Scheduled Time of Arrival (STA)

A STA is the desired time that an aircraft should cross a certain point (landing or metering fix). It takes other traffic and airspace configuration into account. A STA time shows the results of the TBFM scheduler that has calculated an arrival time according to parameters such as optimized spacing, aircraft performance, and weather.

Source: FAA Pilot/Controller Glossary (definition from the 2023 edition; current: Change 1 of 7 August 2025).

Related terms

Glossary last updated 2026-10-28.

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