# NOTAM Q-Codes Explained: Subjects, Conditions, Examples

> A NOTAM Q-code is the five-letter group in a NOTAM's Q-line: the letter Q, two letters for the subject reported on and two letters for its condition, as in QMRLC for a runway that is closed.

NOTAMbriefing.com, https://notambriefing.com/guides/notam-q-codes. Last updated 2026-09-23.

## How a Q-code is built

The NOTAM Code is defined in ICAO Doc 8400 (PANS-ABC). Every group has five letters, and the first is always Q, chosen so that it cannot be mistaken for a radio call sign. The second and third letters identify the subject; the fourth and fifth letters give its status of operation. The code also standardises the wording of item E), the NOTAM text.

So `QMRLC` reads as Q + `MR` (runway) + `LC` (closed), and `QWPLW` reads as Q + `WP` (parachute jumping exercise, paragliding or hang gliding) + `LW` (will take place).

ICAO Doc 8126 adds the NOTAM Selection Criteria: tables that pair the common codes with the traffic, purpose and scope qualifiers that follow them in the Q-line. That pairing is why a runway closure is listed under the aerodrome in your bulletin and a parachute drop under the navigation warnings. See [how to read a NOTAM](https://notambriefing.com/guides/how-to-read-a-notam) for the whole Q-line.

## Subjects: the second letter

The second letter places the subject in a group. Doc 8400 arranges them as follows:

Table: NOTAM Code subject groups (second letter), per ICAO Doc 8400
| Letter | Group | Example subjects (letters 2–3) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| A | ATM: airspace organization | AC control zone (CTR), AT terminal control area (TMA), AR ATS route, AZ aerodrome traffic zone (ATZ) |
| S | ATM: air traffic and VOLMET services | ST aerodrome control tower, SE flight information service, SA ATIS |
| P | ATM: air traffic procedures | PI instrument approach procedure, PD standard instrument departure, PA standard instrument arrival |
| C | CNS: communication and radar facilities | CA air/ground facility, CS secondary surveillance radar |
| I | CNS: instrument and microwave landing systems | IC ILS, IG glide path, IL localizer |
| G | CNS: GNSS services | GA GNSS airfield-specific operations, GW GNSS area-wide operations |
| N | CNS: terminal and en-route navigation facilities | NV VOR, NB NDB, ND DME, NM VOR/DME |
| L | AGA: lighting facilities | LP PAPI, LA approach lighting system, LR all landing area lighting facilities |
| M | AGA: movement and landing area | MR runway, MX taxiway, MN apron |
| F | AGA: facilities and services | FA aerodrome, FU fuel availability, FF fire fighting and rescue |
| R | Navigation warnings: airspace restrictions | RD danger area, RR restricted area, RP prohibited area, RT temporary restricted area, RA airspace reservation |
| W | Navigation warnings: warnings | WP parachute jumping, WM missile, gun or rocket firing, WA air display, WE exercises, WU unmanned aircraft |
| O | Other information | OB obstacle, OL obstacle lights, OA aeronautical information service |

`XX` as the second and third letters means the subject is not in the code list; item E) describes it in plain language.

## Conditions: the fourth letter

The fourth letter groups the status of operation:

Table: NOTAM Code condition groups (fourth letter), per ICAO Doc 8400
| Letter | Group | Common conditions (letters 4–5) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| A | Availability | AS unserviceable, AU not available, AH hours of service are now as given in item E), AP available with prior permission, AK resumed normal operation, AO operational |
| C | Changes | CA activated, CD deactivated, CE erected, CH changed, CS installed, CN cancelled |
| H | Hazard conditions | HW work in progress, HV work completed, HX concentration of birds, HA braking action |
| L | Limitations | LC closed, LT limited to, LW will take place, LV closed to VFR operations, LI closed to IFR operations |
| XX | Other | No listed condition fits; plain language in item E) |

Two endings are special. `TT` marks a trigger NOTAM that announces an AIRAC AIP amendment or supplement, and `KKKK` (as in `QKKKK`) marks a checklist of valid NOTAMs. NOTAMs that cancel an earlier one use endings such as AK (resumed normal operation), AO (operational), CC (completed), CN (cancelled) or HV (work completed).

## Q-codes pilots meet most often

These codes turn up regularly in European pre-flight bulletins. The decodes follow ICAO Doc 8400; item E) always gives the detail.

Table: Common NOTAM Q-codes and what they usually tell a pilot
| Code | Decode | What it usually tells you |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `QMRLC` | Runway closed | A runway named in item E) is closed; check whether another runway stays available. |
| `QMXLC` | Taxiway closed | A taxiway, or part of one, is closed; expect a different taxi route. |
| `QFALC` | Aerodrome closed | The aerodrome is closed, often with exceptions listed in item E). |
| `QFALT` | Aerodrome limited | Operations are restricted; item E) says to whom or to what. |
| `QFAHW` | Aerodrome work in progress | Works on the aerodrome; item E) says where and what is affected. |
| `QFAAH` | Aerodrome hours of service are now as given in item E) | Opening hours differ from those published in the AIP. |
| `QOBCE` | Obstacle erected | A new obstacle, often a crane, with position, height and elevation in item E). |
| `QOLAS` | Obstacle lights unserviceable | The lighting of a charted obstacle is out; matters at night and in poor visibility. |
| `QLPAS` | PAPI unserviceable | No visual approach slope guidance on the runway named in item E). |
| `QICAS` | ILS unserviceable | The whole ILS is out of service. |
| `QNMAS` | VOR/DME unserviceable | The navaid is out; procedures and routes that rely on it may be affected. |
| `QPIAU` | Instrument approach procedure not available | The procedure named in item E) cannot be flown. |
| `QACCA` | Control zone activated | A part-time CTR is active, with its clearance and radio rules. |
| `QRTCA` | Temporary restricted area activated | A temporary restricted area is active, for example around an air display or a special event. |
| `QRRCA` | Restricted area activated | A published restricted area is active; entry is restricted to the published conditions. |
| `QRDCA` | Danger area activated | A published danger area is active; activity dangerous to aircraft may take place inside. |
| `QRACA` | Airspace reservation activated | A reserved volume of airspace is active; see [TRA and TSA](https://notambriefing.com/guides/flexible-use-of-airspace). |
| `QWMLW` | Missile, gun or rocket firing will take place | Firing inside the limits given in items F) and G). |
| `QWPLW` | Parachute jumping exercise will take place | Parachuting, paragliding or hang gliding around the point given. |
| `QWALW` | Air display will take place | An air display; often paired with a temporary restricted area. |
| `QWELW` | Exercises will take place | Military or other exercises inside the limits in items F) and G). |
| `QWULW` | Unmanned aircraft will take place | Unmanned aircraft activity inside the limits in items F) and G). |

The code tells you what kind of notice it is; only item E) tells you which runway, which crane and how high.

## Worked example: decoding two codes

Two codes, decoded letter by letter:

- `QMRLC`: M is the movement and landing area group and MR is runway; L is the limitations group and LC is closed. Runway closed. Its Q-line normally carries scope A, so it is listed under the aerodrome in item A) of your bulletin.
- `QWMLW`: W is the warnings group and WM is missile, gun or rocket firing; LW is will take place. Firing will take place. It is a navigation warning, so items F) and G) give its vertical limits and the Q-line lower and upper fields restate them as flight levels (with terrain elevation added to any AGL limit).

## What the code cannot tell you

The Q-code is a strong first filter, but it has limits:

- The issuing NOTAM office chooses the code. OPADD asks offices to choose the operationally significant one: a parking area closed for works is `QMKLC` (closed), not `QMKHW` (work in progress). Practice still varies between offices.
- A NOTAM deals with one subject and one condition. Related changes, such as a navaid outage and the procedures that depend on it, can arrive as separate NOTAMs with different codes.
- `XX` in either half means no listed code fitted. Read item E).
- Filtering a bulletin by Q-code alone can hide something important. Narrow by time, area and height first, then by subject.

## Before your next flight

Use the code to triage, then read the notice:

- Brief your [route](https://notambriefing.com/guides/notam-route-briefing) or an [airport radius](https://notambriefing.com/guides/airport-radius-notam-briefing) so only the relevant NOTAMs remain.
- Check the R and W codes against your altitude and time window; [graphical NOTAMs](https://notambriefing.com/guides/what-is-a-graphical-notam) show them on the map.
- Look up any abbreviation in the [NOTAM and airspace glossary](https://notambriefing.com/glossary).

## Common pilot questions

### What does QMRLC mean in a NOTAM?

QMRLC means runway closed: MR is the subject (runway) and LC is the condition (closed). Item E) of the NOTAM names the runway and gives any details or exceptions.

### Is the Q-code the same as the Q-line?

No. The Q-line is item Q) of the NOTAM and has eight fields: FIR, NOTAM code, traffic, purpose, scope, lower and upper limits, and coordinates with a radius. The Q-code is the second of those fields.

### What does XX mean in a NOTAM Q-code?

XX means no listed code fits. As the second and third letters it means the subject is not in the NOTAM Code; as the fourth and fifth letters it means the condition is not listed. In both cases item E) explains in plain language.

### Where is the official list of NOTAM Q-codes?

The codes are defined in ICAO Doc 8400 (PANS-ABC). The combinations used in practice, with their traffic, purpose and scope qualifiers, are in the NOTAM Selection Criteria in ICAO Doc 8126. Both are ICAO documents; several aviation authorities publish decode tables online.

### What does TT at the end of a Q-code mean?

TT marks a trigger NOTAM. It announces an AIRAC AIP amendment or supplement, and its item E) starts with the words TRIGGER NOTAM.

## Sources

- [Doc 8400, PANS-ABC: ICAO Abbreviations and Codes (the NOTAM Code)](https://store.icao.int/en/procedures-for-air-navigation-services-pans-icao-abbreviations-and-codes-doc-8400), ICAO
- Doc 8126, Aeronautical Information Services Manual, Chapter 6 Appendix B (NOTAM Selection Criteria), ICAO
- [EUROCONTROL Guidelines, Operating Procedures for AIS Dynamic Data (OPADD), Edition 4.1](https://www.eurocontrol.int/publication/eurocontrol-guidelines-operating-procedures-ais-dynamic-data-opadd), EUROCONTROL
- [FAA Order JO 7930.2, Appendix B, International NOTAM (Q) Codes](https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/atpubs/notam_html/appendix_b.html), US Federal Aviation Administration