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At an airlineLesson 2 of 2

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FUELFLIGHTS

14 min

How an airline turns a plane around

A plane earns money only in the air. Between flights, several teams have about an hour, sometimes less, to empty it, clean it, fuel it, check it and fill it again, and each one waits on another. Here's the relay.

Ticket 01 · The guess

How long does a plane sit at the gate?

Every airline schedules a set time for each plane between landing at a gate and leaving it again, called a turn. Southwest Airlines says its turns are the shortest of the big US airlines. In the year to May 2024, how long did it schedule for an average turn, in minutes?

90 minutes
0120
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Sources and every number (1)

Sources

  • Southwest Airlines 2024 Investor Day presentation, slides 54 and 56 (Form 8-K Exhibit 99.1, September 26, 2024; turn times from masFlight) · Southwest Airlines Co. (filed with the U.S. SEC), 2024

Every number

  • 49 minutessec.gov ·2024 · Southwest's adjusted average scheduled turn, in Southwest's own comparison: turn minutes per seat brought to Southwest's plane size, at the same airports, domestic narrowbody flights, twelve months ending May 2024 (masFlight data, on the slide titled An industry-leading turn time).
  • 51 minutessec.gov ·2024 · Frontier's adjusted average scheduled turn, in Southwest's own comparison: turn minutes per seat brought to Southwest's plane size, at the same airports, domestic narrowbody flights, twelve months ending May 2024 (masFlight data, on the slide titled An industry-leading turn time).
  • 76 minutessec.gov ·2024 · United's adjusted average scheduled turn, in Southwest's own comparison: turn minutes per seat brought to Southwest's plane size, at the same airports, domestic narrowbody flights, twelve months ending May 2024 (masFlight data, on the slide titled An industry-leading turn time).
  • 16 planessec.gov ·2024 · Southwest expected its turn time initiative to create the equivalent of about this many free aircraft by late 2025 (an expectation, on the slide titled Reducing turn time drives aircraft productivity).
  1. Lessons›
  2. Inside a business›
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Skip to the lesson

At an airlineLesson 2 of 2

Part 1 of 3, 0 done
FUELFLIGHTS

14 min

How an airline turns a plane around

A plane earns money only in the air. Between flights, several teams have about an hour, sometimes less, to empty it, clean it, fuel it, check it and fill it again, and each one waits on another. Here's the relay.

Ticket 01 · The guess

How long does a plane sit at the gate?

Every airline schedules a set time for each plane between landing at a gate and leaving it again, called a turn. Southwest Airlines says its turns are the shortest of the big US airlines. In the year to May 2024, how long did it schedule for an average turn, in minutes?

90 minutes
0120
Words to know

Spot something wrong?

Tell us what looks off. No name or email needed.

What kind of problem?

0 / 1000

We'll also send this page, the lesson, ticket 1, so we can find it. Nothing else. Privacy

·
Sources and every number (1)

Sources

  • Southwest Airlines 2024 Investor Day presentation, slides 54 and 56 (Form 8-K Exhibit 99.1, September 26, 2024; turn times from masFlight) · Southwest Airlines Co. (filed with the U.S. SEC), 2024

Every number

  • 49 minutessec.gov ·2024 · Southwest's adjusted average scheduled turn, in Southwest's own comparison: turn minutes per seat brought to Southwest's plane size, at the same airports, domestic narrowbody flights, twelve months ending May 2024 (masFlight data, on the slide titled An industry-leading turn time).
  • 51 minutessec.gov ·2024 · Frontier's adjusted average scheduled turn, in Southwest's own comparison: turn minutes per seat brought to Southwest's plane size, at the same airports, domestic narrowbody flights, twelve months ending May 2024 (masFlight data, on the slide titled An industry-leading turn time).
  • 76 minutessec.gov ·2024 · United's adjusted average scheduled turn, in Southwest's own comparison: turn minutes per seat brought to Southwest's plane size, at the same airports, domestic narrowbody flights, twelve months ending May 2024 (masFlight data, on the slide titled An industry-leading turn time).
  • 16 planessec.gov ·2024 · Southwest expected its turn time initiative to create the equivalent of about this many free aircraft by late 2025 (an expectation, on the slide titled Reducing turn time drives aircraft productivity).
  1. Lessons›
  2. Inside a business›
  3. At an airline
  • ·Before this: Who works at an airline