Landing permit vs landing permission vs flight clearance

Different countries use different names for the same thing: the authorisation a foreign aircraft needs before it lands or overflies. Using the local term matters — authorities answer requests written in their own vocabulary faster, and search results differ by term. This glossary explains the main variants and where each is used.

Landing permit

The most common international term, used across the Gulf, most of Africa and much of Asia. A landing permit authorises a specific aircraft, operator and schedule to arrive at a country's airports for a stated purpose. Example: Saudi Arabia's GACA landing permit, released to foreign operators through an accredited Saudi agent.

Landing permission

The term used in India and Pakistan, among others. An Indian landing permission is issued by the DGCA and filed through a DGCA-listed flight clearing agency; in Pakistan the PCAA issues the landing permission alongside an Air Defence Clearance (ADC) number.

Flight clearance

A broader term that can cover both the civil permit and the security clearances around it. In India the flight clearance references the ADC and FIC numbers; in Pakistan the PCAA flight clearance runs through the Director Air Transport (DAT) channel. When a country says flight clearance, ask which separate security approvals it includes.

Overflight permit / overfly permit

The authorisation to cross a country's airspace without landing. Some countries issue it separately from the landing permit; others combine both in one document. Routes crossing several FIRs need one per country, and the entry and exit points must agree with the neighbouring countries' permits.

Country by country

Every country page shows the local authority, the local terminology and what LFS coordinates for each flight type:

Request a permit

Send the route, aircraft, schedule and purpose of flight to the LFS 24/7 desk — ops@lfs.aero · +973 1330 0313 — or use the request form. Requirements are confirmed per request.

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