Definition
A term used by a controller or pilot to refer to one or more aircraft in the vicinity, typically to alert another pilot to the presence and position of another aircraft that may be a factor for separation, sequencing, or collision avoidance.
Plain English
Other aircraft nearby that you need to know about. When a controller says 'traffic,' they are pointing out another airplane you should look for.
Context Anchor
You will hear this word in radio calls from air traffic control, in airport pattern discussions, and when pilots point out nearby aircraft to each other.
Derivation
From the Latin 'trafficare,' meaning to carry on trade or movement of goods. In aviation it kept the 'movement' sense but narrowed to mean the aircraft moving through a piece of airspace.
Why Pilots Care
Locating and avoiding traffic is a core see-and-avoid responsibility that directly prevents mid-air collisions.
Intuition Check
Traffic does not mean road traffic here. In aviation, it usually means other aircraft you may need to see, avoid, follow, or account for.
Example Sentence 1
Tower called traffic at our 11 o'clock, three miles, and we spotted the Cessna right where they said.