At EAA AirVenture Oshkosh on Thursday, July 23, 2026, the FAA announced that it is moving forward with Mobile Clearance, a digital system that will allow general and business aviation pilots to request IFR departure clearances through participating electronic flight bag and flight-planning applications.
For many general aviation pilots, obtaining an IFR clearance still requires contacting clearance delivery or another ATC facility by radio, copying the clearance, and reading it back. Mobile Clearance provides another option by moving much of that exchange to a text-based format on a phone or tablet.
At a participating airport, a pilot will be able to submit a request for an IFR departure clearance through a supported application. The clearance can then be reviewed on the pilot’s device instead of being copied entirely over the radio.
The system is similar to the Pre-Departure Clearance (PCD) capability that has been used by commercial operators and airlines for years. According to the FAA, delivering information digitally is intended to reduce readback errors and routine radio traffic while allowing controllers to focus more attention on aircraft and airport operations.
Mobile Clearance changes how an IFR departure clearance may be requested and delivered, but it does not change the pilot’s responsibility to review and understand the clearance before accepting or flying it.
Pilots should carefully check the assigned route, altitude, departure instructions, frequency, and transponder code. Any unexpected instruction or difference from the filed flight plan should be clarified with ATC.
Pilots must also continue to monitor the appropriate frequency and be prepared to communicate directly with ATC. Mobile Clearance is an additional method for obtaining a clearance, not a replacement for normal pilot-controller communication.
The FAA began operational evaluation of Mobile Clearance at several Houston-area airports in May 2026. The evaluation later expanded to Appleton International Airport in Wisconsin and New Century AirCenter in Kansas, with additional locations expected to participate as testing continues.
Availability remains limited to participating airports and supported applications. Pilots should confirm that Mobile Clearance is available at their departure airport and be prepared to obtain their clearance through the normal radio or telephone procedures when it is not.
The FAA is also developing a feature that will allow participating pilots to cancel an IFR clearance through a supported application when transitioning to VFR. This is intended to reduce routine radio traffic and allow controllers to release protected IFR airspace more efficiently.
The current operational evaluation is scheduled to conclude in February 2027. The FAA then plans to begin deploying the final Mobile Clearance system at airports across the United States.
Mobile Clearance does not change how pilots fly an IFR clearance. It changes how that clearance may be requested, received, and reviewed. As the system becomes more widely available, pilots will need to understand when it can be used, carefully review every clearance, and remain prepared to communicate with ATC through existing procedures.
Learn more about FAA Mobile Clearance and use the FAA’s interactive map to see where the service is currently being evaluated and whether it may be coming to an airport near you.
Featured image by Tyler Olson via stock.adobe.com.
