Definition
A non-government air-to-ground radio frequency, operated by a private station at an airport, that provides advisory information to pilots such as wind direction, favored runway, known traffic, and field conditions. UNICOM frequencies are listed in the Chart Supplement for each airport that has one, and are typically found at non-towered airports or used at towered airports when the tower is closed.
Plain English
A radio channel at an airport, run by someone on the ground (often the fuel desk or airport office), that pilots can call for basic local information like which runway is in use and what the wind is doing. It is not air traffic control — it is more like calling ahead to a friendly desk for a quick update.
Context Anchor
Seen in Chart Supplement U.S. airport entries, usually next to a frequency such as “UNICOM 122.8.”
Derivation
UNICOM is short for 'Universal Communications.' The name reflects that it is a single, shared advisory frequency anyone in the local area can use to exchange basic airport information.
Why Pilots Care
Allows pilots to coordinate arrivals, departures, and runway use safely at non-towered airports where no controller is present.
Intuition Check
Do not assume UNICOM means a controller is directing traffic. UNICOM provides advisory information; the pilot is still responsible for decisions and separation from other aircraft.
Example Sentence 1
Ten miles out, the pilot called UNICOM and was told runway 27 was favored with a light westerly wind.
Example Sentence 2
Checking the Chart Supplement showed the UNICOM frequency for the destination field was 122.8.