In air traffic control, a direct clearance allows an aircraft to fly a straight-line path to a specific fix, waypoint, or destination, bypassing the standard published airways. This saves time and fuel. In airline ticketing, direct means a flight keeps the same flight number from origin to destination, even if it makes an intermediate stop.
Heard on the job
Delta 192, you're cleared direct to the outer marker, maintain three thousand.
Do not mix it up with
- Direct flight: A direct clearance is a navigational path, while a direct flight is a commercial itinerary that may include stops.