Maximum time an aircraft can stay airborne on the fuel it carries, as opposed to range, which measures the distance it can cover.
What it is
Range and endurance are not the same: one answers 'how far', the other 'how long'. Maximum endurance is achieved at the speed that minimises fuel burn per hour, which is slower than the speed that gives maximum range. That is why aircraft slow down when air traffic control asks them to wait in a holding pattern.
In flight planning, endurance is the fuel on board expressed in hours and minutes, and it is compared with the planned flight time plus the mandatory reserves: fuel to reach an alternate airport and a final reserve which, for turbine aircraft, usually equals about 30 minutes of holding.
The flight plan filed with air traffic services includes the endurance, so that controllers know how long the aircraft can remain airborne.
On Vuelopedia
The technical data on a Vuelopedia model page gives an estimated endurance: the time it would take to fly its full range non-stop at cruise speed.
Related terms
Cite
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This page was last updated on October 9, 2026
APA
Vuelopedia. (2026, October 9). Endurance. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/endurance
MLA
“Endurance.” Vuelopedia, Fundación Poderia, 9 Oct. 2026, vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/endurance. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.
Chicago
Vuelopedia. “Endurance.” Fundación Poderia. Last modified October 9, 2026. https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/endurance.
Harvard
Vuelopedia (2026) Endurance. Available at: https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/endurance (Accessed: 16 October 2026).
BibTeX
@misc{vuelopedia_en_glossary_endurance,
author = {{Vuelopedia}},
title = {{Endurance}},
publisher = {Fundación Poderia},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-10-09},
url = {https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/endurance},
howpublished = {\url{https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/endurance}},
urldate = {2026-10-16},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16}
}Wikipedia
{{cite web |url=https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/endurance |title=Endurance |website=Vuelopedia |publisher=Fundación Poderia |date=2026-10-09 |access-date=2026-10-16 |language=en}}