Mitteilung an Luftfahrtmissionen (NOTAM: Notice to Air Missions)

What Is a NOTAM?

A Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) is an official communication issued by national aviation authorities — including the FAA, EASA member state authorities, and ICAO member states — to notify pilots, dispatchers, and other aviation stakeholders of information essential to the safety, regularity, and efficiency of air navigation. The term was updated from "Notice to Airmen" to "Notice to Air Missions" by the FAA in December 2021 to be more inclusive, with ICAO adopting the same language in 2024.

NOTAMs are distributed through a global network established under ICAO Annex 15 (Aeronautical Information Services). They are temporary in nature — covering conditions that are time-limited or unpredictable — and are mandatory pre-flight planning information for all IFR and VFR flights operating in controlled airspace.

How It Works

NOTAMs are issued by Aeronautical Information Services (AIS) offices in each ICAO member state and distributed via the Aeronautical Fixed Telecommunications Network (AFTN) and public databases. In the US, the FAA's NOTAM system is accessible via the Pilot Web portal (notams.aim.faa.gov). Airlines subscribe to automated NOTAM briefing services that filter, prioritize, and deliver relevant notices to dispatchers and flight crews.

• NOTAM codes: Standardized 5-letter Q-codes define the subject and condition (e.g., QMRLC = runway closed, QLCAS = aerodrome lighting system unserviceable).
• Validity period: Each NOTAM includes an effective start and end time in UTC (YYMMDDHHMM format). Permanent changes are issued as PERM NOTAMs until incorporated into official Aeronautical Information Publications (AIPs).
• Trigger NOTAMs: Issued automatically when specific conditions are met (e.g., runway friction testing results below limits).
• SNOWTAM: A specialized format for airworthiness-relevant snow, ice, and slush conditions on movement areas, including standardized runway condition codes (RwyCC 0–6).

Key Examples

The 2023 FAA NOTAM system outage on January 11, 2023 — caused by a corrupted database file — grounded approximately 9,000 flights across the United States for several hours. The incident exposed the fragility of aging NOTAM infrastructure and accelerated FAA plans for a next-generation NOTAM Management System (NMS). NOTAMs are also issued for significant airspace restrictions such as TFRs (Temporary Flight Restrictions) around presidential movements, VIP airspace, and major sporting events.

Aircraft Examples & Scenarios

• Instrument approach procedures: A NOTAM issued for ILS runway 28L at Los Angeles (KLAX) indicating the glideslope is unserviceable would require crews to use a localizer-only or RNAV approach, with correspondingly higher minimums.
• Oceanic track system: North Atlantic Track (NAT) system published daily via NOTAMs; MNPS-certified aircraft must file flight plans via NAT HLA using published tracks.
• Drone airspace NOTAMs: FAA issues NOTAMs for UAS operating areas, increasingly integrated with the UAS Service Supplier (USS) network under UTM frameworks.
• Airbus A320 / Boeing 737: Pre-departure NOTAM brief is a regulatory requirement (FAR 91.103); flight management system (FMS) approach databases must be cross-checked against current NOTAMs affecting applicable procedures.