Plain English Meaning

A flight plan written in the international standard format. It uses set codes to tell air traffic control exactly what your aircraft can do — what kind of navigation, radios, and tracking equipment you have on board.

Full Definition

A flight plan filed using the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) format, which uses standardized fields and equipment codes to describe a flight, its route, and the aircraft's navigation, communication, and surveillance capabilities. It is required for international flights and is increasingly used for domestic IFR flights in the United States, particularly when filing RNAV or PBN procedures that depend on equipment qualifications.