4-7-1

Clearance Information

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

Clear an arriving aircraft to a clearance limit by specifying the following:

Name of fix or airport.
Phraseology

CLEARED TO (destination) AIRPORT.
Or
CLEARED TO (NAVAID name and type if known).
Or
CLEARED TO (intersection or waypoint name and type if known).
Route of flight including a STAR/RNAV STAR and STAR/RNAV STAR transition, if appropriate. Assign a STAR/RNAV STAR and STAR/RNAV STAR transition to any aircraft in lieu of other routes; e.g., airways or preferential arrival routes when the routings are the same. The clearance must include the name and transition, if necessary, of the STAR/RNAV STAR to be flown.
TERMINAL: When the STAR/RNAV STAR transition is designed to provide course guidance to multiple runways, the facility must state intended runway number on initial contact, or as soon as practical. If the runway assignment, or any subsequent runway change, is not issued prior to 10 NM from the runway transition waypoint, radar vectors to final must be provided.

Phraseology

(STAR/RNAV STAR name and number) ARRIVAL.
(STAR/RNAV STAR name and number) ARRIVAL, (transition name) TRANSITION.
CHANGE/AMEND TRANSITION TO (runway number).
CHANGE/AMEND TRANSITION TO (runway number) TURN LEFT/RIGHT or HEADING (heading) FOR VECTOR TO FINAL APPROACH COURSE.

Example

“Rosewood One arrival.”
“Rosewood One arrival, Delta transition.”
“Change transition to Runway 09 right.”
“Amend transition to Runway 22 left, turn right heading 180 for vector to final approach course.”
Note
1. If a civil pilot does not wish to use a STAR issued in an ATC clearance or any other STAR published for that location, the pilot is expected to advise ATC.
2. Arrival procedure descriptive text contained within parentheses (for example, “Devine One (RNAV) Arrival”) are not included in arrival clearance phraseology.
Altitude instructions, as follows:
1. Assigned altitude; or
2. Instructions to vertically navigate on the STAR or STAR transition.
  Example
  
  “Bayview Three Arrival, Helen Transition, maintain Flight Level Three Three Zero.”
  “Descend via the Civit One Arrival.”
  “Descend via the Lendy One Arrival, Runway 22 left.”
  “Cross JCT at Flight Level Two Four Zero.”
  “Descend via the Coast Two Arrival.”
  “Civit One Arrival, Descend and Maintain Flight Level Two Four Zero.”
  
  Reference
  
  FAA Order JO 7110.65, Para 4-5-7, Altitude Information.
  AIM, Para 5-4-1, Standard Terminal Arrival (STAR) Procedures.
Issue holding instructions, EFC, and additional delay information as required.
Instructions regarding further communications as appropriate.
Reference

FAA Order JO 7110.65, Para 2-1-17, Radio Communications.