Definition
Published charts that depict preplanned Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) Air Traffic Control arrival procedures, called Standard Terminal Arrival Routes (STARs), in graphic and textual form. Each chart shows the transition from the en route structure to a fix or point from which an approach to the destination airport can be made, including routes, altitudes, speed restrictions, and required navigation fixes.
Plain English
These are the printed maps and instructions pilots use to fly a standard, pre-set arrival path into a busy airport. They show the route, the altitudes to be at, and any speed limits, all the way from the en route portion of the flight down to where the approach to the runway begins.
Context Anchor
You will see these during preflight planning, in an instrument clearance, or while preparing to arrive at a controlled airport with published arrival procedures.
Derivation
"Terminal" here comes from Latin terminus, meaning "end" or "boundary." In aviation, the terminal area is the airspace near an airport — the end of the en route phase. "Arrival" means the inbound segment, and "standard" means it is a published, repeatable procedure rather than something improvised.
Why Pilots Care
They reduce radio communication, ensure consistent traffic flow into busy airports, and help prevent errors during high-workload arrival phases.
Intuition Check
Do not read terminal as the airport building. Here it means the airport-area airspace where traffic is being guided toward arrival and approach. Do not read standard as optional or casual. It means a published, commonly used route and set of instructions.
Example Sentence 1
After receiving the arrival clearance, the crew pulled up the Standard Terminal Arrival Charts for KATL and briefed the crossing restrictions.
Example Sentence 2
Pilots review the Standard Terminal Arrival Charts for their destination airport before departure to anticipate the expected route.