No news is good news, and that's why a flight path without a single NOTAM — a notification of problems or abnormal conditions — is a good thing! A NOTAM is a real-time status update for pilots and flight crews.
NOTAM is an acronym, short for Notice to Airmen or Notice to Air Missions. These notices alert pilots to temporary changes that aren't on the permanent charts: e.g., a runway hazard or closure, restricted air space due to a space launch, or military flight training exercises taking place. NOTAMs use shorthand to keep the messages concise: "!XYZ 03/042 XYZ RWY 09/27 CLSD WED 0900-1700" warns that Runway 09/27 at Airport XYX is closed for maintenance on Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.