspace (prohibited/restricted/danger areas, e.g. ED-R areas, temporary reserved airspace),
- new obstacles such as cranes and temporary structures,
- runway or taxiway closures,
- hazardous conditions such as volcanic ash,
- major events with airspace impact (air shows, large public events).
The NOTAM format
NOTAMs follow a standardised ICAO format, so a pilot can decode a NOTAM from any country. The key fields are:
| Field | Content |
|---|---|
| Q | Q-code line: classification for automated filtering (FIR, subject, traffic, purpose, scope, limits, position) |
| A | Location: aerodrome or FIR (ICAO location indicator) |
| B | Start of validity (UTC) |
| C | End of validity (UTC) or "PERM" for permanent |
| D | Daily schedule, if the condition applies only at certain times |
| E | Plain-language description of the subject |
| F | Lower limit (for airspace-related NOTAMs) |
| G | Upper limit (for airspace-related NOTAMs) |
Three series types tell you how a NOTAM relates to earlier ones:
- NOTAMN — new information,
- NOTAMR — replaces an earlier NOTAM,
- NOTAMC — cancels an earlier NOTAM.
Related message types
- SNOWTAM: a special-format NOTAM reporting the surface condition of the movement area in snow, ice, slush or standing water.
- ASHTAM: a special-format NOTAM reporting volcanic activity and volcanic ash clouds.
Distribution and access
NOTAMs are distributed via the AFTN (Aeronautical Fixed Telecommunication Network) to ATS units worldwide. Pilots receive them through:
- Pre-Flight Information Bulletins (PIB) — a route- or aerodrome-related compilation of current NOTAMs,
- online AIS portals and flight-planning applications.
In the EU, aeronautical information services are governed by Regulation (EU) 2017/373, Annex VI (Part-AIS); NOTAM data are provided in harmonised digital form through the European AIS Database (EAD) operated by EUROCONTROL.
Germany and the pilot's obligation
In Germany, the DFS Deutsche Flugsicherung (NOTAM Office) issues NOTAMs; German locations carry ED.. location indicators. Pilots access NOTAMs free of charge via the DFS AIS portal after registration, or as a PIB.
For you as PIC the crucial rule is SERA.2010(b): before beginning a flight, the pilot-in-command must become familiar with all available information appropriate to the intended operation — for any flight away from the vicinity of an aerodrome this expressly includes current NOTAMs. Part-NCO reiterates this duty for non-commercial operations. "I didn't check the NOTAMs" is never a defence.
Exam essentials
- A NOTAM contains information on any aeronautical facility, service, procedure or hazard whose timely knowledge is essential for flight operations (ICAO Annex 15).
- NOTAMs cover short-notice, temporary or unplanned changes; lasting information is published in the AIP.
- Field B gives the start and field C the end of validity in UTC ("PERM" = permanent); field E carries the plain-language text; fields F/G give lower and upper limits.
- NOTAMN = new, NOTAMR = replaces, NOTAMC = cancels an earlier NOTAM.
- SNOWTAM reports runway surface conditions in winter contamination; ASHTAM reports volcanic ash.
- Under SERA.2010(b) the PIC must review all relevant information, including NOTAMs, before every flight.