Aviation Terminology
“THE AIRPORT RUNWAY IS
THE MOST IMPORTANT
MAINSTREET IN ANY TOWN.”
- NORM CRABTREE
“THE AIRPORT RUNWAY IS THE MOST IMPORTANT MAINSTREET IN ANY TOWN.” - NORM CRABTREE
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The aviation industry, like many others, has a secret language all of its
own. Unlike most it is more than just jargon; it is a truly international
language which enables a message sent from, let’s say, Lagos in Nigeria
to be understood by its recipient in, for example, Osaka in Japan, even
though neither side may be familiar with the other’s normal language.
Much of this is laid down by bodies such as IATA (the International Air
Transport Association) and although the basis of this international
language is English it is far from being just a simple adaptation of a few
key words. The standardisation of language was one of the most
significant steps towards making aviation a truly global business in the
aftermath of the Second World War.
Some of the standard terms
covered in this pack include:
• The 24-hour clock
• Day and month codes
• Phonetics
• 3-letter codes
• Aviation terms
• Airimp
• Regulatory bodies
The information in this section will give you the basics that you need to
know to work in an airport, however when you get to your Department,
there will be more terms and jargon to get used to. As with any language
it cannot all be learnt in a day, but you will get used to it very quickly.
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Aviation Terminology

DID YOU KNOW…? The 24-hour Clock

THE 24HR CLOCK WAS
DEVELOPED TO AVOID
MISUNDERSTANDINGS AS A When we use the 24-hour clock, the time is always expressed in four
RESULT OF ‘AM’ AND ‘PM’.
figures. If a time sequence does not have four figures, we add zeros
in front of the time until we do have four figures, so 1:23 am will
become 0123 and 9:15 am will become 0915.

As you will see, when you write out times using the 24hour clock, you
don’t put anything between the hours and the minutes, and you don’t
put am or pm at the end.

Hours after noon are referred to in an increasing numerical sequence

rather than starting again, as we do when we use 12-hour time. For
example, one o’clock in the afternoon becomes the thirteenth hour
(written 1300 and pronounced “thirteen hundred”).

Three o’clock in the afternoon becomes the fifteenth hour (written

1500, pronounced “fifteen hundred”) and 9:15pm becomes the
twenty first hour of the day plus 15 minutes (2115, pronounced “twenty
one fifteen”) there is also no such time as midnight in the airline
industry: a flight will never be scheduled to depart at midnight. 2400
or 0000 are not used in written communications or for ticketing
purposes. Instead, the last minute of the day is written as 2359
(11.59pm) and the first minute of the next day is written as 0001
(12.01am).

Local vs. Zulu Time

As a rule, the majority of our reference material such as daily flight

schedules (mayfly) and the company flight information screens are
always in Greenwich Mean Time or “ZULU” time. All passenger
information and flight information screens are shown in local time.

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Aviation Terminology

“AS THINGS ARE, FLYING IS Day & Month Codes

TOO EXPENSIVE A MODE
OF TRANSPORT TO BE
CONSIDERED BY THE DAY CODES
ORDINARY MAN OR
WOMAN. TO THE GREAT You probably already use general day codes in your daily life,
MAJORITY WITH MEANS, however there are other day codes that you may not be familiar with.
THE DEAFENING ROAR OF
THE ENGINES, THE SENSE
OF DANGER, THE GREAT
Within the airline industry certain systems or information booklets i.e.
UNCERTAINTY, ADDED TO
THE NOT INCONSIDERABLE timetables hold so much information that it would not be possible to
FARE, MORE THAN
BALANCE THE POSSIBLE
put full day or month names in, so they have been standardised and
GAIN IN TIME.” abbreviated.
— NEON, 'THE FUTURE
OF AERIAL TRANSPORT', While working in an airport, you may come across all of the following
THE ATLANTIC MONTHLY
MAGAZINE, JANUARY for Day Codes:
1928.

Monday MON MO 1
Tuesday TUE TU 2
Wednesday WED WE 3
Thursday THU TH 4
Friday FRI FR 5
Saturday SAT SA 6
Sunday SUN SU 7

MONTH CODES
As you may expect, there are similar codes for months.

January JAN 1 July JUL 7

February FEB 2 August AUG 8
March MAR 3 September SEP 9
April APR 4 October OCT 10
May MAY 5 November NOV 11
June JUN 6 December DEC 12
“ONCE YOU GET HOOKED
ON THE AIRLINE BUSINESS,
Whenever you are writing dates, the standard format that you
IT'S WORSE THAN DOPE.” should use is DDMMYY.
— ED ACKER, WHILE
CHAIRMAN OF AIR FLORIDA This means that the 1st of January 2004 would be written as 01JAN04.
“THE AIRPORT RUNWAY IS THE MOST IMPORTANT MAINSTREET IN ANY TOWN.” - NORM CRABTREE

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Aviation Terminology

TIP The Phonetic Alphabet

ONE OF THE SIMPLEST
WAYS TO LEARN THE When you are using radios, the telephone or even talking faceto-face,
PHONETIC ALPHABET IS TO
PRACTICE USING IT TO sometimes words or spellings can be mis-heard.
SPELL WORDS, NAMES OR
EVEN THE LETTERS OF THE
NUMBER PLATE ON THE To overcome the risk of confusion, there is a standard ‘alphabet’ in
CAR AHEAD OF YOU AS
use throughout the aviation world where each letter is represented by
YOU DRIVE HOME.
a word.

A Alpha N November
B Bravo O Oscar
C Charlie P Papa
D Delta Q Quebec
E Echo R Romeo
F Foxtrot S Sierra
G Golf T Tango
H Hotel U Uniform
I India V Victor
J Juliet W Whiskey
K Kilo X X-ray
L Lima Y Yankee
M Mike Z Zulu

You must make yourself familiar with the phonetic alphabet as not only
will you have to use it, but other people will expect you to understand
it when they use it.

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Aviation Terminology

“A RECESSION IS WHEN Aviation Terms

YOU HAVE TO TIGHTEN
YOUR BELT; DEPRESSION IS
WHEN YOU HAVE NO BELT These are common terms used at all airport locations in the Ireland.
TO TIGHTEN. WHEN YOU'VE
LOST YOUR TROUSERS - They are mainly airport related and you will hear them used every day.
YOU'RE IN THE AIRLINE
BUSINESS.”

— SIR ADAM THOMSON

Airside and Landside
All airports in the Ireland (and most airports throughout the world) are
divided in to two areas:

Airside
Where access is restricted to employees who are security pass holders
and arriving or departing passengers

Landside
Which is more or less the public areas of an airport, although there
may be restricted access to parts of Landside. Customs restrictions
apply to Airside and it is an offence to bring certain items such as Duty
Free goods landside except as a passenger.

ATC
Air Traffic Control There is local ATC, national ATC and nowadays a
European ATC based in Brussels known as “Eurocontrol”. They all
work together to ensure safe and efficient use of airspace.

Slot Time(s)
The time allocated to an aircraft by ATC (normally Brussels) which is
when the aircraft must be airborne in order to “slot” into the air traffic
flows. There is usually a tolerance on either side of this, but ATC slots
should never be taken lightly!

Leg, Sector or Route

Where the aircraft will fly to after it leaves the current airport. Leg and
Sector usually refer to the next destination; Route may be used if the
aircraft is due to stop at another airport before reaching its final
destination.

“THE AIRPORT RUNWAY IS THE MOST IMPORTANT MAINSTREET IN ANY TOWN.” - NORM CRABTREE

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Aviation Terminology

“RUNNING AN AIRLINE IS Aviation Terms

LIKE HAVING A BABY: FUN TO
CONCEIVE, BUT HELL TO
DELIVER.” Airbridge
— C. E. WOOLMAN, A movable link between the terminal building and the aircraft. Also
PRINCIPAL FOUNDER known as a “jetty” or “jetway”
DELTA AIR LINES

Airstair
Retractable passenger steps built into an aircraft.
Apron. The area provided for the embarkation, disembarkation,
loading and unloading, and for the parking of aircraft.

APU
Auxiliary Power Unit. A turbine carried by most modern aircraft to
provide electrical power for aircraft systems and pneumatic power for
starting the engines whilst the aircraft is on the ground. It is basically
a small jet engine.

ASU
Air Start Unit. A mobile ground version of an APU but which normally
produces pneumatic power only. Used to start jet engines (by blowing
high-pressure air through them) if the onboard APU is not functioning.

GPU
Ground Power Unit. A mobile electrical generator used when the APU
is not working or when electrical power is needed over an extended
period, making the APU uneconomical

FEP
Fixed Electrical Power is a “mains” equivalent of a GPU built into a
fixed installation such as the terminal building.

Widebody
An aircraft such as a 747 “Jumbo” with more than one aisle between
passenger seats.

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Aviation Terminology

Aviation Terms

Narrowbody
An aircraft with a single aisle between passenger seats.

Hold(s)
The lower compartment(s) of an aircraft used for loading baggage,
cargo and mail. Also referred to as “belly” or “bellies”.

Bulk Loaded
Bags, cargo and mail loaded directly into a hold or holds, usually but
not always narrow bodied aircraft.

Containerised Load
Bags, cargo or mail loaded into containers or onto pallets before
loading into a hold or holds. Usually but not always wide-bodied
aircraft.

Tug
A vehicle used to push or tow aircraft.

Technical or Tech
Usually used in the phrase “the aircraft has gone tech”. This means
there is a fault in the aircraft which may or may not delay its departure.

INDEF#
Indefinite (i.e. time); unable to give an estimate of duration (e.g. “indef
tech”, “indef delayed”).

INOP or U/S
Inoperative or unserviceable. Means the item is not fit for use.

“THE AIRPORT RUNWAY IS THE MOST IMPORTANT MAINSTREET IN ANY TOWN.” - NORM CRABTREE

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Aviation Terminology

“AIR TRANSPORT IS JUST A Airimp Codes

GLORIFIED BUS OPERATION.”

— MICHAEL O'LEARY, A/C Aircraft

RYANAIR CEO, QUOTED IN
BUSINESSWEEK ONLINE, 12
SEPTEMBER 2002 ATA Actual time of arrival

ATC Air Traffic Control

ATD Actual time of departure

AVI Live Animal

BLND Blind passenger

CANX Cancelled

CIP Commercially Important Person

CPM Cargo pallet Message

DCS Departure Control System

DHC Dead Head Crew

ETA Estimated time of arrival

ETD Estimated time of departure

FIM Flight interruption manifest

GMT Greenwich Mean Time

HMC Her Majesty’s Customs (UK)

HOTAC Hotel accommodation

HUM Human remains

IAA Irish Aviation Authority

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Aviation Terminology

“I FEEL ABOUT AIRPLANES Airimp Codes

THE WAY I FEEL ABOUT DIETS.
IT SEEMS THEY ARE
WONDERFUL THINGS FOR LDM Load Message
OTHER PEOPLE TO GO ON.”

— JEAN KERR, THE SNAKE LMC Last minute change

HAS ALL THE LINES, 1958.

LRP Late reporting passenger

MAAS Meet and assist

MCO Miscellaneous change order

MVT Movement Message

MCT Minimum connecting time

MEDA Passenger with notified medical condition

OSI Other service information

PAD Staff passenger

PAX Passengers

PETC Live animals or pets in cabin

PIL Passenger information list

PNL Passenger name list

PSM Passenger Service Message

PTM Passenger transfer message

REG Registration (of aircraft)

RGDS Regards

“THE AIRPORT RUNWAY IS THE MOST IMPORTANT MAINSTREET IN ANY TOWN.” - NORM CRABTREE

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Aviation Terminology

“EVERY TAKEOFF IS Airimp Codes

OPTIONAL. EVERY LANDING
IS MANDATORY... “
RMKS Remarks
- UNKNOWN

RQST Request

SI Service information

SLS Statistical Load Summary

SOM Seat occupied message

STA Scheduled time of arrival

STCR Stretcher

STD Scheduled time of departure

STN Station

TCI Through check-in

TKT Ticket

TOB Total on board

TOD Ticket on departure

UTC Universal Time Constant

WCHC Wheelchair – Totally immobile

WCHR Wheelchair – Assist to / from aircraft

WCHS Wheelchair – Assist on steps

YP Young Person

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Aviation Terminology

Regulatory Authorities

Regulatory bodies set the rules on the way airlines, airports and
handling agents can operate. Here are some of the key authorities
listed below:

CAA – Civil Aviation Authority www.caa.co.uk

The CAA is the governing body of all UK registered airlines, airports
and related companies, and issues regulations through Civil Aviation
Publications - CAP Documents. It also has responsibility for ensuring
that companies working within the aviation industry comply with
the relevant regulations and to check this it audits airlines &
airports as on a regular basis.

IAA – Irish Aviation Authority www.iaa.ie

The IAA is the equivilant of the CAA in Ireland - the governing body
of all Irish registered airlines, airports and related companies, and
issues regulations through Civil Aviation Publications - CAP
Documents. It also has responsibility for ensuring that companies
working within the aviation industry comply with the relevant
regulations and to check this it audits airlines & airports as on a
regular basis.

FAA - Federal Aviation Administration

The FAA is the equivalent of the IAA in the USA and carries out much
the same tasks as the IAA in regulating the aviation industry in the
United States, ensuring compliance with safety standards and
managing air traffic.

Aviation Authorities promote and oversee the safe operation of all

aspects of General Aviation within the State and also the
registered aircraft and license holders wherever they may be
engaged in aviation activity.

IATA - International Air Transport Association

Formed in 1946 to represent and serve the airline industry. Based in
Montreal, with their executive office in Geneva, IATA provides services
to airlines and to the travelling public by regulating the industry.

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Aviation Terminology
ALL STAFF HAVE A
RESPONSIBILITY FOR
MAINTAINING AIRPORT
SECURITY.
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Regulatory Authorities
ICAO - International Civil Aviation Organisation
ICAO is the United Nations agency for civil aviation and works with
national Air Traffic Services and regulatory bodies such as the IAA and
NATS. ICAO is responsible for the introduction of Joint Aviation
Requirements -JAR Ops - the harmonisation of European Union
member states’ civil aviation regulations
SITA - Societe Internationale des Telecommunications
Aeronautiques
Formed in 1949 and wholly owned by airlines, SITA is a global
communications and data network. Airlines and related companies
use the network to send messages and data concerning every aspect
of their businesses, from reservation details to aircraft movement
messages.
EASA
The European Aviation Safety Agency promotes the highest common
standards of safety and environmental protection in Europe. It advises
the EU on aviation legislation, it implements and monitors safety
standards in EU member countries, and it carries out safety and
environmental research.
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