standard terminal arrival

standard terminal arrival (STAR)

An ATC (air traffic control) coded IFR (instrument flight rules) arrival route established for arriving IFR aircraft destined for certain airports. Its purpose is to simplify clearance delivery procedures. It is a preplanned instrument rule ATC procedure published for pilot use in graphic and/or text form. STARs provide a transition from an en route structure to an outer fix or an instrument approach fix/arrival waypoint in a terminal area.