Definition
IFR routes published in FAA Order 7400.11 (Airspace Designations) under 14 CFR Part 95 that connect two navigation fixes directly, without following an established airway. They have surveyed minimum en route altitudes and obstacle clearance, and may be flown when assigned by ATC or filed by the pilot.
Plain English
These are pre-checked IFR routes that go straight from one fix to another instead of following a numbered airway. The FAA has already worked out the safe minimum altitude for each one.
Context Anchor
Seen when studying off-airway IFR routing and minimum IFR altitudes for routes that are not part of the airway system.
Derivation
Part 95' refers to 14 CFR Part 95, the federal regulation that establishes IFR altitudes for routes. 'Direct' here means the route goes straight between two fixes rather than tracking along an airway.
Why Pilots Care
They enable more direct and efficient IFR routing when airways would add unnecessary distance, while ensuring regulatory altitude protection.
Intuition Check
“Direct” does not mean any straight line the pilot chooses. Here it means an FAA-recognized IFR route segment between specified points, with published minimum altitude information in Part 95.
Example Sentence 1
ATC cleared us via a direct Part 95 route between the two VORs, so we already had a charted minimum altitude to use.
Example Sentence 2
Flight planning software identified a direct Part 95 route that avoided a long airway detour while maintaining required IFR altitudes.