Updated 18th July 2025

A NOTAM management system intuitively automates the collation, filtering and distribution of NOTAMs to pilots and within flight operations.

Improving safety awareness and communication while reducing the risk of errors, a process that is commonly manual and time-consuming.

In this article we look in-depth at FAA NOTAMs, explaining the benefits of an automated NOTAM monitoring system and the different types of NOTAMs…

What is a notam? 

A NOTAM is a notice issued by aviation authorities or airport operators to inform pilots and flight operations, of potential hazards or changes to conditions that could affect the safety of a flight.

The function of a NOTAM is to provide all flight crew with full situational awareness of any factors that may impact the safety of their flight operations.

It is compulsory that pilots review all relevant NOTAMs before each fligh, for informed decision making with the latest information.

Filtering NOTAMs by severity on an EFB application makes it easier for pilots to see the most critical and latest.

What does a NOTAM stand for?

A NOTAM stands for either Notice to Air Missions or Notice to Airmen.

FAA NOTAMs

There is a wide range of NOTAMs that the FAA issues.

FAA NOTAMs include temporary airspace restrictions, changes to airport infrastructure or equipment, runway closures, alerts about nearby wildlife hazards, notices of military activity, and much more.

These can be accessed through various resources such as online NOTAM search tools, via digital briefings on the pilots EFB app or communication with air traffic controllers.

The OCC can also manage NOTAM monitoring using their dispatch and planning software, and during Flight Watch duties. 

Different types of NOTAMs

There are different types of NOTAM monitoring classifications. How they are classified depends on the level of significance and amount of information provided.

A NOTAM system filters the different types based on critical importance.

Here’s a few different types:

• Flight Data Center (FDC): These notices, provide information about changes in regulations, procedures, routes, or airspace that apply on a national level.
• NOTAM (D): These relate to navigation aids, such as changes in radio frequencies or airport lighting.
• Military NOTAM (M): These could be related to military training exercises, missile launches, or temporary flight restrictions.
• Pointer NOTAM (P): These are NOTAMs that highlight pilots to another crucial NOTAM  not to be missed.
• Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR): These are airspace notices where the FAA has imposed temporary restrictions on flights, usually related to security or safety.

Benefits of a NOTAM system

Did you know... on an average day, approximately 35,000 NOTAMs circulate globally, yet up to 20% are outdated or irrelevant, making pilot briefings cluttered and inefficient

A NOTAM system is designed to help aviation businesses manage and automate the distribution of relevant NOTAMs efficiently to flight operations & flight crew.

Automating this process, helps reduce errors and improve the speed and accuracy of communication. 

Learn how Nesma enhanced their OCC situational awareness...

NOTAM Watch has proved to be a valuable tool at Nesma OCC, providing flight dispatchers with situational awareness after releasing a flight and during flight following in case any changes happens to the situation either at destination, alternates on Enroute alternates.

We have a had a flight called back following an eruption of a volcano in Italy which closed our destination, luckily with NOTAM watch we were the first to know and called the flight back hence reducing disruption over all the fleet. I would definitely recommend it.

Ahmed Hassan Manager, Nesma Airlines

A NOTAM management system sends email alerts and notifications to keep relevant OCC staff informed of any changes to NOTAMs that are important to them.

The benefit of using our skybook NOTAM system is that it integrates with the electronic flight bag, giving pilots quick awareness of critical warnings.

Other modules such as airfield monitoring, graphically visualise weather & NOTAM awareness, which makes a huge difference to OCC teams!

NOTAM filtering

The skybook NOTAM filter allows operators to refine NOTAM data that they receive to be focused on their most critical notices, as well as managing NOTAM type exclusions that may not be as relevant.

NOTAMs can be filtered by: Timeframe, Location, category, priority and soon by keywords.

Filtering also helps pilots streamline their briefing process by highlighting critical safety or security NOTAMs, eliminating the need to sift through large amounts of irrelevant information.

NOTAM alerts

NOTAM alerts are notifications sent via email, messaging or within a dispatch management portal that are intelligently reviewed and automatically sent to the relevant team member when there are significant NOTAM updates.

Ensuring OCC teams are aware of any critical changes that may impact their flights.

NOTAM alerts enable the OCC to make informed decisions, allowing them to adjust routes, schedules, or operations to maintain safe and efficient flight operations.

Added value of our NOTAM system

A NOTAM system helps aviation organisations maintain safety and compliance by ensuring critical information reaches OCC and flight crews quickly and accurately.

Automating the NOTAM workflow is no longer optional, it’s mission critical...

Book a demo to explore how skybook’s NOTAM Watch powers real-time awareness while reducing clutter and risk.