4-3-3

Abbreviated Departure Clearance

JO 7110.65BB, Change 3, effective July 9, 2026 · Official text on faa.gov

Issue an abbreviated departure clearance if its use reduces verbiage and the following conditions are met:
Reference

FAA Order JO 7110.65, Para 4-2-8, IFR‐VFR and VFR‐IFR Flights.
1. The route of flight filed with ATC has not been changed by the pilot, company, operations officer, input operator, or in the stored flight plan program prior to departure.
  Note
  
  A pilot will not accept an abbreviated clearance if the route of flight filed with ATC has been changed by him/her or the company or the operations officer before departure. He/she is expected to inform the control facility on initial radio contact if he/she cannot accept the clearance. It is the responsibility of the company or operations officer to inform the pilot when they make a change.
2. All ATC facilities concerned have sufficient route of flight information to exercise their control responsibilities.
  Note
  
  The route of flight information to be provided may be covered in letters of agreement.
3. When the flight will depart IFR, destination airport information is relayed between the facilities concerned prior to departure.
  Example
  1. A tower or flight service station relay of destination airport information to the center when requesting clearance:
    “Request clearance for United Four Sixty‐One to O'Hare.”
  2. A center relay to the tower or flight service station when initiating a clearance:
    “Clearance for United Four Sixty‐One to O'Hare.”
  Note
  
  Pilots are expected to furnish the facility concerned with destination airport information on initial radio call‐up. This will provide the information necessary for detecting any destination airport differences on facility relay.
4. The assigned altitude, according to the provisions in paragraph 4-3-2, Departure Clearances, subparagraph e, is stated in the clearance.
If it is necessary to modify a filed route of flight in order to achieve computer acceptance due, for example, to incorrect fix or airway identification, the contraction “FRC,” meaning “Full Route Clearance Necessary,” or “FRC/(fix),” will be added to the remarks. “FRC” or “FRC/(fix)” must always be the first item of intra‐center remarks. When “FRC” or “FRC/(fix)” appears on a flight progress strip, the controller issuing the ATC clearance to the aircraft must issue a full route clearance to the specified fix, or, if no fix is specified, for the entire route.
Example

“Cleared to Missoula International Airport, Chief Two Departure to Angley; direct Salina; then as filed; maintain one seven thousand.”

Note

Changes, such as those made to conform with traffic flows and preferred routings, are only permitted to be made by the pilot (or his/her operations office) or the controller responsible for initiating the clearance to the aircraft.
Specify the destination airport in the clearance.
When no changes are required in the filed route, state the phrase: “Cleared to (destination) airport, ([SIDname and number] and SID transition, as appropriate); then, as filed.” If a SID is not assigned, follow with “As filed.” If required, add any additional instructions or information, including requested altitude if different than assigned.
Use one of the following when the SID contains published crossing restrictions:
1. Instruct aircraft to “Climb via SID.”
2. Instruct aircraft to “Climb via SID except maintain (altitude)” when a top altitude is not published or when it is necessary to issue an interim altitude.
  Note
  
  Use of “Climb via SID Except Maintain” to emphasize a published procedural constraint is an inappropriate use of this phraseology.
Instruct aircraft to MAINTAIN (altitude) when:
1. No SID is assigned.
2. A SID does not contain published crossing restrictions and/or is a SID with a Radar Vector segment or is a Radar Vector SID.
3. A SID is constructed with a Radar Vector segment and contains published crossing restrictions after the vector segment.
  Phraseology
  
  CLEARED TO (destination) AIRPORT;
  and as appropriate,
  (SID name and number) DEPARTURE,
  THEN AS FILED.
  
  When the SID does not contain published crossing restrictions and/or is a SID with a Radar Vector segment or a Radar Vector SID; or is a SID with a radar vector segment and contains published crossing restrictions after the vector segment.
  
  MAINTAIN (altitude); (additional instructions or
  information).
  Or when a SID contains published crossing restrictions,
  CLIMB VIA SID.
  CLIMB VIA SID EXCEPT MAINTAIN (altitude); (additional instructions or information).
  If a SID is not assigned,
  CLEARED TO (destination) AIRPORT AS FILED.
  MAINTAIN (altitude);
  and if required,
  (additional instructions or information).
  
  Example
  
  “Cleared to Reynolds Airport; David Two Departure, Kingham Transition; then, as filed. Maintain niner thousand. Expect flight level four one zero, one zero minutes after departure.”
  “Cleared to Reynolds Airport; David Two Departure, Kingham Transition; then, as filed. Climb via SID.”
  “Cleared to Reynolds Airport; David Two Departure, Kingham Transition; then, as filed. Climb via SID except maintain flight level two four zero. Expect flight level four one zero, one zero minutes after departure.
  “Cleared to Reynolds Airport as filed. Maintain niner thousand. Expect flight level four one zero, one zero minutes after departure.”
  Note
  1. SIDs are excluded from “cleared as filed” procedures.
  2. If a pilot does not wish to accept an ATC clearance to fly a SID, he/she is expected to advise ATC or state “NO SID” in his/her flight plan remarks.
  Reference
  
  P/CG, Climb Via, Top Altitude.
When a filed route will require revisions, the controller responsible for initiating the clearance to the aircraft must either:
1. Issue a FRC/FRC until a fix.
2. Specify the assigned altitude to maintain, or Climb Via SID, or Climb Via SID except maintain (altitude), as appropriate.
  Phraseology
  
  CLEARED TO (destination) AIRPORT.
  
  Or when the SID does not contain published crossing restrictions and/ or is a SID with a Radar Vector segment or a Radar Vector SID
  (SID name and number) DEPARTURE,
  (transition name) TRANSITION; THEN, AS FILED, EXCEPT CHANGE ROUTE TO READ (amended route portion). MAINTAIN (altitude);
  Or when the SID contains published crossing restrictions,
  CLIMB VIA SID
  CLIMB VIA SID EXCEPT MAINTAIN (altitude).
  and if required,
  (additional instructions or information).
  If a SID is not assigned,
  CLEARED TO (destination) AIRPORT AS FILED,
  EXCEPT CHANGE ROUTE TO READ (amended route
  portion). MAINTAIN (altitude);
  and if required,
  (additional instructions or information).
  
  Example
  
  “Cleared to Reynolds Airport; South Boston One Departure; then, as filed, except change route to read South Boston Victor Twenty Greensboro. Maintain eight thousand, report leaving four thousand.”
  “Cleared to Reynolds Airport; South Boston One Departure; then, as filed, except change route to read South Boston Victor Twenty Greensboro; climb via SID.”
  “Cleared to Reynolds Airport; South Boston One Departure; then, as filed, except change route to read South Boston Victor Twenty Greensboro; climb via SID except maintain flight level one eight zero, expect flight level three one zero one zero minutes after departure.”
  “Cleared to Reynolds Airport as filed, except change route to read South Boston Victor Twenty Greensboro. Maintain eight thousand, report leaving four thousand.”
  “Cleared to Reynolds Airport via Victor Ninety‐one Albany, then as filed. Maintain six thousand.”
In a nonradar environment specify one, two, or more fixes, as necessary, to identify the initial route of flight.
1. Specify the destination airport, when practicable, followed by the word “airport” even though it is outside controlled airspace.
  Phraseology
  
  CLEARED TO (destination) AIRPORT
2. When the clearance limit is a NAVAID, the type of NAVAID must follow the NAVAID name.
  Phraseology
  
  CLEARED TO (NAVAID name and type)
3. When the clearance limit is an intersection or waypoint and the type is known, the type must follow the intersection or waypoint name.
  Phraseology
  
  CLEARED TO (intersection or waypoint name and type)
  
  Example
  
  The filed route of flight is from Hutchinson V10 Emporia, thence V10N and V77 to St. Joseph. The clearance will read:
  “Cleared to Watson Airport as filed via Emporia, maintain Seven Thousand.”
Do not apply these procedures when a pilot requests a detailed clearance or to military operations conducted within ALTRV, stereo routes, operations above FL 600, and other military operations requiring special handling.
Note

Departure clearance procedures and phraseology for military operations within approved altitude reservations, military operations above FL 600, and other military operations requiring special handling are contained in separate procedures in this order or in a LOA, as appropriate.

Reference

FAA Order JO 7110.65, Para 4-2-7, ALTRV Clearance.
FAA Order JO 7110.65, Para 9-2-14, Military Operations Above FL 600.