Definition
The specific time, assigned by air traffic control's traffic management system, at which an arriving aircraft is required to cross a designated meter fix on its route into a busy airport. The meter fix is a published navigation point used as a metering gate, and the assigned crossing time sequences the aircraft into the arrival flow so that traffic arrives at the runway at a manageable rate.
Plain English
A clock time the controllers give you for when your aircraft should pass over a particular waypoint on the way into a busy airport. Hitting that time keeps you properly spaced with the other arrivals.
Context Anchor
Seen in air traffic control arrival planning, especially when flights are being sequenced into a busy airport.
Derivation
Meter is borrowed from the idea of a meter that regulates flow — like a water meter or traffic meter on a freeway on-ramp. ATC 'meters' aircraft into busy airspace by assigning each one a time to cross a fix, smoothing out the arrival rate.
Why Pilots Care
Meeting the assigned time reduces delays and prevents excessive holding.
Analogy
It is like being given a scheduled time to pass through a gate. The goal is not just to arrive eventually, but to pass that point at the right time so the whole line keeps moving smoothly.
Intuition Check
Meter does not mean a cockpit gauge here, and fix does not mean repair. Here, meter means regulating traffic flow, and fix means a known navigation point.
Example Sentence 1
Center assigned us an MFT of 1847Z at the meter fix, so we reduced speed slightly to arrive on time.
Example Sentence 2
Controllers issue an MFT to keep the flow of arriving aircraft steady.