Plain English Meaning

Parts of an arrival route that are shaped to give you space to slow the airplane down before the next required speed, altitude, or the start of the approach.

Full Definition

Portions of a Standard Terminal Arrival Route (STAR) where the published path is designed to allow the aircraft to slow down before crossing the next altitude or speed restriction, or before joining the approach. They are typically built into the procedure using path stretching, level segments, or specific speed/altitude crossing fixes that give the aircraft room and time to reduce energy.

Context Anchor

Seen in discussions of Standard Terminal Arrival Routes, where the route may be designed to let aircraft slow in an orderly way before approach or .