Top 7 common aviation abbreviations to know

Aviation is an industry that has its own specific language. With hundreds upon hundreds of abbreviations – and even more, depending on the region – anyone can get a little lost when either researching aviation-specific topics or simply are taking their first career steps in the industry.

Toma Matutyte, CEO of Locatory, an aviation IT company, primarily acting as an aircraft parts locator, says that coming face-to-face with aviation can be a real shock to the system as many of the procedures, industry segments, regulators, and more have their own abbreviations.

“One thing is true – no one is born knowing aviation terminology or industry-specific abbreviations, but the learning curve can be a steep one, especially for those, who are jumping into aviation for the first time. It would be safe to say that we have abbreviations for almost anything and everything – learning, understanding them is an important part of working in aviation, as the most common ones are used daily.”

Matutyte shares some of the most common aviation abbreviations aviation businesses come in contact daily and are essential to know for an avid aviation fan and a newly joining professional alike.

A/C (or AC)
In aviation, this common abbreviation stands for aircraft. In commercial aviation, there are two types of aircraft – narrow-body and wide-body. Narrow-body aircraft are characterized by a single-aisle configuration and operate on short distance flights. Wide-body aircraft can carry between 200 and 850 passengers and typically have two aisles. These aircraft fly medium and long-haul flights.

AOG
Meaning Aircraft on Ground, this aviation maintenance term indicates that an aircraft problem is serious enough to prevent it from taking off. While an AOG situation can be caused by a variety of reasons, such as flight scheduling conflicts or even weather conditions, sometimes in-service aircraft can also be grounded for mechanical reasons. If that is the case, commercial aircraft cannot return to service until they’re repaired, inspected, and approved.

MRO
Abbreviating Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (or Maintenance Repair Organization), it is the core services of many aviation businesses. MRO refers to all the activities aimed at ensuring the aircraft remain ready to fly at all times.

“The maintenance part of the business is responsible for making sure that the aircraft is in prime flying conditions,” Matutyte explains. “Repair is the rectification and elimination of actual/active defect, damage, or system irresponsiveness and may vary from small dents to more extreme, like engine failure. Overhaul, on the other hand, is a process of preventive maintenance of the components of the aircraft itself. The process includes complete disassembly and verification of the unit in accordance with Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), Component Maintenance Manual (CMM) or Aircraft Maintenance Manual (AMM ).”

IATA
International Air Transport Association, founded in 1945 and abbreviated as IATA is the trade association for the world’s airlines. IATA supports aviation with global standards for airline safety, security, efficiency, and sustainability.

AO
Refers to aircraft operator, an organization or people who either own or operate the aircraft, equipment, procedures, and related information. It’s important not to confuse AO with air carrier, which usually means an air transport undertaking with a valid operating licence, according to a definition by EU Regulation.

ACMI
Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance, and Insurance. In the last few years, ACMI has become a more visible aviation abbreviation. Also referred to as a wet or damp lease, it’s an agreement between two airlines.

“One airline – the lessor – agrees to provide an aircraft, crew, maintenance, and insurance to another – the lessee – in return for payment on the number of block hours operated,” Matutyte says. “This also means that the lessee is provided with additional or replacement capacity, even if it’s at short notice. These operations are quite common in business as well as commercial and cargo aviation. ACMI as a business line has seen a major popularity spike in the industry in the last couple of years, and some say it’s one of the key driving forces of the industry at the moment.”

GSE
Ground Service Equipment is abbreviation for Ground Power Units (GPUs), Air Start Units (ASUs), tow vehicles, towbars, and other transportation and equipment used by ground handling and aircraft support services.

While these abbreviations only scratch the surface of hundreds of others used by pilots, cabin crew, air control officers, technicians, and aviation-related businesses, these ones cover the most encountered ones – even by the wider public, be it at an airport or online.

Locatory.com, a family member of Avia Solutions Group, is an aircraft parts locator in the aviation aftermarket. With a worldwide aircraft parts database on its marketplace for both commercial and military aircraft, it offers innovative tools for aircraft parts procurement and exploration via the broad aviation marketplace it manages. The company is one of the largest premium aircraft parts locator companies in the world.