Point in the terminal from which passengers on a flight reach the aircraft, whether by airbridge, on foot across the apron or by bus.
What it is
Gates are identified by a letter, usually denoting the area or pier, and a number, such as B32. Each has a desk where airline staff check boarding passes, and a waiting area. Allocation depends on aircraft size, the type of flight (domestic or international, with or without passport control) and availability, and can change until shortly before departure.
The gate closes a few minutes before the scheduled departure so that the flight's paperwork can be completed and the aircraft doors closed on time. At busy airports, gates with airbridges are a scarce resource: a gate able to serve either one wide-body or two narrow-body aircraft gives the apron valuable flexibility.
Related terms
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This page was last updated on October 9, 2026
APA
Vuelopedia. (2026, October 9). Gate. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/gate
MLA
“Gate.” Vuelopedia, Fundación Poderia, 9 Oct. 2026, vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/gate. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.
Chicago
Vuelopedia. “Gate.” Fundación Poderia. Last modified October 9, 2026. https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/gate.
Harvard
Vuelopedia (2026) Gate. Available at: https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/gate (Accessed: 17 October 2026).
BibTeX
@misc{vuelopedia_en_glossary_gate,
author = {{Vuelopedia}},
title = {{Gate}},
publisher = {Fundación Poderia},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-10-09},
url = {https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/gate},
howpublished = {\url{https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/gate}},
urldate = {2026-10-17},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-17}
}Wikipedia
{{cite web |url=https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/gate |title=Gate |website=Vuelopedia |publisher=Fundación Poderia |date=2026-10-09 |access-date=2026-10-17 |language=en}}