background image

AIM

4/20/23

Appendix 4

19

FAA Form 7233

 International Flight Plan

EXAMPLE

DCT APN J177 LEXOR/N0467F380 J177 TAM/N0464F390 J177

6. Delay En Route (Item 15, Item 18 DLE/)

(a)

 ICAO defines Item 18 DLE/ to provide information about a delay en route. International flights with

a delay outside U.S. domestic airspace should indicate the place and duration of the delay in Item 18 DLE/. The
delay is expressed by a fix identifier followed by the duration in hours (H) and minutes (M), HHMM.

EXAMPLE

DLE/EMI0140

(b)

 U.S. ATC systems will accept but not process information in DLE/. Therefore, for flights in the lower

48 states, it is preferable to include the delay as part of the route (Item 15). Delay in this format is specified by
an oblique stroke (/) followed by the letter D, followed by 2 digits for hours (H) of delay, followed by a plus sign
(+), followed by 2 digits for minutes (M) of delay: /DHH+MM.

EXAMPLE

DCT EMI/D01+40 DCT MAPEL/D00+30 V143 DELRO DCT

7.

 

Destination Airport (Item 16, Item 18 DEST/)

(a) 

Enter the destination airport. The airport should be identified using the four

letter location identifier

from FAA Order JO 7350.9, Location Identifiers, or from ICAO Document 7910. FSS and FAA contracted flight
plan filing services will allow up to 11 characters in the destination field. This will permit entry of non

ICAO

identifier airports, and other fixes such as an intersection, fix/radial/distance, and latitude/longitude coordinates.
Other electronic filing services may require a different format.

NOTE

While user interfaces for flight plan filing are not specified, all flight plan filing services must adhere to the appropri-
ate Interface Control Document upon transmission of the flight plan to the control facility.

(b)

 When the intended destination (Item 16) is outside of domestic U.S. airspace, or if using the paper

version of FAA Form 7233

4, or if the chosen flight plan filing service does not allow non

ICAO airport

identifiers in Item 13 or Item 16, use the following ICAO procedure. Enter four Z’s (ZZZZ) in Item 13 and
include the non

ICAO airport location identifier, fix, or waypoint location in Item 18 DEP/. A text description

following the location identifier is permissible in Item 18 DEP/.

EXAMPLE

DEST/06A MOTON FIELD
DEST/4AK6
DEST/MONTK
DEST /3925N07722W

8. Total Estimated Elapsed Time (Item 16)

All flight plans must include the total estimated elapsed time from departure to destination in hours (H) and
minutes (M), format HHMM.

9. Alternate Airport (Item 16, Item 18 ALTN/)

(a) 

When necessary, specify an alternate airport in Item 16 using the four

letter location identifier from FAA

Order 7350.9 or ICAO Document 7910. When the airport does not have a four

letter location identifier, include

ZZZZ in Item 16c and file the non

standard identifier in Item 18 ALTN/. 

(b) 

While the FAA does not require filing of alternate airports in the flight plan provided to ATC, rules for

establishing alternate airports must be followed.

(c)

 Adding an alternate may assist during Search and Rescue by identifying additional areas to search.

(d) 

Although alternate airport information filed in a flight plan will be accepted by air traffic computer

systems, it will not be presented to controllers. If diversion to an alternate airport becomes necessary, pilots are
expected to notify ATC and request an amended clearance.

EXAMPLE

ALTN/W50 2W2

10/5/23

AIM