Teaching and Assessment of the Airline Industry - Airport and Aircraft Terminology - Seating configuration - Gate

Oct 1, 2026

Teaching and assessment materials explain core terms and concepts used in air transport. The text introduces airport gateway ideas, showing how entry and exit points differ by road, air, rail, and water, with examples. It distinguishes inbound, outbound, domestic, regional, international, intercontinental, and transcontinental flights, plus connecting flights and flight legs. It also covers transit restrictions, flight-haul categories, chartered flights, terminals, landside versus airside areas, and the purpose and use of airport gates.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages25

Reading Time1 h 3 min

AccessFree to download

Airport and Aircraft Terminology & Seating configuration

Basic terms and concepts used in air transport

Airport terminology

Gateway

Inbound, outbound, domestic, regional, and international flights

Intercontinental, transcontinental, and connecting flights

Transit

Long-haul, medium-haul, short-haul, and chartered flights

Terminal and terminal building

Landside and airside

Gate

TEACHING AND ASSESSMENT OF THE AIRLINE INDUSTRY Dr Bukiwe Mbilini-Kuze Airport and Aircraft Terminology & Seating configuration The basic terms and concepts used in air transport. Airport terminology Gateway A gateway is an entry/exit point into or out of a country. Example: O. R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg-the main gateway into and out of South Africa. Most international tourists travelling by air enter South Africa through this airport. Many different gateways into a country (depending on the mode of transport) By road: border posts like Beit Bridge between Zimbabwe and South Africa; By air it: airports where aircraft land By rail: the last train station before leaving the country, or the first train station after entering the country (for example at Mafikeng before going into Miga in Botswana) By water: the harbours or ports where a ship docks. Airport terminology Inbound: Coming INTO a country. Can refer to a flight or a tourist. Outbound: Going OUT of a country. Can refer to a flight or a tourist. Domestic: Within the borders of a country/local. Can refer to a flight or a tourist. Regional: Flights within a particular region, for example a flight from South Africa to Botswana (or any other country within the SADC region) or vice versa. International flights: Flights that cross the border of another country, for example a flight from South Africa to Germany is referred to as an international flight. Intercontinental flights: Intercontinental flights are flights between two continents, for example a flight from a country in Africa (African Continent) to a country in Europe Airport terminology Transcontinental flights: Flights across a continent, for example a flight from Namibia (African continent) to Egypt (African continent) . Transatlantic flights: Flights across the Atlantic ocean from South America to Africa or Africa to South America, for example a flight from South Africa to Brazil. Connecting flights: the second or third flights to reach the final destination. It may include an overnight stopover in between flights. Legs of a flight: the different sections of a journey to reach the final destination Transit: a restricted state /area where a passenger is not allowed to leave the transit area without a transit visa. Transit passengers do not leave the airport, they have left one flight, and are waiting to board the next flight on their journey. Airport terminology Long-haul flights: Flights over long distances, for example a flight from South Africa to Australia. (6 hours and longer -wider bodied aircraft) Medium-haul flights: Flights between 3 and 6 hours Short-haul flights: Flights under 3 hours Chartered flights: These are flights on aircraft that are hired by private companies or individuals, and customers’ needs determine the size of the aircraft, the point of departure, destination and time of departure. Unscheduled flights. Renting an entire aircraft as opposed to individual aircraft seats (i.e. purchasing a ticket through a traditional airline) . Airport terminology Long-haul flights: Flights over long distances, for example a flight from South Africa to Australia. (6 hours and longer -wider bodied aircraft) Medium-haul flights: Flights between 3 and 6 hours Short-haul flights: Flights under 3 hours Chartered flights: These are flights on aircraft that are hired by private companies or individuals, and customers’ needs determine the size of the aircraft, the point of departure, destination and time of departure. Unscheduled flights. Renting an entire aircraft as opposed to individual aircraft seats (i.e. purchasing a ticket through a traditional airline) . Airport terminology Terminal: The airport building that allows passengers to go through the process of boarding and disembarking their flights. O. R. Tambo International has six terminals which have been divided into international ,

FAQs

What is a gateway in air transport context?

A gateway is an entry/exit point into or out of a country, such as airports for air arrivals and departures. Different modes of transport use different gateways (road borders, rail stations, and ports).

How are inbound and outbound defined?

Inbound means coming into a country, and outbound means going out of a country. Both can refer to flights or tourists.

What does transit mean at an airport?

Transit is a restricted state/area where a passenger is not allowed to leave without a transit visa. Transit passengers remain in the airport and wait to board their next flight.

Oct 1, 2026

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