World Englishes, Applied Linguistics, and Air Traffic Control Communication

Air traffic control (ATC) communication in international aviation is conducted in a variety often referred to as Aviation English. Based on an analysis of the Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), two specialized sub-registers of Aviation English are identified in previous research, namely, standardized phraseology for routine circumstances and plain Aviation English for unusual situations. A closer look at authentic routine ATC communication, however, shows that the reality is considerably more complex. The results of a discussion of standardization and variation in Aviation English, together with the findings of a case study on the use of non-prescribed greetings in routine ATC communication at two international airports, suggest that there are patterns of regional differences at various levels of language use and thus regional Aviation Englishes. This has a number of implications for World Englishes, English for Specific Purposes, Applied Linguistics, and their intersections.