Definition
A formal written document between two or more Air Traffic Control (ATC) facilities, or between an ATC facility and another aviation entity, that establishes specific procedures, responsibilities, and operating practices for handling traffic in shared or adjacent airspace. LOAs supplement standard ATC procedures with locally agreed arrangements, such as handoff points, altitude assignments, and coordination requirements.
Plain English
A written agreement between ATC facilities that spells out exactly how they will work together to handle aircraft moving between their airspaces. It locks in the local rules so controllers on both sides know what to expect.
Context Anchor
Seen in instrument flying when discussing how air traffic control facilities coordinate routes, procedures, and responsibilities behind the scenes.
Derivation
From the plain English phrase 'letter of agreement.' The word 'letter' here means a formal written document (as in 'letter of intent' or 'letter of credit'), not a piece of correspondence. The term emphasizes that the arrangement is committed to writing and signed by both parties, rather than being an informal verbal understanding.
Why Pilots Care
LOAs can authorize nonstandard routes, altitudes, or coordination that directly affect how a flight is conducted in specific airspace.
Analogy
An LOA is like a standing playbook between two teams. Everyone has already agreed on the steps before the situation happens, so they do not have to invent a plan each time.
Intuition Check
Do not read “Letters” as ordinary personal letters or “Agreement” as a casual handshake. In this FAA context, an LOA is a formal written operating arrangement that people are expected to follow.
Example Sentence 1
A Letter of Agreement between the approach control and the adjacent center specified that all arrivals would be handed off at 11,000 feet.
Example Sentence 2
Controllers referred to the LOA to confirm the handoff procedures between the two approach facilities.