Definition
In air traffic control, the spacing of aircraft to maintain a required minimum distance — vertically, laterally, or longitudinally — to prevent collision and reduce wake turbulence risk.
Plain English
Keeping aircraft far enough apart from each other, either by altitude, sideways distance, or distance along the route, so they don't get too close.
Context Anchor
You will hear this term in air traffic control instructions, traffic advisories, approach control, and discussions of controlled airspace.
Derivation
From Latin separare, meaning 'to set apart.' In ATC the word keeps that everyday sense — keeping things apart — but applies it specifically to aircraft and to defined minimum distances.
Why Pilots Care
Maintaining separation is essential for collision avoidance and allows safe operations in shared airspace.
Intuition Check
Do not read separation as just any distance between two things. In aviation, it means enough spacing to meet a safety requirement or control standard.
Example Sentence 1
The controller delayed the takeoff clearance to maintain separation from the arriving traffic.
Example Sentence 2
We received a vector to provide lateral separation from the departing aircraft.