Definition
A text-based list shown on a controller's radar display that summarizes inbound and outbound aircraft, typically including identification, type, assigned altitude, and other flight data, presented alongside the radar picture to help the controller manage traffic flow.
Plain English
A list of letters and numbers on the controller's screen that shows which aircraft are arriving and which are departing, with the basic facts the controller needs about each one.
Context Anchor
Seen in FAA explanations of air traffic control radar displays, especially the ARTS III / DBRITE display shown in the Instrument Flying Handbook.
Derivation
“Tabular” comes from Latin “tabula,” meaning a board, tablet, or table. Here it means the information is arranged like a table, rather than shown only as symbols moving on a radar screen.
Why Pilots Care
It's how the controller keeps track of you in the terminal area. The data shown there comes from your flight plan and transponder, which is why accurate squawk codes and readbacks matter — errors propagate into what the controller sees on this list.
Intuition Check
Do not read “list” as a pilot checklist or a clearance. Here it means a controller’s display table that organizes arrival and departure information.
Example Sentence 1
The controller checked the arrival/departure tabular list to confirm the aircraft's assigned altitude before issuing a descent clearance.
Example Sentence 2
During peak traffic the arrival/departure tabular list helped the tower team keep track of multiple departures.