EDCT stands for what?

• A. Estimated Departure Clearance Time
• B. Expected Departure Control Time
• C. Expect Departure Clearance Time
• D. Elapsed Departure Clearance Time

Answer: (C)

EDCT is the time ATC expects to issue the departure clearance to a flight. It serves as a planning reference to sequence departures and manage runway and airspace capacity, especially when flow restrictions are in effect. The word “expect” signals readiness and anticipation for clearance, helping pilots and controllers stay coordinated as traffic increases.

In practice, if you’re told to expect a departure clearance at a certain time, you should be ready to receive and act on clearance then. The other options imply different ideas (a forecasted time, a control-related time, or elapsed time) that don’t match how this term is used in coordinating departures.