Plain English Meaning

The official name or code for a route, made up of a letter and a number, that tells pilots and controllers exactly which path is being referred to.

Full Definition

The standardized alphanumeric identifiers assigned to published air traffic routes, used to label them on charts and in flight plans. For RNAV routes, the designator follows a fixed format: a letter prefix indicating the type of route (such as Q for high-altitude RNAV routes and T for low-altitude RNAV routes), followed by a number identifying the specific route.

Context Anchor

Seen on enroute charts, in published RNAV route descriptions, in flight plans, and in air traffic control clearances.

Derivation

‘Designator’ comes from the Latin designare, meaning to mark or . A route designator literally points out which route is which, so they can be referred to clearly without describing the whole path.