Aviation jargon is sometimes a confusing and frustrating language and full three, four or more letter acronyms which can catch out even the knowledgeable! Sometime the picture is further confused by a single acronym having a number of meanings depending on the context in which it is used. Take for example the acronym IFE, it has several meanings depending on the area of aviation it relates to, it can mean 'In- Flight Emergency', 'In-Flight Entertainment' or 'International Flight Engineers'. Confused? Hopefully you won't be with the Jargon Buster you may be able to successfully navigate the multitude of meanings.
The listing is in alphabetical order for easier navigation. We hope it helps.
Of course the list is not exhaustive (though have tried to include most things). Please feel free to contact the IFALPA Communications Officer, if you would like to benefit others by adding (or taking away from) this list please contact
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Acronym |
|
Meaning |
| A-VDGS |
|
Advanced-Visual Docking Guidance System |
| A/A |
|
Air to air |
| A/G |
|
Air/Ground |
| A&F |
|
IFALPA Administration & Finance Committee |
| A&P |
|
Airframe & Powerplant (US FAA) |
| AAA |
|
Aesean Airline Association |
| AAC |
|
Airline Administrative Communication |
| AACC |
|
Airport Associations Co-coordinating Council |
| AACO |
|
Arab Air Carriers Organization |
| AAIB |
|
Air Accidents Investigation Branch (UK) |
| AALPBH |
|
Association of Airline Pilots in Bosnia & Herzegovina |
| AAM |
|
Airbus Asset Management |
| AAME |
|
Association of Aviation Medical Examiners |
| AAP |
|
IFALPA Accident Analysis & Prevention Committee |
| AAPA |
|
Association of Asia Pacific Airlines |
| AASA |
|
Air Lines Association of Southern Africa |
| AASC |
|
Airport Authorities Steering Committee |
| AATF |
|
Airworthiness Assurance Task Force |
| ABET |
|
Airspace Behavioral Engineering Technology |
| ABM |
|
Abeam |
| ABV |
|
Above |
| AC |
|
Altocumulus |
| ACA |
|
Austrian Cockpit Association |
| ACAC |
|
Arab Civil Aviation Council |
| ACAMS |
|
Aircraft Condition Analysis and Management System |
| ACARS |
|
Aircraft Communications, Addressing, and Reporting System |
| ACARS |
|
MU Aircraft Communications and Reporting Systems Management Unit |
| ACAS |
|
Airborne Collision Avoidance System |
| ACCC |
|
Australian Competition and Consumer Commission |
| ACCS |
|
Air Command and Control System |
| ACDAC |
|
Asociacion Colombiana de Aviadores Civiles (Columbia) |
| ACG |
|
ATN/CNS Consultancy Group |
| ACH |
|
Air traffic control Flight Plan Change |
| ACI |
|
Airports Council International |
| ACIPLA |
|
Asociacian Civil de Pilotos de Lineas Aereas (Uruquay) |
| ACK |
|
Acknowledge |
| ACL |
|
Air Traffic Control Clearance (Service) |
| ACM |
|
Acceptable Means of Compliance |
| ACNZ |
|
Airways Corporation of New Zealand |
| ACRPWG |
|
Aircraft Crash Recovery Procedures Working Group |
| AD |
|
Aerodrome |
| ADEP |
|
Aerodrome of Departure |
| ADES |
|
Aerodrome of Destination |
| ADIRS |
|
Air Data Inertial Reference System |
| ADIS |
|
Automatic dependent surveillance and Data Link Interim System |
| ADISP |
|
Automated Data Interchange Systems Panel |
| ADIZ |
|
Air Defence Identification Zone |
| ADM |
|
Aeronautical Decision Making |
| ADO |
|
IFALPA Aircraft Design & Operation Committee |
| ADREP |
|
Aircraft Accident/Incident Data Reporting System (ICAO) |
| ADS |
|
Automatic Dependent Surveillance |
| ADS-B |
|
Automatic Data Surveillance Broadcast |
| ADS-C |
|
Automatic Data Surveillance Contract |
| ADSP |
|
Automatic Dependent Surveillance Panel (ICAO) |
| AEA |
|
Association of European Airlines |
| AEEC |
|
Airlines Electronic Engineering Committee |
| AEROSAT |
|
Aeronautical Satellite Council |
| AFA |
|
Association of Flight Attendants |
| AFC |
|
Air Traffic Control Frequency Change (Service) |
| AFCAC |
|
African Civil Aviation Commission |
| AFCS |
|
Automatic Flight Control System |
| AFIS |
|
Aerodrome Flight Information Service |
| AFM |
|
Aeroplane Flight Manual |
| AFN |
|
Air traffic Services Facilities Notification |
| AFP |
|
Area Forecast Panel |
| AFRAA |
|
African Airlines Association |
| AFS |
|
Aeronautical Fixed Service |
| AFTN |
|
Aeronautical Fixed Telecommunications Network |
| AGA |
|
Aerodromes, Air Routes and Ground Aids |
| AGAS |
|
European Action Group for ATM Safety |
| AGE |
|
IFALPA Aerodrome & Ground Environment Committee |
| AGL |
|
Above Ground Level |
| AI |
|
Application Interface |
| AIC |
|
Aeronautical Information Circular |
| AIDC |
|
Air traffic control Inter-Facility Ground/Ground Data Communications |
| AIDC |
|
ATS Interfacility Data Communication |
| AIDS |
|
Airborne Integrated Data Systems |
| AIG |
|
Accident Investigation & Prevention (ICAO Divisional) |
| AIM |
|
Aeronautical Information Management |
| AIM-FANS |
|
Airbus Interoperable Modular FANS |
| AIMS |
|
Aircraft Information Management System |
| AIP |
|
Aeronautical Information Publication |
| Air |
|
Report (message designator) |
| AIRAC |
|
Aeronautical Information Regulation & Control |
| AIRC |
|
Aeronautical Information & Control |
| AIRCOM |
|
Air Communications |
| AIREP |
|
Plain language form of Air Report |
| Airspace |
|
and Traffic Management |
| AIRSTRM |
|
Assuring the Implementation of Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radio-active Materials |
| AIS |
|
Aeronautical Information Services |
| AIXM |
|
Aeronautical Information eXchange Model |
| AL |
|
Approach Lights |
| ALPA |
|
Asociacion de Pilotos de Lineas Aereas (Argentina) |
| ALPA |
|
Japan Air Line Pilots' Association of Japan |
| ALPA-A |
|
Air Line Pilots' Association of Armenia |
| ALPA-E |
|
Air Line Pilots' Association of Ethiopia |
| ALPA-FYROM |
|
Air Line Pilots' Association of The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia |
| ALPA-Int |
|
Air Line Pilots' Association - International |
| ALPA-K |
|
Air Line Pilots' Association of Korea |
| ALPA-M |
|
Airline Pilots' Association - Malta |
| ALPA-S |
|
Air Line Pilots' Association - Singapore |
| ALPA-SA |
|
Air Line Pilots' Association - South Africa |
| ALPA-SL |
|
Air Line Pilots' Association of Slovenia |
| ALPAP |
|
Air Line Pilots' Association of the Philippines |
| ALPL |
|
Association Luxembourgeoise des Pilotes de Ligne |
| ALR |
|
IFALPA's Airport Liaison Representative Program |
| ALRS |
|
Approach Lighting System |
| ALT |
|
Altitude (above mean sea level) |
| ALTN |
|
Alternate aerodrome |
| AMA |
|
Area Minimum Altitude |
| AMC |
|
Air Traffic Control Microphone Check |
| AMCP |
|
Aeronautical Mobile Communications Panel |
| AMDA |
|
Airlines Medical Directors Association |
| AMOSA |
|
Association of Aviation Maintenance Organisations of Southern Africa |
| AMPL |
|
Association Marocaine de Pilots de Ligne |
| AMSL |
|
Above Mean Sea Level |
| AMSS |
|
Aeronautical Mobile Satellite System |
| AMSSP |
|
Aeronautical Mobile Satellite Service Panel |
| ANC |
|
Air Navigation Commission |
| ANConf |
|
Air Navigation Conference |
| ANPAC |
|
Associazione Nazionale Piloti Aviazione Commerciale (Italy) |
| ANPP |
|
Air Navigation Plan Publication |
| ANSPs |
|
Air Navigation Service Providers |
| ANT |
|
Air Navigation Team (Eurocontrol) |
| AO |
|
Aircraft Operator |
| AOA |
|
Aircrew Officers Association |
| AOAS |
|
Advanced Oceanic Automation System |
| AOC |
|
Airline Operational Control |
| AOCI |
|
Airport Operators Council International |
| AOPG |
|
Aerodrome Operations Planning Group |
| APA |
|
Allied Pilots Association |
| APA(CV) |
|
Air Line Pilots Association (Cape Verde) |
| APANPIRG |
|
Asia/Pacific Air Navigation Planning and Implementation Regional Group APATSI Airport/air traffic system interface |
| APDSG |
|
Airspace Planning & Development Sub-Group |
| APEC |
|
Aircraft Performance Evaluation & Certification |
| APG |
|
Asosiasi Pilot Garuda |
| APGSL |
|
Air Line Pilots' Guild of Sri Lanka |
| API |
|
Advanced Passenger Information |
| APIRG |
|
African Planning and Implementation Regional Planning Group |
| APLRIM |
|
Association des Pilotes de Lignes de Mauritanie |
| APM |
|
Accident Prevention Manual |
| APN |
|
Apron |
| APP |
|
Approach Control |
| APPA |
|
Asociacion Profesional de Pilotos Aviadores de Costa Rica |
| APPLA |
|
Associacao Pilotos Portugueses Linha Aerea (Portugal) |
| APU |
|
Auxiliary Power Unit |
| APV |
|
Approach with Vertical Guidance |
| AQM |
|
Aircom Quality Performance |
| AR |
|
Administrative Recommendation |
| ARAC |
|
Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee (FAA) |
| ARASCNAC |
|
Air traffic services Routes for Aircraft with Self-contained Navigational Capabilities |
| ARC |
|
Area Chart |
| ARCP |
|
Aerodrome Reference Code Panel |
| ARINC |
|
Aeronautical Radio INCorporated |
| ARITRM |
|
Assessment of the Radiological Impact from the Transport of Radioactive Materials |
| ARM |
|
Airspace Risk Model |
| ARO |
|
Air traffic services reporting office |
| ARP |
|
Aerodrome Reference Point |
| ARQ |
|
Automatic error correction |
| ARST |
|
Arresting (part of an aircraft arresting system) |
| AS |
|
Altostratus |
| ASA |
|
Airservices Australia |
| ASAP |
|
Aviation Safety Action Programme |
| ASC |
|
Aviation Safety Council Ascend to or ascending |
| ASD |
|
Air Situation Display |
| ASDA |
|
Accelerate Stop Distance Available |
| ASE |
|
Altimetry System Error |
| ASECNA |
|
Agence pour la Securité de la Navigation en Afrique et à Madagascar (Agency for Security and Navigation for Africa and Madagascar) |
| ASIP |
|
AVPAC (Aviation VHF-Very High Frequency- Packet Communication) Simple Interface Protocol |
| ASM |
|
Air Space Management |
| AsMA |
|
Aerospace Medical Association |
| ASP |
|
AIRCOM Service Processor |
| ASPA |
|
Asociacian Sindical de Pilots Aviadores de Mexico |
| ASPENN RPG |
|
Aeronautical Fixed Service Planning Study EUR/NAM/NAT Regional Planning Group |
| ASPH |
|
Asphalt |
| ASPLAB |
|
Asociacion Sindical de Pilotos del Lloyd Aereo (Bolivia) |
| ASPP |
|
Aeronautical Fixed Service Systems Planning for Data Interchange Panel |
| ASTERIX |
|
All Purpose Structured EUROCONTROL Radar Information Exchange |
| ASTOR |
|
Aircraft Simulation for Traffic Operations Research |
| ATA |
|
Air Transport Association of America |
| ATAFG |
|
African Air Traffic Analysis and Forecasting Group |
| ATAG |
|
Air Transport Action Group |
| ATC |
|
Air Traffic Control |
| ATCA |
|
Air Traffic Controllers Association (USA) |
| ATFM |
|
Air Traffic Flow Management |
| ATIS |
|
Aerodrome Terminal Information Service |
| ATIS-B |
|
Automatic Terminal Information Service - Broadcast |
| ATK |
|
Air Traffic Controller Acknowledgement (service) |
| ATLA |
|
Air Transport Licensing Authority |
| ATM |
|
Air Transport Management |
| ATMCP |
|
Air Traffic Management Operational Concept Panel |
| ATMG |
|
Airspace and Traffic Management Group |
| ATMRPP |
|
ATM Requirements and Performance Panel |
| ATN |
|
Aeronautical Telecommunications Network |
| ATNP |
|
Aeronautical Telecommunications Network Panel |
| ATPL |
|
Air Transport Pilot Licence |
| ATS |
|
Air Traffic Services |
| ATS |
|
Air Traffic Services |
| ATSB |
|
Air Transportation Stabilisation Board Australian Transport Safety Bureau |
| ATSU |
|
Air Traffic Services Unit |
| ATTCS |
|
Automatic Takeoff Thrust Control Systems |
| ATV |
|
Associazione Tecnici di Volo Aviazione Civile (Italy Flight Engineers) |
| ATZ |
|
Aerodrome Traffic Zone |
| AUS-ALPA |
|
Australian Air Line Pilots Association |
| AUSEP |
|
Australian RNAV Separation Standards |
| AVLC |
|
Aviation VHR Link Control |
| AVMED |
|
Aviation Medicine |
| AVPAC |
|
Aviation VHF (Very High Frequency) Packet Communication |
| AVSEC |
|
Aviation Security |
| AWO JAA |
|
All Weather Operations |
| AWOP |
|
All Weather Operations Panel |
| AWPA |
|
Australian Women Pilots' Association |
| AWY |
|
Airway |
