Question re EDDK ACARS PDC contractions/abbreviation

[31wins]

Hello,
Can anyone tell me what some of the abbreviations in a Cologne PDC ACARS message mean?
For instance,

BrandX CLRD TO XXXX OFF 32R VIA KUMIK6B SQUAWK 1200 ADT MDI NEXT FREQ 121.725 ATIS X STARTUP APPROVED

What exactly does the ADT MDI mean? After departure something?? I understand the part about next frequency to call for taxi, i.e., you don't need to get ramp push approval but what is the ADT MDI part?

Thanks,

[ATCO Two]

ADT is Approved Departure Time
MDI is Minimum Departure Interval

[31wins]

So the ADT means they are ok with our departure time? And the MDI? what does that mean for me as an operator? Don't dilly-dally?

Thanks for shedding the light,

[extricate]

Anyone care to elaborate on this?

[360BakTrak]

MDI; there will be a stipulated time between departures on a certain route. A 5 minute MDI, for example, means only 1 departure on that route every 5 minutes. It's a form of flow control to ease congestion during busy periods or weather avoiding, etc.

[Gonzo]

To me it’s saying there is no ADT and no MDI affecting your flight, as there are no times after each abbreviation.

[m99]

According to the eurocae ED-85A specification:

"[3] MDI (Minimum Departure Interval), e.g., three minutes between successive
departures, can be used by ATC instead of ADT (Approved Departure Time) to
provide minimum time spacing of aircraft departures on specific routes. In this
case the pilot should check to determine if there are any MDI delays when reading
back his Departure Clearance

[4] The term ADT (Approved Departure Time) does not have a uniform meaning
all over the world. In some regions, e.g. Europe, ADT is not even used. Instead,
other time parameters are widely utilised and clearly understood by pilots and
controllers, such as EOBT (Estimated Off-Block Time) or CTOT (Calculated Take-
Off Time). Also, some other new parameters will likely be used by ATC in the near
future, such as, COBT (Calculated Off-Block Time) or ETOT (Estimated Take-Off
Time).

In order to avoid confusion about the Departure Time Notification, it is
recommended:
• When the CTOT is available and is provided by the ground system, it should
be given in this field (e.g. ADT 1235) AND the text "CTOT hhmm" (e.g.
CTOT 1235) should be included into the Optional Free Text field of the CLD
message;

• Otherwise, the optional Departure Time Notification field should be omitted.
Instead, it is recommended to include the exact acronym of the time
parameter and its value (if available) into the Optional Free Text field of the
CLD message (e.g. EOBT 1435).

For the European region, in case of flights under CFMU regulation (CTOT
assigned), this will preferably be the uplinked time parameter, in order to comply
with ICAO SUPP –doc 7030/4 EUR region, item 17.6, table 7: “the CTOT shall be
communicated to the pilot at the first contact with the ATC”.

[Packer27L]

[4] The term ADT (Approved Departure Time) does not have a uniform meaning
all over the world. In some regions, e.g. Europe, ADT is not even used. Instead,
other time parameters are widely utilised and clearly understood by pilots and
controllers, such as EOBT (Estimated Off-Block Time) or CTOT (Calculated Take-
Off Time). Also, some other new parameters will likely be used by ATC in the near
future, such as, COBT (Calculated Off-Block Time) or ETOT (Estimated Take-Off
Time).
Isn’t standardisation wonderful?