Thank-you messages for air traffic controllers.

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How to write a great thank-you to ATC

• Be specific. "The storm on our way into Denver last Tuesday" means more than "thanks for everything."
• Keep it short. Two or three sentences is perfect. Controllers read these on a break.
• Leave out personal details. No flight numbers, tail numbers or last names are needed. The facility is enough.
• Old flights count. A trip from years ago that still matters to you is a wonderful thing to write about.

Below are example messages to copy or adapt. They're starting points, not real posts.

Messages from passengers

• "Thank you for getting my family home safely for the holidays. We never see you, but we're grateful you're there."
• "Smooth flight, on-time landing, and I didn't think twice about it. That's because of you. Thank you."
• "I fly for work every week and never stopped to say it: thank you for keeping every one of those flights safe."
• "Thank you for the calm, steady work that got 180 strangers and me home tonight."
• "First trip with our new baby. Thank you for making it an uneventful one!"
• "To the night shift: thank you for watching over the red-eye while the rest of us slept."
• "Thank you for getting my mom home safely after visiting us. She landed smiling."
• "You turned a long travel day into a safe one. Thank you."

After a storm, a delay or a rough day

• "Thank you for steering us around the thunderstorms on the way in. We never felt a bump."
• "The delay was long, but I know you were keeping everyone safe. Thank you for your patience with all of us."
• "Fog, wind and a full arrival push, and you still got us down safely. Thank you."
• "Thank you for the reroute around the weather. A few extra minutes in the air beats the alternative every time."
• "We diverted, we waited, and we made it. Thank you for handling a hard night so calmly."

For nervous flyers

• "I'm a nervous flyer, and knowing you were watching our flight the whole way helped more than you know. Thank you."
• "Thank you for the smoothest flight I've had in years. This anxious flyer is grateful."
• "I used to dread flying. Learning how much you all do behind the scenes made it easier. Thank you."

From pilots

• "Thank you for your patience on my first solo. You made a nervous student feel like a pilot."
• "Thanks for the help with the flight following on a busy afternoon. Calm, clear and on top of it."
• "Thank you for the shortcut direct on a long day. Small thing for you, big deal for a tired crew."
• "Thanks for squeezing in my practice approaches between the arrivals. Much appreciated."
• "Checkride day, busy frequency, and you still made it easy. Thank you."
• "Thanks for catching what I missed. That's exactly why you're there, and I'm grateful."

On the radio, keep it brief and only when the frequency isn't busy: a quick "thanks for the help today" when you switch frequencies is plenty. Longer notes are better on the wall.

Short messages for a card

• "Thank you for getting us home safely."
• "Grateful for the voices we never hear. Thank you, ATC."
• "Every safe landing starts with you. Thank you."
• "Thank you for keeping the sky safe."
• "From all of us in seat 23B and beyond: thank you."
• "You keep the world moving. Thank you, controllers."

For holidays and special days

• "Thank you for working Thanksgiving so the rest of us could get home for it."
• "Merry Christmas to the controllers keeping the sky safe tonight. Thank you."
• "Happy International Day of the Air Traffic Controller! Thank you for all you do, every day."
• "Happy New Year to everyone on position tonight. Thank you for a year of safe flights."

Where to send it

Every U.S. tower, approach control (TRACON) and en route center has its own free thank-you wall on Thank ATC. Search for your airport, or type your route and we'll show every facility that likely handled your flight, so you can thank them all at once.

See who handled your flight →

Common questions