Glossary

Crew Management terminology varies by airline and global region. The terms below are listed in English. The terminology selected for this manual is based on the most commonly used and/or clearest terms as identified by the 2022 Airline Crewing Enigma survey.

Network Planning

Airline function that creates the airline’s flight schedule, including fleet or aircraft type assignment (the planned aircraft type for a specific flight) and aircraft routings (which flights are scheduled to follow a previous flight on the same aircraft).

Synonyms: schedule planning, commercial planning

Pairing

A series of flights put together in duty periods, sometimes with overnights, intended to be flown by the same crew.

Synonyms: pattern, trip, crew route, roster

Standby

Crew schedule consisting of on-call or availability periods rather than specific flights or pairings.

Synonyms: reserve (more commonly used in North America); home standby or reserve if on standby at home; airport standby or reserve if on call at the airport

Roster

A schedule of assignment and days off for a specified period of time, usually a month, assigned to a specific crew member. Could consist of pairings, training, standby, and planned leave/vacation, other planned/unplanned absences, and any other duties planned and executed on behalf of the employing airline.

Synonyms: lines, schedules

Manpower Planning

Airline function that plans crew hiring, upgrades/downgrades, and staffing using the fleet plan and other forecasted staffing demands.

Synonyms: crew resource planning, crew staffing, crew capacity planning, establishment planning

Training Planning

Airline function that manages crew training schedules and capacity.

Synonyms: crew training planning, crew training scheduling, training support

Crew Planning

Airline function responsible for building crew pairings and rosters.

Synonyms: crew rostering, crew pairing planning, crew route construction

Crew Control

Airline function responsible for assigning open flying to reserve crews, monitoring and modifying assignments due to crew legalities, repairing crew schedules during disruptions.

Synonyms: crew scheduling, crew tracking, crew support, crew recovery

HOTAC

Airline function responsible for providing crew hotel and transportation accommodations, both planned and in day of operations.

Synonyms: crew accommodations, crew logistics, crew hoteling, crew support