Departure and Arrival

When their flight is announced, passen­gers make their way to one of the num­bered boarding gates. From the gate, most passengers walk directly to the air­plane doors along an enclosed bridge. At small airports, they may walk across the apron and climb steps to enter the cabin.

After all the passengers are seated on board, the pilot waits for air traffic control to give the signal for takeoff. When told to move into position, the pilot uses lanes called taxiways to move the plane from the airport terminal onto the runway.

As one aircraft takes off, another is usually preparing to land. Once a plane has landed, it moves off the runway onto the loading apron to unload its passengers and cargo. Passengers collect their bags from a baggage reclaim area, where the bags from each flight are delivered on conveyor belts.

Before leaving the airport, passengers who enter a country on an international flight must go through the additional step of being cleared through immigra­tion and customs. These government departments control the movement of people and goods into their countries.

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SEE ALSO:

• Air Traffic Control • Aircraft,

Commercial • Pilot

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