Federal Aviation

Administration

ICAO NOTAM 101 for

Airport Operators

Presented to: Airport Operators

By: Federal Aviation Administration
Date: September 2021

Federal Aviation
Administration
ICAO NOTAM Format

• The FAA is changing the format for Notice to Airmen

(NOTAM) to align with international standards. The
transition to the new format will ensure U.S.
NOTAMs are compliant with standards set by the
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
• The implementation of the ICAO NOTAM format
promotes further global harmonization among
neighboring Air Navigation Service Providers
(ANSPs) and compliance with ICAO standards for
NOTAMs.
• The target date for implementation is December
2024.

Federal Aviation 2
Administration
 Benefits
• Improved accuracy and accessibility of NOTAM data for
pilots, dispatchers and NOTAM consumers
• Provides NOTAM consumers with one consistent format
for domestic and international operations
• Allows for enhanced search, sorting, filtering, and
archiving capabilities of NOTAM data
• Promotes further global harmonization among
neighboring Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs)
and compliance with ICAO standards for NOTAMs

Federal Aviation
Administration
What is a NOTAM?
• A NOTAM is a notice containing information that is
essential to personnel concerned with flight
operations but that is not known far enough in
advance to be publicized by other means.
• NOTAMs concern the establishment, condition, or
change of any component (facility, service,
procedure, or hazard) in the NAS. They must state
the abnormal status of a component of the NAS —
not the normal status.

Federal Aviation 4
Administration
FAA ICAO NOTAM Policy Order
FAA policies and procedures will be revised to incorporate the International Civil
Aviation Organization (ICAO) Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs)

The FAA will publish an updated version of the 7930.2 Notices to Airmen and Advisory
Circular 150/5200-28 Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs) for Airport Operators that follow
the ICAO SARPs for ICAO compliant NOTAMs.
• Annex 15, Aeronautical Information Services,
• Procedures for Air Navigation Services — ICAO Abbreviations and Codes (PANS-
ABC, Doc 8400),
• Procedure for Air Navigation Services- Aeronautical Information Management
(AIM) (DOC 10066)
• Aeronautical Information Services Manual (Doc 8126)

Target Date for Implementation is December 2024.

Federal Aviation 5
Administration
ICAO NOTAM Format
The ICAO NOTAM Format is displayed on
Series Action (N,R,C) this slide.
B0667/21 NOTAMN • The content of the NOTAM will largely
Q) KZAU/QMRLC/IV/NBO/A/000/999/4159N08754W005 remain the same, the NOTAM format
A) KORD<Location> will change.
B) 2106231700<From> • The next slide will depict a comparison
C) 2106232300<To> of the ICAO formation and Domestic
D) <Schedule> NOTAM Format.
E) RWY 04L/22R CLSD
F) <Lower Limit>
G) <Upper Limit> Traffic (I,V)
Purpose (N,B,O)
Scope (A,E,W)
NOTAM Lower Limit
FIR Code Upper Limit
Q) KZAU/QMRLC/IV/NBO/A/000/999/4159N08754W005 Coordinates

Federal Aviation 6
Administration
 ICAO and Domestic NOTAM Format Comparison
ICAO NOTAM Format

Domestic NOTAM Format

Federal Aviation 7
Administration
NOTAM Example
The next section of slides will define and explain
the ICAO NOTAM format. RWY 04L/22R
is closed
• The example NOTAM is for Runway 04L/22R
Closed at Chicago O’Hare International
Airport (ORD). ORD is located within the
Chicago ARTCC (KZAU) Flight Information
Region (FIR).
• The effective time for the NOTAM is June 23,
2021 from 1700 to 2300z.

Domestic NOTAM Format

!ORD 06/001 ORD RWY 04L/22R CLSD 2106231700-
2106232300

Federal Aviation 8
Administration
ICAO NOTAM SERIES

In the ICAO format, NOTAMs are organized by B0667/21 NOTAMN

Series, with each Series covering a specific Q) KZAU/QMRLC/IV/NBO/A/000/999/4159N08754W005
NOTAM condition. A) KORD <Location>
• The Series is the first element of the B) 2106231700 <From>
NOTAM, followed by the NOTAM Number. C) 2106232300 <To>
D) <Schedule>
• The NOTAM series assist with sorting and E) RWY 04L/22R CLSD
filtering. F) <Lower Limit>
NOTAMs are numbered consecutively by Flight G) <Upper Limit>
Information Region (FIR), and series beginning
with S0001 each year. In this example, B is the Series for
• The NOTAM number and year of issuance movement areas and 0667/21 is
are separated by a forward slash; for
example, S0211/15, S0002/15. the NOTAM Number.

Federal Aviation 9
Administration
ICAO NOTAM Series
Series Name Domestic NOTAM
Subject
B Aerodrome Movement Areas RWY, TWY
The FAA will utilize 13 different
C Published Services COM, WX, ATC series for NOTAMs.
D Special Activity Airspace SAA
The Department of Defense
E Airspace Events and Activities PJE, Gliders, Etc.
G Airways and Air Traffic Routes
(DoD) uses F, L, M, V, W, and
H Regulatory NOTAMs FDC, TFR, Security,
X Series for Military NOTAMs
I Apron/Ramp and Facilities APN
J Obstructions OBST, Crane, BLDG,
Non-FCC Tower
NOTAM Series will replace
K FCC Obstructions ASR assigned
N Ground-Based Navigational Aids NAVAID
keywords used in Domestic
R Field Condition NOTAM RWY, TWY, APN NOTAM Format.
V Published Instrument Procedures IFP
Z Satellite Based Information GPS

**Note: Series may be updated with final publication of the ICAO NOTAM order
Federal Aviation 10
Administration
ICAO NOTAM Type

B0667/21 NOTAMN This example is a new NOTAM

Q) KZAU/QMRLC/IV/NBO/A/000/999/4159N0875W005
A) KORD <Location> and the message identification
B) 2106231700 <From> indicates NOTAMN.
C) 2106232300 <To>
D) <Schedule>
E) RWY 04L/22R CLSD Message Type of NOTAM
F) <Lower Limit> ID
G) <Upper Limit> NOTAMN Contains new information

NOTAMR Replaces previous NOTAM

The Action indicates the type of NOTAM.
NOTAMC Cancels previous non-auto cancel
NOTAM

Federal Aviation 11
Administration
Qualifier Line – “Q” Line
FIR NOTAM TRAFFIC PURPOSE SCOPE LOWER UPPER COORDINATES/ RADIUS
CODE

KZAU QMRLC IV NBO A 000 999 4159N08754W005

A qualifier line contains coded information, coordinates, and radius for

area for automated filtering of NOTAMs
• Used for system filtering, sorting and prioritization.
• Information may not be visible to pilot in display of NOTAM
information.
Example of the “Q”
Q) KZAU/QMRLC/IV/NBO/A/000/999/4159N08754W005
Line.

Federal Aviation 12
Administration
 Qualifier Line – Flight Information Region (FIR)

FIR NOTAM TRAFFIC PURPOSE SCOPE LOWER UPPER COORDINATES/ RADIUS

CODE

KZAU QMRLC IV NBO A 000 999 4159N08754W005

The first field of the qualifier line is the Flight Information Region (FIR). A FIR is
defined as the ICAO location indicator of the FIR in which the subject of the NOTAM is
located geographically.
• In CONUS, FIR identifiers are based on the Air Route Traffic Control Centers
(ARTCC) airspace boundaries and identifiers.
• Replaces the Flight Service Station accountability.
• FDC, CARF, GPS accountability not compliant in ICAO. These NOTAM categories
will have a specific NOTAM Series designated.
• Three (3) letter identifier are not allowed. This example
uses
Q) KZAU/QMRLC/IV/NBO/A/000/999/4159N08754W005 KZAU as the FIR.

Federal Aviation 13
Administration
Qualifier Line – Flight Information Region (FIR)

NOTAMs are numbered consecutively by Flight

Information Region (FIR).
• The NOTAM number and year of issuance
are separated by a forward slash.
• For example, S0211/21, S0002/21.

Each FIR will have a unique set of numbers for

NOTAM numbering.
• Within each FIR, each series will have an
unique set of beginning with S0001 each Note: FIR Airspace boundaries for TJZS,
year. KZWY, KZAK are not displayed on the map.

Federal Aviation
Administration
Qualifier Line – Flight Information Region (FIR)
Below is the listing of FIRs for the National Airspace System (NAS):

Location Identifier Location Identifier

Albuquerque KZAB Kansas City KZKC
Atlanta KZTL Los Angeles KZLA
Anchorage PAZA Memphis KZME
Boston KZBW Miami KZMA
Chicago KZAU Minneapolis KZMP
Cleveland KZOB New York KZNY
Denver KZDV Oakland KZOA
Fort Worth KZFW Salt Lake KZLC
Guam PGZU San Juan TJZS
Honolulu PHZH Seattle KZSE
Houston KZHU Washington KZDC
Indianapolis KZID New York Oceanic KZWY
Jacksonville KDJX Oakland Oceanic KZAK

Federal Aviation
Administration
Qualifier Line - NOTAM Code

FIR NOTAM TRAFFIC PURPOSE SCOPE LOWER UPPER COORDINATES/ RADIUS

CODE

KZAU QMRLC IV NBO A 000 999 4159N08754W005

The second field of the qualifier line is the NOTAM code.

• The NOTAM Code forms the basis upon which NOTAM qualifiers
TRAFFIC, PURPOSE, and SCOPE are determined for inclusion
in Item Q) of the NOTAM Format, in addition to defining the
abbreviated plain-language text which appears in Item E).
• All NOTAM code groups contain a total of five letters.
• The first letter is always the letter Q. The second and third letters
identify the subject, and the fourth and fifth letters denote the The example uses
condition of the subject being reported. QMRLC as the
Q) KZAU/QMRLC/IV/NBO/A/000/999/4159N08754W005 NOTAM code.

Federal Aviation 16
Administration
Qualifier Line - Traffic

FIR NOTAM TRAFFIC PURPOSE SCOPE LOWER UPPER COORDINATES/ RADIUS

CODE

KZAU QMRLC IV NBO A 000 999 4159N08754W005

This qualifier relates the NOTAM to a type of traffic and allows Type of Traffic
retrieval according to the user’s needs. I Instrument Flight Rules (IFR)
• Depending on the NOTAM subject and content, the qualifier field V Visual Flight Rules (VFR)
K NOTAM is a Checklist
TRAFFIC may contain the combined qualifiers.
• Where possible, the appropriate qualifier will be driven by the
direct-entry digital NOTAM drop down menus.

This example
displays IV as the
Q) KZAU/QMRLC/IV/NBO/A/000/999/4159N08754W005
Traffic.

Federal Aviation 17
Administration
Qualifier Line - Purpose

FIR NOTAM TRAFFIC PURPOSE SCOPE LOWER UPPER COORDINATES/ RADIUS

CODE

KZAU QMRLC IV NBO A 000 999 4159N08754W005

The Purpose qualifier relates a NOTAM to Purpose description

certain purposes (intentions) and thus allows N NOTAM selected for the immediate attention of aircraft
retrieval according to the user’s requirements. operators
B NOTAM selected for pre-flight information briefing
• Depending on the NOTAM subject and O NOTAM concerning flight operations
content, the qualifier field PURPOSE may M Miscellaneous NOTAM; not subject for briefing, but is
contain combined qualifiers. This example available on request
displays NBO as the Purpose. K NOTAM is a Checklist

This example
displays NBO as
Q) KZAU/QMRLC/IV/NBO/A/000/999/4159N08754W005
the Purpose.
Federal Aviation 18
Administration
Qualifier Line – Scope

FIR NOTAM TRAFFIC PURPOSE SCOPE LOWER UPPER COORDINATES/ RADIUS

CODE

KZAU QMRLC IV NBO A 000 999 4159N08754W005

The scope qualifiers are used to categorize NOTAMs.

• Depending on the NOTAM subject and content, the Scope Description
A Aerodrome
qualifier field SCOPE may contain combined qualifiers. E Enroute
• Where possible, the appropriate qualifier will be driven W
K
Navigation warning
Checklist
by the direct-entry digital NOTAM drop down menus.

This example uses

Q) KZAU/QMRLC/IV/NBO/A/000/999/4159N08754W005 A as the scope.

Federal Aviation 19
Administration
Qualifier Line – Lower and Upper

FIR NOTAM TRAFFIC PURPOSE SCOPE LOWER UPPER COORDINATES/ RADIUS

CODE

KZAU QMRLC IV NBO A 000 999 4159N08754W005

The lower and upper limit field applies mainly to airspace

related NOTAMs but are not limited to them.
• Most aerodrome-related information, qualifier scope
‘A’, refers to ground installations for which the insertion
of lower/upper limit is not relevant.
• Therefore, such NOTAMs must include the default This example uses
values of 000/999. 000 for Lower and
Q) KZAU/QMRLC/IV/NBO/A/000/999/4159N08754W005 999 for Upper.

Federal Aviation 20
Administration
Qualifier Line – Coordinates and Radius

FIR NOTAM TRAFFIC PURPOSE SCOPE LOWER UPPER COORDINATES/ RADIUS

CODE

KZAU QMRLC IV NBO A 000 999 4159N08754W005

•The coordinates represent the point of influence, or the approximate

center of a circle whose radius encompasses the whole area of
influence. It is specified by an 11-character latitude and longitude
accurate to one minute.
•The radius is a three-digit distance representing the radius of
This example
influence in whole nautical miles. A radius that includes a decimal will displays
be rounded to the next higher whole nautical mile. The radius 4159N0875W as
impacts the pilot briefing coverage and number of NOTAMs received the coordinates
in a NOTAM query, so it must be as precise as possible. and 005 as the
Q) KZAU/QMRLC/IV/NBO/A/000/999/4159N08754W005 radius.

Federal Aviation 21
Administration
 ICAO NOTAM Body
The body of the ICAO NOTAM is broken into eight different items. The
NOTAM content is captured in an organized compilation of specific
mandatory and optional fields.
Q) KZAU/QMRLC/IV/NBO/A/000/999/4159N08754W005 Q) A qualifier line, which contains coded information,
A) KORD <Location> coordinates, and radius for area for the automated filtering of
B) 2106231700 <From> NOTAMs
C) 2106232300 <To> A) ICAO location indicator of the aerodrome or FIR in which
D) <Schedule> the facility, airspace, or condition being reported is located.
E) RWY 04L/22R CLSD B) Effective date/time (UTC)
F) <Lower Limit>
C) Expiration date/time (UTC)
G) <Upper Limit>
D) Schedule (optional)
E) Plain language text description of information
F) Lower altitude limit (Used with Airspace NOTAMs)
G) Upper altitude limit (Used with Airspace NOTAMs)

Federal Aviation
Administration
NOTAM Body Item A) Location

The A) field is the ICAO location indicator of the B0667/21 NOTAMN

aerodrome or FIR in which the facility, Q) KZAU/QMRLC/IV/NBO/A/000/999/4159N08754W005
airspace, or condition being reported is located. A) KORD <Location>
B) 2106231700 <From>
• Only one aerodrome designator must be
C) 2106232300 <To>
entered in Item A). D) <Schedule>
• For aerodrome, activity must take place E) RWY 04L/22R CLSD
F) <Lower Limit>
within 5 statute miles of the Airport
G) <Upper Limit>
Reference Point (ARP); and the
condition/activity must have direct impact
on local operations. In this example, KORD is the
• No more than seven FIRs may be location and impacted aerodrome.
indicated in Item A).

Federal Aviation 23
Administration
NOTAM Body Item B) From and Item C) To

Item B) From: This entry is the date and time B0667/21 NOTAMN
that the NOTAM becomes in force which is Q) KZAU/QMRLC/IV/NBO/A/000/999/4159N0875W005
equivalent to the date and time at which the A) KORD <Location>
activity or condition described in Item E) B) 2106231700 <From>
begins. C) 2106232300 <To>
D) <Schedule>
Item C) To: A date-time group must be used to E) RWY 04L/22R CLSD
annotate the time that the NOTAM is no longer F) <Lower Limit>
in effect which is equivalent to the time at G) <Upper Limit>
which the activity or condition described in Item
E) is expected to be no longer valid. In this example, Item B) From is
2106231700 and Item C) is
2106232300.
All Times will be designated in UTC.
The effective time for the NOTAM is
June 23, 2021 from 1700 to 2300z.

Federal Aviation 24
Administration
NOTAM Body Item C) To: NOTAM Duration

The duration of the NOTAM should not exceed

three (3) months (90 days).
• Exceptions will be based on operational need,
agreed upon between the NOTAM authority
and the supervisory authority.
A NOTAM is no longer valid and will expire at the
time specified in Item C) if not replaced or
cancelled before the expiration time.

Federal Aviation 25
Administration
NOTAM Body Item C) To: PERM

When a NOTAM is originated for a permanent change to

published aeronautical information, “PERM” must be
inserted in lieu of a ten-figure date-time group.
• Prior to the issuance of a PERM NOTAM, the originator
must demonstrate that the publication process has been
initiated.
A NOTAM which includes PERM in Item C) must be
cancelled by the originator within fifteen (15) days of the
information being published.

Under no circumstances should a NOTAM with Item C)

PERM remain in effect for more than one (1) year from the
effective date.

Federal Aviation 26
Administration
NOTAM Body Item D) Schedule

The D) Schedule is an optional field. B0667/21 NOTAMN

If the hazard, status of operation, or condition Q) KZAU/QMRLC/IV/NBO/A/000/999/4159N08754W005
A) KORD <Location>
of facility being reported on will be active in
B) 2106231700 <From>
accordance with a specific date and time C) 2106232300 <To>
schedule between the dates times indicated in D) <Schedule>
Items B) and C), insert such information under E) RWY 04L/22R CLSD
Item D). F) <Lower Limit>
G) <Upper Limit>

In this example, Item D) is not

used. An example of schedule is:
D) MON WED THU 0900-1300, TUE FRI
SAT 0900-2000

Federal Aviation 27
Administration
NOTAM Body Item D) Schedule

The following are approved abbreviations for

use in Item D):
• EXC – For designating a full day or a series of full
days when the NOTAM is NOT active.
• SR – If appropriate, to indicate sunrise.
• SS – If appropriate, to indicate sunset.
• H24 – For the whole day/dates concerned. Not to
be used as a single entry.
• DLY – Optional for a ‘daily’ schedule, the
expression ‘nightly’ will not be used. The graphic depicts multiple time frames
within Item D). Example:
• EVERY – For a schedule on fixed days.
B) 2202100600 C) 2202292359
• AND – If used, will be included in front of the last D) SUN 0600-1700, WED FRI H24
date, group, or time period specified in Item D).

Federal Aviation 28
Administration
NOTAM Body Item E) NOTAM Text

The Item E) NOTAM Text field describes is the B0667/21 NOTAMN

condition in which the NOTAM is being issued Q) KZAU/QMRLC/IV/NBO/A/000/999/4159N08754W005
or put into force. A) KORD <Location>
B) 2106231700 <From>
The text must be kept brief, yet contain all
C) 2106232300 <To>
essential information needed to accurately D) <Schedule>
convey the changes in condition. E) RWY 04L/22R CLSD
F) <Lower Limit>
• NOTAM Text must be composed of the
G) <Upper Limit>
significations/uniform abbreviated
phraseology assigned to the ICAO NOTAM In this example, RWY 04L/22R
Code complemented by approved ICAO
abbreviations, indicators, identifiers,
CLSD is the NOTAM text.
designators, call signs, frequencies, figures
and plain language.

Federal Aviation 29
Administration
NOTAM Body Item E) NOTAM Text

When entering information into the NOTAM Text field:

• Avoid using local slang phrases and non-approved
abbreviations to eliminate confusion.
• Plain language text may include advisories
regarding the impact of the hazard on operations
and anticipated delays.
• Each line must be limited to no more than 69
characters which includes spaces until the carriage
return is entered.

Federal Aviation 30
Administration
ICAO NOTAM Contractions

NOTAMs have a unique language

characterized by the use of specialized
contractions.
• Contractions are imperative to the NOTAM
structure because they make
communication more efficient and allow
computer systems to parse important words.
• The ICAO is the leading authority for
standardizing contractions in the
international aeronautical community.
• If there is no ICAO contraction, plain
language is used.

Reference AC 150/5200-28F, NOTAMs for Airport Operators for complete listing of

NOTAM Contractions

Federal Aviation 31
Administration
NOTAM Body Item F) and Item G)

Items F) Lower Limit and G) Upper Limit are B0667/22 NOTAMN

required for navigation warnings and airspace Q) KZAU/QMRLC/IV/NBO/A/000/999/4159N08754W005
restrictions. A) KORD <Location>
B) 2106231700 <From>
• Surface (SFC), an altitude in feet, or a flight C) 2106232300 <To>
level can be specified. D) <Schedule>
E) RWY 04L/22R CLSD
• Unlimited (UNL) may be used to describe an F) <Lower Limit>
upper limit. G) <Upper Limit>

In this example, Upper and Lower Limit are not

used. An example of Lower and Upper Limit is:
F)1500FT AGL G)17999FT AMSL
This means from 1,500 feet AGL to 17,999 feet
above mean sea level.

Federal Aviation 32
Administration
 Best Practices for ICAO NOTAM Origination
When originating an ICAO NOTAM ask yourself ICAO
the following questions: Format

• Is the NOTAM in ICAO format? Proper

Contractions
NOTAM
Criteria
• Does this action require a NOTAM and/or meet
NOTAM Criteria? NOTAM
• Is the duration less than three months? Origination

• Is the NOTAM Text of an appropriate length? NOTAM Text Duration

of less than
• Does a Qualifier-code (“Q” code) exist for the appropriate three
length months
NOTAM?
• Are the proper contractions being used for the Qualifier
Code
NOTAM?

Source: https://fixingnotams.org/notameter/ Federal Aviation 33

Administration
 References

ICAO NOTAM Webpage: https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/flight_info/aeronav/notams

Aeronautical Information Portal:
https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/flight_info/aeronav/aero_data/Aeronautical_Inquiries/
NOTAM Search: https://notams.aim.faa.gov/notamSearch/
Aeronautical Information Services Homepage: https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/flight_info/aeronav/
Flight Service Pilot Portal: https://www.1800wxbrief.com/Website/#!/

Federal Aviation 34
Administration