Flight number: Difference between revisions
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A '''flight number''', when combined with the name of the [[airline]] and the date, identifies a particular flight. This should not be confused with the [[tail number]] of the [[ |
A '''flight number''', when combined with the name of the [[airline]] and the date, identifies a particular flight. This should not be confused with the [[aircraft registration|tail number]] of the [[aircraft]]. A particular aircraft may fly several different flights in one day, and different aircraft may be used for the same flight number on successive days. |
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A number of conventions have developed for defining flight numbers, although these vary widely from airline to airline. Eastbound and northbound flights are traditionally assigned even numbers, while westbound and southbound flights have odd numbers. For destinations served by multiple flights per day, numbers tend to increase during the day. Hence, a flight from point A to point B might be flight 101 and the return flight from B to A would be 102, while the next pair of flights on the same route would usually be assigned codes 103 and 104. |
A number of conventions have developed for defining flight numbers, although these vary widely from airline to airline. Eastbound and northbound flights are traditionally assigned [[Even and odd numbers|even numbers]], while westbound and southbound flights have odd numbers. For destinations served by multiple flights per day, numbers tend to increase during the day. Hence, a flight from point A to point B might be flight 101 and the return flight from B to A would be 102, while the next pair of flights on the same route would usually be assigned codes 103 and 104. |
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Flight numbers of less than three digits are often assigned to long-haul or otherwise premium flights. For example, [[British Airways]] |
Flight numbers of less than three digits are often assigned to long-haul or otherwise premium flights. For example, [[British Airways]] flight 1 was the early morning [[supersonic]] [[Concorde]] service from [[London]] to [[New York City]], and [[Air Canada]] flight 1 is the daily nonstop service from [[Toronto]] to [[Tokyo]]. Four-digit numbers in the range 1000-4999 typically represent regional affiliate flights, while numbers larger than 5000 are generally [[code sharing|codeshare]] numbers for flights operated by entirely different airlines. |
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In the [[United States |
In the [[United States]], air crashes are often referred to by their flight number, while elsewhere they are usually referred to by the name of the location of the crash. What is typically referred to in the US as "[[Pan Am Flight 103]]" is referred to elsewhere as the "Lockerbie disaster." Both in the US and elsewhere, flight numbers may be taken out of use after a crash. |
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== See also == |
== See also == |
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* [[Code sharing]] |
* [[Code sharing]] |
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{{airline-stub}} |
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[[Category:Aviation terminology]] |
[[Category:Aviation terminology]] |
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Revision as of 04:54, 2 September 2006
A flight number, when combined with the name of the airline and the date, identifies a particular flight. This should not be confused with the tail number of the aircraft. A particular aircraft may fly several different flights in one day, and different aircraft may be used for the same flight number on successive days.
A number of conventions have developed for defining flight numbers, although these vary widely from airline to airline. Eastbound and northbound flights are traditionally assigned even numbers, while westbound and southbound flights have odd numbers. For destinations served by multiple flights per day, numbers tend to increase during the day. Hence, a flight from point A to point B might be flight 101 and the return flight from B to A would be 102, while the next pair of flights on the same route would usually be assigned codes 103 and 104.
Flight numbers of less than three digits are often assigned to long-haul or otherwise premium flights. For example, British Airways flight 1 was the early morning supersonic Concorde service from London to New York City, and Air Canada flight 1 is the daily nonstop service from Toronto to Tokyo. Four-digit numbers in the range 1000-4999 typically represent regional affiliate flights, while numbers larger than 5000 are generally codeshare numbers for flights operated by entirely different airlines.
In the United States, air crashes are often referred to by their flight number, while elsewhere they are usually referred to by the name of the location of the crash. What is typically referred to in the US as "Pan Am Flight 103" is referred to elsewhere as the "Lockerbie disaster." Both in the US and elsewhere, flight numbers may be taken out of use after a crash.