Airline designator

Code designated by IATA to identify an airline (eg. AI for Air India).

Airport code/designator

A three letter code used to identify an airport (eg. DEL for Delhi).

AFTK

Available Freight Tonne Kilometres: the measure of a flight’s freight carrying capacity. Calculated by multiplying the number of tonne of freight on an aircraft by the distance travelled in kilometres. Used to measure an airline’s capacity to transport freight.

ATC

Air Traffic Control.

Air Waybill (AWB or MAWB)

The document made out by or on behalf of the shipper which, when used, evidences the contract between the shipper and carrier(s) forcarriage of goods over routes of the carrier(s).

Airlines ‘Freedoms’

Rights granted to a commercial airline of a country/territory to enter and land in another country/territory. For example:

ACAS

Airborne Collision-Avoidance System (ICAO).

ACI

Airports Council International.

AGM

Annual General Meeting (IATA).

ALPA

Air Line Pilots Association.

ANS

Air Navigation Services.

ANSP

Air Navigation Services Provider.

AOC

Air Operator’s Certificate.

APIS

Advance Passenger Information Systems.

APU

Auxiliary Power Unit.

ARINC

Aeronautical Radio Inc (US).

ASA

Air Services Agreement.

ATC

Air Traffic Control.

ATK

Available Tonne Kilometre.

ATM

Air Traffic Management.

ATN

Aeronautical Telecommunication Network.

ATNS

Air Traffic and Navigation Services.

ATS

Air Traffic Services.

ASK

Available Seat Kilometres: the measure of a flight’s passenger carrying capacity. Calculated by multiplying the number of seats on an aircraft by the distance travelled in kilometres. Used to measure an airline’s capacity to transport passengers.

BSP

Billing Settlement Plan. BSP is a system designed to facilitate and simplify the selling, reporting and remitting procedures of IATA Accredited Passenger Sales Agents, as well as improve financial control and cash flow for BSP Airlines.

Booking

The allotment in advance of space or weight capacity of goods.

Carrier

An industry term for ‘airline’.

CASK

Cost Per Available Seat Km: used to compare costs between airlines with the lower the CASK, the lower the cost of transporting a passenger.

Cabotage

The right of an airline of one country/territory to carry domestic traffic within the territory of another carrier.

Bumped

Airline jargon for a passenger being offloaded from a flight. Most commonly due to a flight being oversold, although ‘bumped’ can also mean being ‘upgraded’ or ‘downgraded’ where a seat in your booked class is not available.

City Pair

Term used for cities of departure and destination, eg Sydney to London.

Codeshare

Term used to describe an arrangement where one airline sells seats (the marketing carrier) on a flight operated by another airline (the operating carrier). Both airlines display their respective flight numbers.

Customs

The Government Service which is responsible for the administration ofcustoms law and the collection of duties and taxes.

Consolidators

Third party distributors of airfares, usually to travel agents and travel product wholesalers. The fares are usually discounted compared to the ‘published’ fares set by airlines. Consolidators rarely sell direct to consumers.

Customs Clearance

The accomplishment of the Customs formalities necessary to allow goods to enter the country/territory, to be exported or to be placed under another customers procedure.

Dangerous Goods

Articles or substances which are capable of posing a significant risk to health, safety or to property when transported by air.

ETA

Estimated time of arrival.

EUROCONTROL

European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation.

Flight Plan

Specific information related to the intended flight of an aircraft.

Fleet

The number of aircraft operated by an airline.

Flight number

A designator number assigned by an airline to a flight.

Customs Clearance Agent

A customs broker or other agent of the consignee designated to perform customs clearance services for the consignee.

Eighth Freedom

The right to fly between two or more airports in a foreign country/territory while continuing service to one's own country/territory.

Fifth Freedom

The right to fly between two foreign countries or territories while the flight originates or ends on one’s own country/territory. eg. Cathay Pacific flying from Dubai to Delhi before flying to Hong Kong.

First Freedom

The right to fly over a foreign country/territory without landing there. eg. Mumbai-Sydney flying over Indonesia.

Flight Sector/Segment

Non-stop operation of an aircraft between A and B with corresponding departure and arrival times.

Fourth Freedom

The right to fly from another country/territory to one’s own. Eg Emirates carrying passengers from London to Dubai as a UAE airline.

Ground Handling Operator

Company that provides ground handling support services to airlines. These may include catering, cleaning, passenger check-in and ticketing and engineering support.

ICAO

International Civil Aviation Organisation. A UN specialised agency who are the global forum for civil aviation and works to achieve safe, secure and sustainable development of civil aviation through co-operation amongst member states.

Interline

Using multiple airlines to fly from A to B where the various airlines used have a formal ticketing and baggage transfer relationship. Eg A ticket for travel from Sydney to Beijing with Qantas and China Eastern Airlines via Shanghai. Qantas carries the passenger from Sydney to Shanghai and China Eastern Airlines carries the passenger from Shanghai to Beijing. The passenger’s luggage is checked in at the start of the journey with Qantas and is handled by the airlines until arrival in Beijing without the passenger having to re-claim the luggage.

Layover

A long, usually over-night, stop between flights usually involving a change of flight number and/or aircraft.

Load Factor

Load factor represents the proportion of airline output that is actually consumed. Load factor is usually calculated by dividing RPKs/RPMs by ASKs/ASMs.

FTK

Freight Tonne Kilometres. The equivalent of RPK for freight. One FTK is one metric tonne of revenue load, carried one kilometre.

FLF

Freight Load Factor: the percentage (%) of AFTK used.

FAA

Federal Aviation Administration.

FDR

Flight Data Recorder.

FIATA

International Federation of Freight Forwarders Association.

FIR

Flight Information Region.

FMS

Flight Management System.

Master Air Waybill (MAWB)

The carrier's airbill issued to cover a consolidated shipment tendered by a forwarder or consolidator.

General Sales Agent (GSA)

An agent authorized in a country/territory to handle an airline's export sales/services.

GDS

Global Distribution System.

GNSS

Global Navigation Satellite Systems.

GPS

Global Positioning System.

Hub

A major airport used as a ‘base’ for an airline from where they fly to other destinations within their network. Also usually a base for flight crew, cabin crew and maintenance.

HF

High Frequency.

Minimum Connecting Time (MCT)

the least amount of time an airline allows for a passenger connecting between flights at an airport. If a shorter period of time is used by the passenger it is referred to as an ‘illegal connection’ and the airline may not accept liability for a missed connection.

IATA carrier

A carrier that is a member of the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

Ninth Freedom

The right to do traffic within a foreign country/territory without continuing service to one's own country/territory. eg. A British airline operating services between Paris and Frankfurt.

IATA

International Air Transport Association.

ILS

Instrument Landing System.

IOSA

IATA Operational Safety Audit.

Offloaded

An airline term used to describe where a passenger has been removed from a flight just before departure. The most common reasons are flight over-booking or passengers being late for boarding.

Open Skies

Refers to a bilateral or multilateral agreement for air transport providers where government regulation of activity between parties is minimised, eg EU/US open skies agreement.

Long Haul

A long distance international flight. Typically inter-continental and of at least six hours in duration.

Overbooking

A practice adopted by airlines where more seats are confirmed on a flight than available on the aircraft. Based on the assumption that a variable percentage of confirmed passengers “no show” for the flight.

PNR

Passenger Name Record. An airline industry term for a passenger’s reservation file with an airline identified by a six figure alphabetical and numerical code.

Network

Airline term for destinations an airline flies to.

RASK

Revenue per Available Seat Kilometre: Operating revenue measured on a unit basis, determined by dividing operating revenue by available seat kilometres (ASK). Used as a like for like unit revenue comparison between airlines.

Second Freedom

The right to refuel or carry out maintenance in a foreign country/territory en route to another country/territory. eg. Delhi-New York with a refuelling stop in Ireland.

Open Jaw

Term used to describe two segments on an airline ticket where a passenger flies into one airport and out of another.

Segment

A clearly identifying part of a journey usually between two cities and involving one departure and one arrival. It is distinct from a ‘flight’, which may incorporate stop-overs even where only one flight number is used.

Seventh Freedom

The right to fly between two foreign countries while not offering flights to one's own country/territory. Eg an American airline offering flights between China and Japan but not to America.

PRM

Persons with Reduced Mobility.

Route

Consecutive links in a network served by single flight numbers, eg SYD/BKK/BLR as a single route.

Rerouting

The route to be followed as altered from that originally specified on the AWB.

Sixth Freedom

The right to fly from a foreign country/territory to another while stopping in one's own country/territory for non-technical reasons. eg. Qantas operating an Auckland to Singapore flight via Sydney.

RNAV

Area Navigation.

RNP

Required Navigation Performance.

RTKM

Revenue Tonne Kilometre.

Spill

Passengers denied booking due to capacity restrictions.

Short Haul

A short flight usually domestic or regional on nature, typically lasting less that six hours in duration.

Third Freedom

The right to fly from one’s own country/territory to another. Eg Singapore Airlines carrying passengers from Singapore to London as an Sinaporean airline.

Transit

A period of time spent between flights.

Through Cargo

Cargo staying on board at a stopping place en-route for ongoing carrier on the same flight.

Transfer

Movement of cargo from one carrier to another against transfer manifest.

Transfer Cargo

Cargo arriving at a point by one carrier and continuing it's journeyThere from by another carrier.

Transferring Carrier

The participating carrier transferring the consignment to another carrier at a transit point.

Trans Shipment

The unloading of cargo from one flight and loading onto another foronward carriage.

Transit

An enroute stopping place where cargo remains on board.

Transit Cargo

Cargo arriving at a point and departing by another flight.

TCAS

Traffic Collision Avoidance System (US-FAA).

TIACA

The International Air Cargo Association.

TSA

Transportation Security Administration.

Unit Load Device (ULD)

A container or pallet used to transport cargo on an aircraft.Valuable Cargo (VAL) Shipments of high value requiring advance arrangement and special handling.

VAT

Value-Added Tax

VHF

Very High Frequency.

WATS

World Air Transport Statistics.

WHO

World Health Organisation.

WTO

World Tourism Organisation.

WTTC

World Travel and Tourism Council.

Yield

Airline term for revenue per unit, eg revenue per mile per passenger.

Yield Management:

The management, by airlines, of revenue based on the assumption that: