Definition
An automated system used at certain air traffic control terminal facilities to receive, process, and distribute flight plan and aircraft data needed by controllers handling arrivals, departures, and other terminal-area operations.
Plain English
A behind-the-scenes computer system at a busy airport's control facility that gathers and sorts flight information so controllers always have what they need on hand.
Context Anchor
You are most likely to see TIPS in FAA acronym lists, NOTAM-related material, or discussions of air traffic control information systems.
Derivation
Terminal here means the airspace and ATC facility around an airport (where flights begin or end), as opposed to en route airspace between airports. 'Information processing system' is plain computer terminology — a system that takes data in, organizes it, and sends it where needed.
Why Pilots Care
Knowing the term lets a pilot recognize it in FAA references; the system itself works in the background to keep flight data flowing to controllers, which supports the smooth handling of your arrival or departure.
Intuition Check
Do not read “terminal” here as the passenger building. In this term, “terminal” means the airport-area ATC environment around arrivals, departures, and nearby traffic.
Example Sentence 1
The terminal information processing system feeds flight plan data to controllers working arrivals and departures at the busy Class B airport.
Example Sentence 2
Pilots reviewed TIPS output to confirm runway status and any active advisories.