Definition
An ATC instruction directing a pilot to comply with the speed restrictions published on the procedure (such as a Standard Instrument Departure, Standard Terminal Arrival, or instrument approach) that they are flying. It cancels any previous ATC speed assignment and returns speed control to whatever the chart specifies for that segment.
Plain English
ATC is telling you to go back to flying the speeds printed on the chart for the procedure you are on, instead of the speed they had asked you to fly.
Context Anchor
Heard on the radio during a charted arrival, departure, or approach when the controller has previously assigned a different speed.
Derivation
Resume comes from a Latin word meaning “to take up again.” Published means made available for official use. Together, the phrase means to take up again the official speed that is printed on the chart.
Why Pilots Care
Restores compliance with procedure design speeds for traffic flow and obstacle clearance while removing any temporary restriction that was in effect.
Intuition Check
Do not read “resume” as “do whatever speed you want again.” Here it means return to the official speed printed on the procedure chart.
Example Sentence 1
After holding 210 knots for spacing, the controller said, ‘Cessna 32X, resume published speed,’ so the crew returned to the 250-knot restriction shown on the arrival.
Example Sentence 2
Once past the waypoint, the controller cleared us to resume published speed so we accelerated to the 280 knots shown on the SID.