This glossary is written for virtual airline and flight simulation use within Virtual Air Canada Airline. It is not intended as a real-world aviation reference.
WX
Weather
WX is the standard aeronautical abbreviation for weather, used universally in ATC communications, pilot reports, NOTAMs, weather products, and flight planning documentation. The abbreviation appears throughout aviation shorthand - in METAR and TAF codes, in ACARS messages, in dispatch communications, and in FMS and ECAM/EICAS system messages. Its brevity is practical in a domain where concise, unambiguous communication reduces workload and minimises the chance of misunderstanding.
Weather is one of the most significant factors in aviation decision-making. Dispatchers and flight crew analyse weather products including METARs (current conditions), TAFs (aerodrome forecasts), SIGMETs, PIREPs, radar imagery, and upper wind charts before and during every flight. En-route weather deviations, holding due to destination weather, and diversions to alternates are all weather-driven decisions that require clear communication between flight deck and operations. Modern aircraft are equipped with weather radar systems (WXR) that allow crews to detect and deviate around convective activity in real time, and datalink weather services deliver updated information directly to the cockpit via ACARS or satellite systems during flight.