The short answer
No, not quite. The arrival time on an airline ticket is when the plane is due at the gate, not when it touches down. Landing usually comes a few minutes to a quarter of an hour earlier, then the plane taxis to its stand. The same goes for departure: it's when the plane is due to leave the gate, not take off. Flight-tracking sites sometimes show runway times instead, which is why the two can disagree.
Gate times, not runway times
Airlines schedule flights from gate to gate. The departure time on your booking is when the aircraft is due to push back from the gate; the arrival time is when it's due to reach the gate or stand at the other end. Everything in between counts: taxiing out, queuing for the runway, the flight itself, landing and taxiing in.
| Moment | What it's called | Is it on your ticket? |
|---|---|---|
| Doors close, plane pushes back | Departure, off-block | Yes: the departure time |
| Wheels leave the runway | Take-off, wheels up | No |
| Wheels touch the runway | Landing, touchdown, wheels down | No |
| Plane stops at the gate or stand | Arrival, on-block | Yes: the arrival time |
The flight duration printed on your booking is gate to gate as well, so it's longer than the time you're actually in the air.
How long between landing and the gate?
Usually a few minutes; at big, busy airports it can be 15 minutes or more, and longer if your gate is still occupied. Then add the time to get off, through passport control and to the baggage hall. For an international arrival, the time you walk out into the arrivals hall is often 30 to 60 minutes after the arrival time on the ticket.
Why flights often "arrive early"
Airlines build extra time into their schedules for taxiing and congestion. On a quiet day, a flight can reach the gate well before its scheduled arrival, which is why pilots so often announce an early arrival. Delays at departure are partly absorbed the same way.
Why a flight tracker shows a different time
Some tracking websites and apps report when the wheels left and touched the runway, measured from radar and aircraft data, rather than the airline's gate times. Airport arrival boards often show "landed" first, then the gate time. So if the airline says 14:20 and a tracker says the flight landed at 14:08, both can be right.
What it means for you
- Meeting someone: plan to be there for the gate time on an international flight, and later still if they have checked bags. Watch the arrivals board for "landed".
- Booking a taxi or transfer: book it from the scheduled arrival time plus the time for passport control and bags, not from touchdown.
- Tight connections: your connection time runs gate to gate too, which helps, but a gate at the far end of the terminal eats into it.
- Departures: boarding starts before the departure time and the gate closes before it, often 15 to 30 minutes before. See how early to get to the airport.
Times on your ticket are also local, each to its own airport: see are flight times local?
Questions people ask
Is the arrival time on a flight when the plane lands?
No. It's the scheduled time at the gate. The plane usually lands a few minutes to a quarter of an hour earlier and then taxis to its stand.
Is departure time when the plane takes off?
No. Departure time is when the plane is due to leave the gate. Take-off follows after taxiing and any queue for the runway.
Are flight times gate to gate?
Yes. Scheduled departure and arrival times, and the flight duration on your booking, are measured from gate to gate.
Why did my flight land before the arrival time?
Schedules include extra time for taxiing and congestion, so on a quiet day the plane can land and even reach the gate before the scheduled arrival time.
When should I be at arrivals to meet someone off an international flight?
Around the scheduled arrival time is usually early enough. Passport control and baggage typically add 30 to 60 minutes after the plane reaches the gate.
