Definition
An automated message issued by the FAA's Traffic Flow Management System advising that a specific route has been amended, rerouted, or otherwise acted upon for traffic management purposes. It informs operators that a flight plan route has been changed or that a reroute advisory applies to flights matching certain criteria.
Plain English
A heads-up from air traffic flow managers that the route a flight is using has been changed, or that flights going through a certain area need to use a different route.
Context Anchor
Seen in air traffic control automation and flight-plan route amendment discussions; pilots are more likely to experience the result as a changed or revised route clearance.
Why Pilots Care
Pilots must review and accept or adjust to the notified action to remain in compliance with their clearance and avoid route deviations.
Intuition Check
Do not read this as a message sent directly to the pilot telling them which route to fly. In this context, it is an air traffic control system notice about an action taken on a flight-plan route.
Example Sentence 1
Dispatch forwarded a Route Action Notification showing our filed route had been amended to avoid the convective weather over the southeast.
Example Sentence 2
Before departure the system displayed a Route Action Notification confirming that the alternate airport routing had been accepted by ATC.