NOTAMs by Airport

What is a NOTAM, and how do you read one?

A NOTAM (Notice to Air Missions, called a Notice to Airmen until 2021) is an official FAA notice about something that can affect a flight but is not on the charts yet: a closed runway or taxiway, a crane near the approach path, a navigation aid out of service, a changed procedure or a temporary airspace restriction. Pilots and dispatchers check the NOTAMs for every airport on their route before each flight.

US domestic NOTAMs follow a fixed pattern. Take !JFK 10/208 JFK RWY 13R/31L CLSD 2610141100-2610141500: !JFK is the location that issued it, 10/208 its number (the 208th of October), JFK the airport it affects and RWY the keyword, which sets the category (TWY taxiway, OBST obstacle, NAV navaid, AIRSPACE and so on). Next comes the condition, here runway 13R/31L closed, and last the times it applies, written as year, month, day, hour and minute in UTC: 14 October 2026, 1100Z to 1500Z.

The abbreviations take practice (CLSD closed, OTS out of service, LGT light, AGL above ground level). Paste any NOTAM into the NOTAM decoder to read it in plain English, or search the NOTAMs for any US airport.