Definition
Advisories are non-mandatory information messages issued by air traffic control or aviation authorities to alert pilots to conditions, traffic, or operational factors that may affect the safe or efficient conduct of a flight. They are provided for situational awareness and do not by themselves require a specific action or change in flight path.
Plain English
Helpful heads-up information given to pilots about something that might matter to their flight, but which they aren't required to act on.
Context Anchor
In the NextGen system, pilots may receive advisories through cockpit displays, aviation weather services, or air traffic services as part of the flow of real-time flight information.
Derivation
From the Latin advisare, meaning 'to consult' or 'to give counsel.' An advisory is counsel offered to the pilot — information shared to help, not an order to be followed.
Why Pilots Care
They enable pilots to take prompt action to maintain separation and avoid hazards, directly supporting safe decision-making in busy airspace.
Intuition Check
Do not read advisories as casual suggestions with no safety value. In aviation, advisories are official or safety-related information that a pilot should actively consider, even when they are not direct orders.
Example Sentence 1
The controller issued a traffic advisory about a small aircraft crossing two miles ahead at the same altitude.
Example Sentence 2
ADS-B traffic advisories helped us spot and avoid a nearby VFR aircraft in the terminal area.