Plain English Meaning
A NOTAM is a short official notice that tells pilots about something unusual or temporary they need to know before flying — like a closed runway, a broken navigation aid, or restricted airspace. Pilots are expected to check NOTAMs before every flight.
Full Definition
A NOTAM is an official, time-sensitive notice issued through the national airspace system to alert pilots and other aviation personnel about conditions, changes, or hazards affecting flight operations. NOTAMs cover items such as runway or taxiway closures, navigation aid outages, airspace restrictions, obstacles, or interruptions, and . They are distributed through official channels ( , , and sources) and form part of a 's required information .