Plain English Meaning

A short, named segment on a departure or arrival chart that joins the main printed procedure to the en route airways pilots will fly along, or vice versa. It's the bridge between the local procedure and the cross-country route.

Full Definition

A published route on a Standard Instrument Departure (SID) or Standard Terminal Arrival Route (STAR) chart that connects the basic procedure to a specific en route airway, fix, or navigation aid. On a SID, transition routes link the end of the common portion to various en route structures; on a STAR, they link different en route points to the common arrival portion that leads to the .