Plain English Meaning

ATC is the team of people on the ground who talk to pilots over the radio and tell them where, when, and how to fly so that aircraft don't run into each other and traffic moves in an orderly way.

Full Definition

Air traffic control is the ground-based service, provided by trained controllers, that directs aircraft on the ground and through controlled airspace to keep them safely separated from one another and to organize the flow of traffic. Controllers issue instructions and clearances to pilots by radio, and pilots are required to comply with those instructions when operating in controlled airspace.

Context Anchor

Pilots encounter ATC during radio communication, taxi, takeoff, landing, and through where communication is required or .