A Glossary of Aviation Terms
Do you know the meaning of codeshare, and that there is actually a difference between non-stop and direct flights? Here you can learn the most common aviation terms and their meaning.
An airline is a company that offers regular air transport services, either for passengers or for goods. Some of the biggest airlines in the world are American Airlines, China Southern Air Holding and Delta Air Lines. Many airlines have formed alliances that enable them to cooperate – the three biggest alliances in the world are Star Alliance, SkyTeam and Oneworld.
An air carrier can either be an airline or an aircraft assigned by, for example, a government agency to carry people or cargo.
A codeshare agreement means that two or more airlines work together and offer seats on each other’s flights. Each flight is operated by one carrier, and the cooperating airlines can sell seats on that flight and assign it their own flight number.
Choosing a connecting flight means that you will reach your destination through two or more flights. This means that you will land and change aircraft at least once during your flight. Sometimes you might need to move between terminals or re-check luggage.
A direct flight means you reach your destination without having to change planes, though it may include technical stops. For truly non-stop travel, look for a flight labeled ‘non-stop’.
A flight leg is a single non-stop flight between two airports. Your full journey may include multiple legs before reaching your final destination.
Flight length refers to the distance of a route, usually in miles or kilometers, and often categorized as short-, medium-, or long-haul.
Some airlines define hauls by distance (e.g., long-haul = 3000+ miles), others by duration (short-haul up to 3h, medium 3-6h, long 6-12h).
Each flight has its own flight number, usually consisting of the airline’s two-letter IATA code and up to four digits. East/northbound flights are often even-numbered; west/southbound, odd.
Flight time is the duration of a flight, measured in hours and minutes — for example, New York (JFK) to Paris (CDG) takes about 7 hours.
IATA (International Air Transport Association) is a global trade association representing nearly 300 airlines, accounting for over 80% of worldwide air traffic.
A non-stop flight takes you directly to your destination without any intermediate landings — the most convenient option for air travel.
Transit means connecting — a flight with one or more stops before reaching your final destination.
A PNR is a unique booking record in the airline or travel agency system. It stores passenger details, flight segments, ticket numbers, and special requests. It can be shared between airlines and global distribution systems (GDS).
A GDS is a worldwide computerized network that enables travel agencies and booking platforms to access flight, hotel, and car rental data. Major GDSs include Amadeus, Sabre, and Travelport (Galileo).
ICAO is a specialized UN agency that defines global standards for aviation safety, air navigation, airport codes, and environmental protection.
ATC is the service responsible for managing aircraft movement in the air and on the ground to maintain safe distances between aircraft.
ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival) and ETD (Estimated Time of Departure) indicate the expected arrival and departure times for a flight.
The process of confirming your presence on a flight, choosing seats, and receiving a boarding pass. Can be done online or at the airport.
A document — digital or printed — that allows passengers to enter the secure area and board their aircraft.
A four-letter airport code defined by ICAO, used for flight operations and navigation (e.g., Ben Gurion = LLBG, Heathrow = EGLL). Unlike IATA codes, ICAO codes are used by pilots and air-traffic systems.
A runway is the strip of land where aircraft take off and land. Each runway is numbered by its magnetic heading (e.g., 08/26). Large airports often have parallel runways.
Taxiways are the paths connecting runways with terminals and hangars. Aircraft use them to move on the ground before take-off or after landing.
METAR is an aviation weather report updated hourly, giving temperature, visibility, wind, and cloud conditions at an airport (e.g., LLBG 101120Z 27010KT CAVOK 28/16 Q1012).
TAF (Terminal Aerodrome Forecast) is a weather forecast for pilots, covering expected wind, visibility, and conditions at an airport for up to 30 hours.
CTOT (Calculated Take-Off Time) or ‘slot time’ is an assigned window for an aircraft to depart, used by air-traffic flow management to prevent congestion.
APIS is an international security system where airlines transmit passenger passport data to border authorities before arrival or departure.
SSR (Secondary Surveillance Radar) and ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast) are systems that identify and track aircraft in real time, improving flight safety and monitoring.