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SIDs and STARs Explained

· One min read
Bartek
Training Director

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SIDs and STARs are published routes that standardize how aircraft leave and arrive at busy airports.

A SID (Standard Instrument Departure) guides an aircraft from the runway to the en-route airway network. A STAR (Standard Terminal Arrival Route) does the reverse, leading it from the airway network toward the approach.

The benefits are practical:

  • Less radio traffic, since the route is already known
  • Predictable flows that keep departures and arrivals apart
  • Built-in noise abatement and terrain clearance

Instead of dictating every turn, a controller can say "cleared via the SID" or "descend via the STAR", and both sides know exactly what to expect.