Definition
A computer-based air traffic control system used at terminal radar facilities (such as TRACONs and approach controls) that processes radar and flight data to display aircraft position, identification, altitude, and groundspeed on controller scopes, and assists controllers in sequencing, separating, and handing off aircraft operating in the terminal area.
Plain English
The computer setup at a busy airport's radar control room that takes raw radar signals and turns them into a clear picture on the controller's screen, showing each aircraft's tag, height, and speed so controllers can manage traffic safely.
Context Anchor
You may encounter this term in discussions of air traffic control, radar approach control, and how controllers handle aircraft near busy airports.
Derivation
Terminal refers to the airspace and ATC facilities surrounding an airport, where flights begin or end (the 'terminal' phase of flight). Automation indicates that computers handle work controllers once did manually, such as correlating radar returns with flight plans. Together: the computer system that automates terminal-area air traffic control.
Why Pilots Care
It reduces controller workload while maintaining safe aircraft separation in high-traffic terminal airspace.
Intuition Check
Do not read “terminal” here as the airport passenger building. In this term, it means the air traffic control environment around an airport.
Example Sentence 1
The TRACON's terminal automation system displayed the inbound traffic with full data tags, allowing the controller to sequence the arrivals efficiently.
Example Sentence 2
Maintenance on the Terminal Automation System requires coordination to avoid disrupting normal traffic flow.