Definition
A preferred route published by air traffic control (ATC) that combines both arrival into and departure from a specific airport. PDARs are part of the Preferential Route System used by ATC to manage traffic flow efficiently between busy airports and surrounding airspace, and are typically assigned automatically by the ATC computer when a flight plan is filed between paired airports.
Plain English
A standard route that ATC prefers you to use when both arriving at and departing from a particular airport. Filing this route makes your flight plan easier for ATC to process and approve.
Context Anchor
Seen in FAA acronym lists, ATC route planning, flight clearances, and procedures for busy airport areas.
Derivation
‘Preferential’ comes from Latin praeferre, meaning ‘to carry before’ or ‘to favor.’ ATC ‘prefers’ these routes because they fit smoothly into the established traffic flow, so flights filed on them move through the system more easily.
Why Pilots Care
Assignment to these routes affects flight planning, fuel use, and sequencing through congested airspace.
Intuition Check
Preferential does not mean the pilot’s personal preference. It means ATC’s preferred route for managing arriving and departing traffic.
Example Sentence 1
Before filing IFR from Newark to Boston, the pilot checked the Chart Supplement and used the published PDAR to streamline the clearance.
Example Sentence 2
During peak hours the tower uses PDARs to keep departures moving without conflict.