Definition
An air traffic service (ATS) route is a specified route designed for channeling the flow of traffic as necessary for the provision of air traffic services. The term covers, as appropriate, airways, advisory routes, controlled or uncontrolled routes, and arrival or departure routes. An ATS route is defined by route specifications, which may include an ATS route designator, the path to or from significant points (waypoints), distance between significant points, reporting requirements, and the lowest safe altitude as determined by the appropriate ATS authority.
Plain English
It's a published path in the sky that air traffic control uses to organize and separate aircraft. Each route has a name, a series of fixed points along the way, and rules about how to fly it.
Context Anchor
Seen when reading about published instrument routes, including published area-navigation routes that pilots can use in flight plans.
Why Pilots Care
Following these routes keeps traffic organized and ensures access to controller guidance and separation services.
Intuition Check
Do not read this as just any route that happens to receive air traffic control help. In this context, it means an official route created for managing aircraft traffic.
Example Sentence 1
The flight plan was filed along a published ATS route from the departure fix to the arrival waypoint.
Example Sentence 2
The controller cleared the flight along the air traffic service route to maintain proper spacing with other traffic.