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Fast and effective turnarounds are a key tool in an airline’s arsenal. From maintaining operational efficiency to saving passengers’ time and money, it’s an essential process that needs to be done quickly, and done safely.
What is a turnaround?
In simple terms, the turnaround is the period between an aircraft arriving at the gate and departing again for its next flight.
More precisely, it is defined as the time between the aircraft going ‘on blocks’ and ‘off blocks’. On blocks is when the aircraft parks at the stand and the parking brake is set. Off blocks is when the aircraft leaves the stand for departure, typically as pushback begins.
Everything that needs to happen between those two moments – from passenger disembarkation and boarding, refueling, flight planning, aircraft checks, and cockpit preparation – must be completed within that window.
Traditional airlines can turn around aircraft in anywhere from 40 mins to 3 hours. In many typical low-cost operations however, that window can be as short as 25 minutes. Let’s take a look at what typically happens in those precious minutes counting down to pushback.
A typical turnaround
25 minutes to go — On blocks
The clock starts when the aircraft’s parking brake is set.
As soon as the aircraft comes to a stop on the stand, the ground and cabin crew being the process of connecting the jet bridge and preparing for disembarkation. Some airlines prefer not to use jet bridges, instead favoring external steps or even steps integrated within the aircraft’s fuselage. Whilst the process below will vary slightly depending on aircraft type, this walkthrough will cover a typical process for any low cost airline turnaround. We’ll also touch on some differences for turboprops
Ground power (if available) is connected as soon as possible to provide electrical power to the aircraft and enable the pilots to shut down the APU. This small action saves thousands of tonnes in direct CO2 carbon emissions per year, not to mention a lot of cash!
The pilots now complete immediate post-flight duties, including recording takeoff and landing times for the electronic flight log, and attention now shifts to the next sector. One of the first decisions is the required fuel uplift.
This isn’t just a guess. It’s based on several factors including route distance, forecast weather, alternate requirements, anticipated delays, and company fuel policies. The aim is to carry enough fuel for safety and flexibility, without carrying unnecessary weight.
20 minutes to go — The walk-around and “transit” setup
Each airline sector has a pilot flying (PF) and a Pilot Monitoring (PM). The PF will remain in the flight deck to setup the aircraft for the next flight, whilst the PM heads outside to perform the walk-around inspection and supervise refueling. On many low-cost operations, boarding can take place during refueling, with specific procedures in place – such as ensuring passengers’ seatbelts are unfastened – to maintain safety. This supervision from the outside ensures that any spills or other problems during the refueling process are spotted and communicated with the flight deck.
Meanwhile, the Pilot Flying (PF) remains in the cockpit and begins preparing the next flight.
This includes obtaining the latest ATIS (weather), which is then pre-entered for performance calculations. The return flight plan is either loaded or activated in the flight management computer (FMC). On longer sectors, this may already have been prepared en route.
The PF will also begin setting up the mode control panel (MCP) and tuning navigation and radio frequencies. Even in aircraft today, conventional navigation aids remain important as a backup – for example, if GPS integrity is lost during a departure.
15-10 minutes to go – Cross-checks and clearance
Once back on the flight deck, the PM confirms the actual fuel uplift and cross-checks it against the planned figures. Both pilots independently review performance calculations to ensure everything matches.
Around this time, the crew will request their ATC clearance, either via voice or datalink. The cleared route and standard instrument departure (SID) are checked against what’s been entered into the aircraft systems. A typical clearance from ATC will look or sound something like this.
“EASY123, cleared to PARIS via IMVUR 1Z departure, Squawk 1234”.
The departure briefing follows. This typically covers threats, weather, routing, aircraft configuration, and actions in the event of abnormalities – all structured in line with standard operating procedures.
Boarding is usually complete by this point, and the gate is closed. At this stage we are about to calculate the final weight and balance figures to safely dispatch the aircraft – this is why it’s vital you arrive to your gate in a timely manner!
5 minutes to go – Final setup
With all passengers onboard, the final load information is received from the dispatcher in the form of the load sheet. This can either be in electronic or paper form. Many airlines will typically switch from using ground power to the Auxiliary Power Unit as an electrical power source at this stage. This also gives a boost of fresh air to the cabin as the APU can be used as a source of air conditioning and heating. This can be a little different on Turboprop aircraft, many of which do not have an APU. Many of these aircraft instead use something called ‘Hotel Mode’, whereby an engine is run to provide electrical power without it’s propeller actually spinning.
The pilots now independently enter key figures into the Flight Management Computer (FMC) – such as zero fuel weight, takeoff weight, and landing weight, before cross-checking them to trap any errors.
Takeoff performance is then finalized. This includes calculating and entering thrust settings, flap configuration, center of gravity, trim, and V speeds.
The Before Start Checklist is completed, ensuring everything is configured correctly and nothing has been missed. Many operators have ‘above the line’ and ‘below the line’ elements to this checklist, with the latter being completed once pushback clearance is received and prior to starting engines.
1 minute to go – Ready to move
Before requesting pushback from the stand, the captain will establish communication with the dispatcher, who by this point is normally on the headset plugged into the external receptacle of the aircraft.
The captain will verify that all external doors and hatches are closed, ground equipment removed, and that the tug and tower (or lifting truck) are attached.
Pushback clearance is then requested by radio, with a call to the ground controller reporting your stand, aircraft type, and confirming the latest ATIS information and QNH. For example:
“Gatwick ground, GRIFFIN123, A320 on stand 121, Information FOXTROT, QNH 1013, Request push and start”.
At this stage, everything should be set. The aircraft is ready to leave exactly on schedule.
0 minutes to go – Off blocks
Pushback begins, and engine start is initiated. Once the engines are both running within stable parameters, their generators are turned on, providing electrical power to the aircraft. The APU is now typically switched off.
Finally – the final safety check. The Captain looks outside to verify that all the ground equipment is removed before the aircraft can proceed to the before taxi checklist and move under its own power. This typically involves visually identifying the pushback tug and tower, and the dispatcher holding aloft their headset and the steering pin. Visually confirming the steering pin is disconnected from the nose gear confirms that the aircraft’s nose wheel steering using the tiller will be active.
From this point, the turnaround is complete, and you are on your way to your destination.
Why low-cost turnarounds are so fast – and why it matters
A 25-minute turnaround might sound tight, but it’s the result of a highly optimized and well-practiced system. Aircraft design plays a role, with features like built-in airstairs on Ryanair Boeing 737 aircraft allowing boarding and disembarkation without relying on some airport equipment, which helps save valuable time. Processes are also carefully streamlined, with many tasks happening in parallel rather than sequentially. Ground crews, cabin crew, and pilots all work to tightly coordinated timelines to keep everything moving.
Crucially, speed never comes at the expense of safety. Every step is governed by strict standard operating procedures and reinforced through the use of checklists and cross-checks. Nothing is skipped – it’s simply done efficiently.
This efficiency is a key part of the low-cost airline model. The less time an aircraft spends on the ground, the more time it can spend flying. That means more sectors per day, better aircraft utilization, and lower costs per flight. Those savings ultimately feed through to passengers in the form of lower fares. In simple terms, a quicker turnaround helps keep ticket prices down, showing how tightly coordinated operations behind the scenes translate into tangible benefits for the people onboard.
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