Airplanes don’t make money sitting on the ground. That’s why the time from landing to takeoff is an efficiently choreographed dance of people and equipment. Known as a turnaround, or “turn” in industry parlance, it’s an airline’s version of a Formula One or NASCAR pit stop. The goal is to get an airliner back in the air as quickly as possible.
Sitting in the terminal building waiting to be called for our flight is a regular occurrence for most of us -- but what's really going on out there on the ramp while we're inside staring at our phones? The jet that will carry you to your destination has likely just arrived from somewhere else. When it lands, it'll undergo a turnaround, changing from an arriving to a departing flight.
Your flight has landed, and the plane is pulling up to the gate. You're ready to spring into action as soon as you hear the "we're stopped" chime. But instead of jumping up and waiting in the aisle, why don't you relax in your window seat, and look outside? You do have a window seat, don't you? There's quite the dance of people and equipment happening, all to service the plane and get it ready for its next flight.
