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Aviation glossary

Terminal

Also: passenger terminal, terminal building

Airports

Airport building where passengers check in, pass through controls, wait for their flight, board and collect their baggage on arrival.

What it is

The terminal separates the landside, open to the public, from the airside, reached only after the security check. Inside are check-in, security screening, passport control for international flights, waiting areas and shops, boarding gates and baggage reclaim halls. Below, a system of conveyors sorts checked bags and routes them to each aircraft.

Designs vary: linear terminals, piers reaching out across the apron, or satellite buildings linked by tunnels or automated trains. Madrid-Barajas, for example, links its Terminal 4 to a satellite by an underground train. Large airports have several terminals, often allocated by airline or alliance, while cargo is handled in separate buildings.

Related terms

GatePoint in the terminal from which passengers on a flight reach the aircraft, whether by airbridge, on foot across the apron or by bus. Jet bridgeEnclosed, movable walkway linking the terminal to an aircraft door so that passengers can board and disembark without crossing the apron. ApronArea of an airport where aircraft park to board and disembark passengers, load cargo, refuel and receive line maintenance. Ground handlingServices an aircraft receives on the ground between flights: passenger handling, baggage, cargo, fuel, cleaning, catering and pushback. IATA airport codeThree-letter code that IATA assigns to an airport for use on tickets, timetables and baggage tags, such as LHR for London Heathrow.
Whole glossary

Cite

To cite this page in academic work, an article or Wikipedia, choose the style and copy the reference. The access date is today.

This page was last updated on October 9, 2026

APA

Vuelopedia. (2026, October 9). Terminal. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/terminal

MLA

“Terminal.” Vuelopedia, Fundación Poderia, 9 Oct. 2026, vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/terminal. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Vuelopedia. “Terminal.” Fundación Poderia. Last modified October 9, 2026. https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/terminal.

Harvard

Vuelopedia (2026) Terminal. Available at: https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/terminal (Accessed: 16 October 2026).

BibTeX

@misc{vuelopedia_en_glossary_terminal,
  author       = {{Vuelopedia}},
  title        = {{Terminal}},
  publisher    = {Fundación Poderia},
  year         = {2026},
  date         = {2026-10-09},
  url          = {https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/terminal},
  howpublished = {\url{https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/terminal}},
  urldate      = {2026-10-16},
  note         = {Accessed 2026-10-16}
}

Wikipedia

{{cite web |url=https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/terminal |title=Terminal |website=Vuelopedia |publisher=Fundación Poderia |date=2026-10-09 |access-date=2026-10-16 |language=en}}

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