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Aeronautical weather

ATIS

A recorded voice repeating in a loop. Trivial? No: it's the airport's automatic brief, and the pilot who knows how to listen to it arrives at tower with half their questions already answered.

4 min read
ICAO Doc 4444 · Annex 11
Stefano Dias, ATCO

What is ATIS

ATIS stands for Automatic Terminal Information Service. It's a bulletin recorded and broadcast in loop on a dedicated frequency, providing pilots all essential operational information about the airport:

  • Runway in use
  • Wind (direction and intensity)
  • Local QNH
  • Visibility and clouds (CAVOK when applicable)
  • Temperature and dewpoint
  • Relevant operational NOTAMs
  • Special notes (e.g. runway works, restrictions)

The bulletin is identified by an ICAO letter (Alpha, Bravo, Charlie...) and is updated at every significant change (usually every 30 minutes).

ATIS arrival vs departure

At large airports there are two separate ATIS: one for arrivals (arrival frequency) and one for departures (departure frequency). They can have different letters and content (e.g. arrival reports which runways are in use for landing, departure those for take-off). At small airfields there's a single combined ATIS.

When to listen to ATIS

ATIS is listened to:

  • Before turning on TWR/GROUND radio for departure (on ground, after avionics on)
  • Before entering the TMA or CTR on arrival (in flight)
  • Periodically in flight to update on weather evolution

The idea is to arrive at the TWR microphone already informed: runway in use known, QNH set, ATIS letter ready to communicate.

What to copy

Having paper and pen is recommended. Copy at least:

  1. ATIS letter (e.g. "Information Bravo")
  2. Runway in use (e.g. "Runway 19")
  3. Wind (e.g. "220° / 8 kt")
  4. QNH (e.g. "1018")
  5. NOTAMs or special notes
Tablet or EFB

Tablets with weather apps (Foreflight, SkyDemon) often receive ATIS via text. Convenient, but doesn't replace listening: some special notes are on audio and not in digital text.

Example of Lugano ATIS

A typical Lugano ATIS sounds like:

Lugano ATIS
Lugano arrival, information Bravo, time one zero three zero, runway in use one nine, wind two two zero degrees seven knots, visibility ten kilometres or more, no significant weather, scattered clouds at four thousand feet, temperature one nine, dewpoint one zero, QNH one zero one eight, end of information Bravo.

Translated: "Lugano arrival, information Bravo, time 10:30 UTC, runway in use 19, wind from 220° at 7 kt, visibility ≥10 km, no significant weather, scattered clouds at 4000 ft, temperature 19°C, dewpoint 10°C, QNH 1018."

Communicating the ATIS letter

When you announce yourself to TWR (on departure) or APPROACH (on arrival), you must communicate the ATIS letter received. It confirms you have updated info:

ATIS communication
HB-PMRLugano Tower, HB-PMR, ready for taxi, with information Bravo.
TWRHB-PMR, taxi to holding point runway 19 via Alpha, QNH 1018.

If meanwhile the ATIS has changed (the letter you hear is "Charlie", no longer "Bravo"), the controller will tell you:

ATIS changed
HB-PMR...with information Bravo.
TWRHB-PMR, information Charlie now current, QNH 1019, runway 19 still in use.
Frequent error

Not having listened to ATIS before calling TWR. The controller will explicitly ask: "HB-PMR, do you have current ATIS?" If the answer is no, they'll give you the essential data verbally — but it's inefficient for everyone, and shows unpreparedness. Always ATIS before first call.

ATIS via D-ATIS and VOLMET

In addition to vocal ATIS, there are other forms of ATIS:

  • D-ATIS (Digital ATIS): textual transmission via CPDLC datalink. Available on many airliners, rare for VFR.
  • VOLMET: ATIS-like but for groups of airports (e.g. VOLMET Europe transmits METARs of Zurich, Geneva, Paris, Frankfurt). See dedicated entry.

Swiss specifics

🇨🇭 Swiss context

Main ATIS frequencies in Switzerland:

- Lugano LSZA: 124.4 (combined arrival/departure) - Locarno LSZL: AERO frequency, no dedicated ATIS - Bern LSZB: 134.025 - Zurich LSZH: 129.0 (arrival), 138.875 (departure) - Geneva LSGG: 132.025 (arrival), 122.05 (departure)

Skyguide updates ATIS at main airports every 30 minutes or at every significant change. The letter proceeds in sequence ABC...

Summary — to remember

  1. ATIS = recorded bulletin with all operational airport info.
  2. Identified by an ICAO letter (Alpha, Bravo, Charlie...).
  3. ALWAYS listen first before calling TWR/APP.
  4. Copy on paper: runway, wind, QNH, letter, NOTAMs.
  5. Communicate the ATIS letter at first call.
  6. Update every 30 min or at significant change.

Sources

  • ICAO Doc 4444 — PANS-ATM, Chapter 4 (Meteorological Service for International Air Navigation)
  • ICAO Annex 11 — Air Traffic Services
  • ICAO Annex 3 — Meteorological Service
  • AIP Switzerland — AD 2 (for each aerodrome, ATIS frequencies)
Want to go beyond theory?

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