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Whether you are traveling in an aircraft or aspiring to be a cabin crew, these aviation words will surely come in handy to you. You might hear these words often if you are related or highly interested in the aviation industry.

So, let’s get started!

1.Terminal

The main building where you enter either as a passenger or their relative is the Terminal. Once you enter in Airport you will hear this word very much, so this one word from aviation words you must not forget.

An airport terminal is a building at an airport where passengers transfer between ground transportation and the facilities that allow them to board and disembark from an aircraft. Within the terminal, passengers purchase tickets, transfer their luggage, and go through security.

Source: Wikipedia

2.Departure Gate

As a passenger, this is the first gate where you will be doing your basic airport check. To enter this gate, you will require your Tickets, Passports. This is also one of the confusing aviation words that are used on a daily basis.
At TIA, you have to submit your tickets to the security personnel before entering through the departure gate. There is also a free SIM card distribution service for Nepalese heading for working purposes towards Qatar.

Departure gate definition: (in a large airport ) any of the numbered exits leading to the airfield or aircraft

Source: Collins Dictionary

3. Check-In : Common aviation words

Departure Gate and Check -In are shortly related. Remember you had to show your passports and tickets before entering through the departure gate, well that is what a check-in is.

Airport check-in is the process whereby passengers are accepted by an airline at the airport prior to travel. The airlines typically use service counters found at airports. The check-in is normally handled by an airline itself or a handling agent working on behalf of an airline. Passengers usually hand over any baggage that they do not wish or are not allowed to carry into the aircraft‘s cabin and receive a boarding pass before they can proceed to board their aircraft

Source: Wikipedia

4. Check In Counter

In simple terms, the Check-in counter may refer to a cabin or counter where the process of Check-in is done.
However, things are quite a bit different here. In aviation words, Check-In Counter refers to the queue of people to check their tickets. This might be confusing, but you will get this after I show you a picture of people at the Check-In Counter.

5.Checking Luggage

As it clearly means, it refers to checking your luggage. In Airports, there are Security checks where you have to check your luggage.

Luggage refers to extra bulky bag which you can’t carry with yourself to aircraft. This bag needs to be left in Cargo and you can collect it later.

6. Cargo Hold

The luggage from earlier stays at Cargo Hold. In aviation words, Cargo Hold refers to the body of craft where checking luggage or baggage are stored.

7. Cabin Baggage

This is a common term and a common bag. In simpler terms, it’s a bag that you can carry with yourself to an aircraft. This includes your personal files and extremely important things that you need as soon as you reach the other destination.

However, in the luggage, you keep items that can wait as you will get it a bit late.

If you are a cabin crew, then you will have your own cabin baggage that you can take on trips. You will also get extra weight permission being a cabin crew.

8. Security Tag

Remember leaving checking luggage at the airport? You can’t know your luggage basically by the means of the only color. There are hundreds of luggage of the same color as yours.

This is where the security tag comes useful. You can use the security tag to indicate the luggage. You simply paste the slip which contains a number, address, and other personal details of yours.

Different security tags have different tag numbers. They also indicate the priority as Urgent, Super Urgent, Easily breakable tags so that the people working for cargo takes care of it properly.

9.Boarding Pass

If you fly often in aircraft then you may be famaliar with the term Boarding Pass. Don’t worry if you haven’t as well.

In Aviation words, a Boarding pass is a pass that you must have in order to get inside an aircraft. These boarding passes include the name of a passenger, seat no., the destinations they are traveling to.

There are two parts in the Boarding Pass, where the white one separated by dots is kept by the Airlines itself.

10. Security Check

The term Security Check is the most familiarized one among other aviation words. However, while every security check refers to the same thing, I will explain a bit more about it in the aviation industry.

We can see it in real life or in movies. Remember cabin baggage and luggage, first of all, they should get pass by here, and so should you. A door where they check if you have brought any metal devices or illegal items. This is what security check is about in Airport.

For a person they uses a metal detector where as for luggage’s they use X-Ray machine to look inside the bag.

11. Taxing

This is what you might want to know about. Even though you are familiar with the idea of Taxing, you won’t know it’s called. So here you go.

Taxing in Aviation words refers to the movement of aircraft slowly and steadily. Before heading for the runway, Aircraft line up and wait for their turn and do it slowly since they are gigantic.

12. Duty-Free Shop

One of the more reasons for traveling is the duty-free shops. The main attraction of duty-free shops are the liquors, chocolates, perfume, and different souvenir items are available.

So, what do Duty-Free means right? Duty-Free refers to those items that don’t include tax, VAT, import charges, or other extra charges. One should pay only the manufactured cost or a bit more which is comparatively very less than in the real market.

13. Boarding Gate

This is a gate which connects the airport with an aircraft. After sequential check in’s, you can show your boarding pass and enter in the jet bridge, or runway. It is very important that you carry your boarding pass with you to enter through Boarding Gate.

14. Waiting Area

When you are traveling at aircraft, the environment around the flight period matters. And sometimes, it will be late well most of the time. So, the waiting area is for passengers who have to wait for the aircraft or their flight.

While you are in the waiting area, you will probably have completed all your checking. Or it might just start from there. It depends on airports to airports.

15. Board Flight

This is the last stage before you actually get inside the aircraft. In aviation words, board flight means that you can climb the stairs and get inside the body of the aircraft.

As a passenger on board, you will be greeted by the cabin crew members. Also, if you accidentally carry your luggage with you, you can always send it to the cargo hold with the proper documentation.

Finally getting on the plane!

16. Cabin

In simpler terms, a Cabin is a place where Cabin Crew works. In fact, the place where you sit as a passenger is called a cabin for cabin crew.

As the cabin crew serves passengers, the seats and area are more like a workplace for them. Thus, the cabin is a place where the cabin crew works and passengers stay.

17. Aisle

Now, this is a intresting term. You might hear it often when you are flying.

Aisle refers to the blank space between two rows or more and often called as passage. In Aisle you walkthrough as a passenger and get to your seat while the cabin crew servers staying in the Aisle.

18. Aisle Seat

The seat in the edges of the Aisle is called aisle Seat. In aircraft, the seats are categorized in 3 terms: Window seat, Middle Seat, and Aisle Seat. You are lucky if you get the window seat as the views are mind-blowing.

19. Overhead Bins

These overhead bins are one which takes a lot of effort once you decide to keep your hand baggage there. Of course, you will get help from cabin crew members in case you can’t do it yourself.

Height is a major requirement while applying for Cabin Crew because airlines are looking for candidates who can easily put luggage on Overhead Bins. This is why most of the airlines require a minimum arm reach of 212 cm on a tiptoe.

20. Lavatory or Restroom

This is one term that comes very handy if you are traveling in the aircraft for the first time. Many people who travel in an airplane for the first time feels difficult to ask “Where is the Washroom?”.

Instead of asking the way for Washroom, if you use the term Lavatory it will be much convenient.

The lavatory is a common term for the washroom (toilet) in the aircraft. If you hear any passengers or cabin crew using it, they are referring to a washroom. This is one of the most important and useful terms in the dictionary of aviation words.

21. Passenger Service Unit (PSU)

As the name Passenger Service Unit is lengthy to use, the cabin crew often call them PSU. PSU is a small panel that stays below the container of Overhead bins in your seat. The panel as its name suggests provides different services to the Passenger. It will depend upon the PSU of aircraft. Mainly, some of the major features that are always installed in PSU are:

• Seat Belt on/off indicator
• personal lightbox
• a passenger button that calls cabin crew when you need them
• Personal air vent that only affects your seat

22. Flight Safety Announcement

This is what you will hear before flying. After every passenger gets onboard a member from the cabin crew will brief you about the process and details of the flight.

This announcement includes how to put on a seat belt, names of captains of the flight, safety doors, and necessary precautions in case of emergency.

Here is the sample of a Flight Safety Announcement. Note that it may vary from airlines to airlines.

“Ladies and gentlemen, the Captain has turned on the Fasten Seat Belt sign. If you haven’t already done so, please stow your carry-on luggage underneath the seat in front of you or in an overhead bin. Please take your seat and fasten your seat belt. And also make sure your seat back and folding trays are in their full upright position. If you are seated next to an emergency exit, please read carefully the special instructions card located by your seat. If you do not wish to perform the functions described in the event of an emergency, please ask a flight attendant to reseat you. We remind you that this is a non-smoking flight. Smoking is prohibited on the entire aircraft, including the lavatories. Tampering with, disabling or destroying the lavatory smoke detectors is prohibited by law. If you have any questions about our flight today, please don’t hesitate to ask one of our flight attendants. Thank you.”

23. Runway Process

It is a process where the aircraft runs for a takeoff. During the runway process, all aircraft doors are closed. The aircraft takes its position for a runway and runs.

24. Galley: The aircraft’s Kitchen

The galley is called the Kitchen of an aircraft. This is where all meals are stored and prepared. According to the size of an aircraft, the size of Galley depends. Before the cabin crew serves food, all the lists are checked and the menu is given to the passengers. Then, according to the desire of passengers, the food is prepared and served.

25. Turbulence

Turbulence is something you don’t want to know about. Imagine riding a bike very fast and bumping into a speed breaker. You would jump, right? Now imagine getting that bump in the air.

Turbulence mainly occurs because of the sudden change in airspeed or direction or sometimes because of both. This is a very challenging situation and it may affect variously depending upon the size of an aircraft and skill of the airplane. Also, if your aircraft is behind some big jets or aircraft you will get turbulence.

Mostly, the turbulence is seen in Mountain regions due to the up and down motion of air. However, Pilots or Captains will alert you before entering in the Turbulence site. Passengers will tie their seatbelt and cabin crew will hold on to seats of passengers and lay low.

If you don’t follow the suggestions of Captains and Cabin crew, you could get into some serious trouble. You won’t be allowed to go to Lavatory or go anywhere during this time.

If you know other aviation words, that you think might be useful for aspiring cabin crews, please leave at the comment box below.

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