Zulu Time

Zulu Time is the aviation term for Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), which is the primary time reference for all aviation operations worldwide. The "Z" suffix (from the NATO phonetic alphabet: Zulu) denotes UTC time to avoid confusion with local time zones.

All flight plans, METARs, TAFs, NOTAMs, ATC communications, and aviation operations use Zulu time. For example, 1430Z means 2:30 PM UTC. Using a single time reference eliminates confusion when aircraft cross multiple time zones.