Definition
The Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) having jurisdiction over the airspace that generates a flight to the impacted airport.
Plain English
The en route control center responsible for the airspace where your flight originates, when that flight is heading to an airport experiencing traffic management issues.
Context Anchor
You may hear or see this term when an instrument flight departure clearance is being coordinated between the airport tower, ground control, and the larger air traffic control facility for the area.
Why Pilots Care
Correct contact with the departure center ensures seamless transition from airport airspace into the national route structure with proper routing and separation.
Intuition Check
Do not read “Center” here as the middle of an airport or a terminal building. In this term, “Center” means a regional air traffic control facility that manages aircraft over a large area.
Example Sentence 1
Because Atlanta was running a ground delay program, the Departure Center issued our wheels-up time before we left the gate.
Example Sentence 2
Departure Center issued our climb to flight level 230 and direct routing to the first fix.