Definition
DEP refers to an aircraft leaving an airport, or to the act of departing. It appears on flight plans, clearances, charts, and ATC communications to indicate the departure airport, the departure procedure, or the departure phase of flight.
Plain English
DEP is short for 'departure' and means the aircraft is leaving — usually leaving an airport. You'll see it used to label the airport you're flying out of, the route used to leave that airport, or the controller handling aircraft as they climb out.
Context Anchor
Seen in aviation notices, charts, clearances, flight planning information, and abbreviated airport instructions.
Derivation
From the Latin 'departire,' meaning to divide or go separate ways. In aviation it kept the simple sense of 'going away from' — the aircraft going away from the airport.
Why Pilots Care
Pilots must recognize DEP because it can affect when, where, and how an aircraft is expected to leave. Misreading it could lead to using the wrong instruction or missing a departure restriction.
Intuition Check
DEP does not only mean the exact moment the wheels leave the runway. It can refer more broadly to leaving, departure traffic, departure instructions, or departure information.
Example Sentence 1
The flight plan listed KPAO as the DEP airport and KSAC as the destination.
Example Sentence 2
A NOTAM may use DEP to describe a temporary departure procedure change.