U.S. domestic NOTAMs
Supports the FAA domestic NOTAM envelope and all 20 FAA keyword families, including runway, taxiway, aerodrome, navigation, communications, airspace and procedural notices.
NOTAM DECODER
Decode a NOTAM
Paste a U.S. domestic or structured international NOTAM to decode its location, validity, keyword or Q-code, operational status and other structured fields.
Try an example:
NOTAM FORMAT
How the NOTAM decoder works
The original NOTAM remains visible while coded and structured fields are separated into a clearer operational summary.
International NOTAMs
Decodes the structured Q, A, B, C, D, E, F and G fields, NOTAM lifecycle, validity, location and documented Q-line information.
NOTAM Q-codes
Q-code subjects and statuses are decoded from the FAA Appendix B vocabulary while the original code remains visible for reference.
READING NOTAMS
How to read a NOTAM
A NOTAM communicates time-sensitive aeronautical information that can affect flight operations. Depending on the format, it can identify an aerodrome or other affected location, describe the operational condition, specify when the notice is effective and include coded information about the subject and status.
Structured fields are shown alongside the original NOTAM. This allows the decoded result to be checked directly against the issued message without replacing its operational text.
Location and affected facility
The NOTAM identifies the location or facility affected by the notice. Depending on the format, this can include an aerodrome, runway, taxiway, navigation aid, communications facility or defined airspace.
Effective time and validity
NOTAMs specify when the information becomes effective and when it ends. The decoded validity can include a temporary end time, an estimated end time or a permanent indication such as PERM.
Operational condition
The body describes the actual operational change or condition. Examples can involve closures, unserviceable facilities, restrictions, hazards or changes affecting normal aviation operations.
INTERNATIONAL FORMAT
International NOTAM fields
Structured international NOTAMs use labelled fields to organize the affected area, validity and operational information. The decoder reads the documented Q, A, B, C, D, E, F and G fields and presents their values separately.
Q) qualifier line
The Q-line can contain the FIR, Q-code, traffic, purpose and scope qualifiers, lower and upper flight levels, and geographic coordinates with a radius. These values are separated without discarding the original qualifier text.
A), B) and C)
The A field identifies the affected aerodrome or location. B gives the effective start and C gives the end of the validity period or a permanent indication such as PERM.
D), E), F) and G)
These fields can provide schedules, the operational NOTAM text and applicable lower or upper limits. Their presence depends on the notice being issued.
Q-CODES
What is a NOTAM Q-code?
A NOTAM Q-code is a coded subject-and-status combination used in the qualifier line of structured international NOTAMs. The code helps identify what the notice concerns and the reported condition or status.
Q-code meanings are taken from the FAA Appendix B vocabulary. The reference contains 178 subject components and 78 status components. The complete Q-code remains visible alongside the decoded subject and status.
LIFECYCLE
NOTAMN, NOTAMR and NOTAMC
Structured NOTAMs identify their lifecycle with NOTAMN, NOTAMR or NOTAMC. NOTAMN identifies a new NOTAM, NOTAMR identifies a replacement and NOTAMC identifies a cancellation.
Replacement and cancellation notices reference the related NOTAM serial where required. That relationship is retained in the decoded notice.
U.S. DOMESTIC FORMAT
U.S. domestic NOTAM keywords
U.S. domestic NOTAMs use FAA keyword families to identify the type of information being reported. The decoder recognizes all 20 keyword families in the documented FAA domestic registry.
These include runway, taxiway and apron information together with aerodrome, obstruction, navigation, communications, service, airspace, procedural and security-related keyword families. Additional keyword-specific detail is interpreted only where its format is established by the available FAA documentation.
RELATED TOOLS
Related aviation decoders
For observed aerodrome weather, use the METAR Decoder. Forecast aerodrome conditions can be decoded with the TAF Decoder. Significant en-route weather advisories can be checked with the SIGMET Decoder.
SCOPE
Current decoder coverage
The decoder covers the documented FAA domestic NOTAM structure and the international fields described above. International NOTAM practices can vary by authority, and fields or conventions outside the documented formats are left uninterpreted rather than assigned an assumed meaning.