Definition
A computerized air traffic control system used by certain en route facilities to process radar data, display aircraft tracks and flight data to controllers, and support separation of aircraft along en route airways. MEARTS was deployed at smaller or geographically isolated en route locations (such as Guam, Puerto Rico, and similar sites) where the larger Host or ERAM systems used at mainland Air Route Traffic Control Centers were not installed.
Plain English
A smaller version of the radar and flight-tracking computer system that en route controllers use to watch aircraft and keep them safely apart. It does the same job as the big mainland systems but is built for smaller or remote control facilities.
Context Anchor
Seen in FAA glossary material and in discussions of ATC radar tracking systems used by controllers, not as equipment a pilot operates in the cockpit.
Derivation
‘Micro’ signals that this is a smaller-scale version of the en route automation used at mainland centers. ‘En route’ refers to the cruise phase of flight between departure and arrival airspace. ‘Automated Radar Tracking’ describes what the system does — it takes raw radar returns and automatically associates them with flight plans so controllers see labeled aircraft tracks instead of unidentified blips.
Why Pilots Care
When flying in airspace handled by a MEARTS facility, the controller services, separation standards, and clearances you receive are supported by this system. Knowing the term helps you understand references to it in NOTAMs, ATC outages, or operational briefings for places like San Juan CERAP or Guam CERAP.
Intuition Check
MEARTS is not an aircraft instrument or a pilot display. It is a ground-based ATC system used by controllers.
Example Sentence 1
Controllers at the San Juan CERAP use MEARTS to track IFR traffic transiting Caribbean airspace.
Example Sentence 2
MEARTS provides continuous tracking updates that allow safe separation between high-altitude flights.