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Aviation vocabulary · Airports & Ground Operations

Apron

Meaning in aviation, with examples

/ˈeɪprən/nounCore term

In aviation, apron means: The area of an airport where aircraft are parked, loaded, refuelled and boarded. It is separate from the runways and the taxiways.

In Turkish: apron, uçak park sahası

How it is used

British and ICAO English; American English usually says 'ramp'. Ground staff talk about apron safety, apron control and working 'on the apron'. On the apron, vehicles give way to aircraft.

Example sentences

  1. Nobody is allowed on the apron without a high-visibility vest.

  2. The aircraft is parked on the remote apron, so passengers will be taken by bus.

Common collocations

  • apron control
  • on the apron
  • apron safety
  • remote apron
  • apron area
  • standA marked parking position on the apron where an aircraft is parked for boarding, loading, refuelling and other ground services.
  • ground handlingAll the services an aircraft and its passengers need at the airport between landing and departure, such as check-in, baggage loading, cleaning and pushback.
  • taxiwayA paved path at an airport that connects the runways with the aprons, stands and hangars. Aircraft use taxiways to move around on the ground.
  • pushbackThe procedure in which a tug pushes an aircraft backwards out of its parking stand, because airliners do not normally reverse under their own power.

More terms: Airports & Ground Operations

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