Approach with echo

Some controlled airports have a recorded message available to aviators on a designated frequency, that advertises the active runway, direction of landing, wind direction and speed, and other pertinent information useful to pilots who intend to land there. The service is called Automatic Terminal Information Service (ATIS). The information is changed when conditions at the airport change significantly enough to warrant an update. Each update is given an alphabetic designator such as the example in this question: echo, for the letter 'e,' the fifth update. When a pilot makes the initial contact with the tower, he/she can say he/she "has echo,' i.e., he/she has heard the message, understands its content, and is prepared to operate his/her aircraft accordingly.