Radiotelephony (RTF) provides the means by which pilots and ground personnel communicate with each other. The information and instructions transmitted are of vital importance in the safe and expeditious operation of aircraft. Incidents and accidents have occurred in which a contributing factor has been the use of non-standard procedures and phraseology. The importance of using correct and precise standardised phraseology cannot be overemphasised.

The goal is to improve safety by raising RTF standards. 

The need for clear and unambiguous communication between pilots and Air Traffic Control (ATC) is vital in assisting the safe and expeditious operation of aircraft. It is important, therefore, that due regard is given to the use of standard words and phrases and that all involved ensure that they maintain the highest professional standards when using RTF. This is especially important when operating within busy sectors with congested frequencies where any time wasted with verbosity and non- standard, ambiguous phrases could lead to flight safety incidents. 

Phraseology has evolved over time and has been carefully developed to provide maximum clarity and brevity in communications while ensuring that phrases are unambiguous. However, while standard phraseology is available to cover most routine situations, not every conceivable scenario will be catered for and RTF users should be prepared to use plain language when necessary following the principle of keeping phrases clear and concise.