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Aviation vocabulary · Airports & Ground Operations

Turnaround

Meaning in aviation, with examples

/ˈtɜːrnəraʊnd/nounCommon term

In aviation, turnaround means: The process, and the time it takes, to prepare an aircraft for its next flight after it arrives: unloading, cleaning, catering, refuelling and boarding.

In Turkish: turnaround, yer süresi, sefer arası hazırlık

How it is used

Short-haul airlines aim for a quick turnaround, sometimes under 30 minutes. Crews and ground staff talk about a 'tight turnaround' and 'turnaround time'; pilots often just say 'the turn'.

Example sentences

  1. We have a 35-minute turnaround in Izmir, so there is no time for a long break.

  2. The late fuel truck delayed the whole turnaround.

Common collocations

  • quick turnaround
  • turnaround time
  • tight turnaround
  • turnaround coordinator
  • 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.
  • standA marked parking position on the apron where an aircraft is parked for boarding, loading, refuelling and other ground services.
  • boardingThe process of passengers getting on an aircraft, from the first call at the gate until the doors are closed.
  • ETAEstimated time of arrival: the time at which an aircraft is expected to arrive at its destination or at a point on its route.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Airports & Ground Operations

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