Glossary

NOTE: The terms in this Glossary are defined as they pertain to this publication.

Aircraft departure - An aircraft takeoff made at an airport.

Airport - A landing area regularly used by aircraft for receiving or discharging passengers or cargo.

Air traffic hub - A geographic area based on the percentage of total passengers enplaned in that area. A hub may have more than one airport in it. This definition of hub should not be confused with the definition used by the airlines in describing their “hub-and-spoke” route structures.

Air services - The total of scheduled and nonscheduled service.

Carrier group - A grouping of large certificated air carriers determined by annual operating revenues as shown below:

Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity - A certificate issued by DOT to an air carrier under Section 401 of the Federal Aviation Act authorizing the carrier to engage in air transportation.

Certificated air carrier - An air carrier holding a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity issued by DOT to engage in air transportation.

Community - A city or a group of cities receiving scheduled air service by certificated air carriers.

Departure - See “aircraft departure.”

Domestic operation - In general, operations within and between the 50 states of the United States, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, the Caroline Islands, Guam, the Johnston Islands, the Northern Mariana Islands, Midway Island, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Wake Island.

Enplaned passengers - The total number of revenue passengers boarding aircraft.

Enplaned freight and mail - The number of revenue tons of freight and mail loaded on an aircraft.

Freight - Property transported by air. (Excludes mail and passenger baggage.)

Hub type - See “air traffic hub.”

International operations - Operations conducted outside the United States, including operations between the United States and foreign countries.

Large air traffic hub - A community enplaning 1 percent or more of the total enplaned passengers in all services and all operations for all communities within the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and other U.S. areas. Also see “air traffic hub.”

Large regionals - See “carrier group.”

Majors - See “carrier group.”

Medium air traffic hub - A community enplaning from 0.25 to 0.999 percent of the total enplaned passengers in all services and all operations for all communities within the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and other U.S. areas.

Medium regionals - See “carrier group.”

National - See “carrier group.”

Nonhub - A community enplaning less than 0.05 percent of the total enplaned passengers in all services and all operations for all communities within the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and other U.S. areas. Also see “air traffic hub.”

Nonscheduled service - Revenue flights, such as charter flights, that are not operated in regular scheduled service and all nonrevenue flights incident to such flights.

Revenue - Transport activities for which remuneration is received by the carrier.

Revenue passenger - Person receiving air transportation from an air carrier for which the carrier receives remuneration. Air carrier employees or others receiving air transportation against whom token service charges are levied are considered nonrevenue passengers. Infants for whom token fares are charged are not counted as passengers.

Scheduled service - Service operated over an air carrier’s routes, based on published flight schedules.

Small air traffic hub - A community enplaning from 0.05 to 0.249 percent of the total enplaned passengers in all services and all operations and for all communities within the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and other U.S. areas. Also see “air traffic hub.”

Total departures performed in all services - The total number of aircraft takeoffs made in scheduled and nonscheduled service.

Total departures performed in nonscheduled service - The total number of aircraft takeoffs made in nonscheduled service.

Total departures performed in scheduled service - The total number of aircraft takeoffs made in scheduled service including extra sections.