Standard Terminal Arrival Route

A Standard Terminal Arrival Route (STAR) is a published IFR flight procedure that provides a pre-planned transition from the en-route airway structure to the initial approach fix (IAF) or a point where radar vectors will be provided for the approach.

• Assigned by ATC: "Expect LENDY2 arrival, runway 28L"
• Includes lateral track, altitude crossing restrictions, and speed constraints
• Reduces ATC workload by pre-defining the descent and routing
• Many STARs include continuous descent profiles for noise and fuel benefits
• RNAV STARs require area navigation capability
• Multiple STARs may serve the same runway from different en-route directions
• Transition fixes connect specific airways to the main STAR route