ESL Airport Vocabulary Worksheets

Twelve airport words, from terminal to carousel, each to match to a plain meaning.

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At the airport 12

airport A place with runways where planes come and go. The airport is busy in the summer.
baggage claim The area where you get your bags back after a flight. Meet me at baggage claim.
boarding pass The card or paper that lets you walk onto your plane. Keep your boarding pass in your hand.
carousel A moving belt that carries bags around in a loop. Her bag came around on the carousel.
customs The office that checks goods people bring from abroad. We walked through customs after we landed.
gate The exit from the waiting area that leads onto a plane. We sat near the gate for an hour.
luggage All the bags and cases that someone takes on a trip. They carried their luggage to the car.
passport An official travel paper that proves who a person is. He keeps his passport in a safe pocket.
security The part of an airport where people and bags are checked. The line at security was long.
suitcase A large box-shaped bag used to carry clothes on a trip. My suitcase is too heavy to lift.
terminal The airport building where travelers go to reach the planes. Our flight leaves from the new terminal.
ticket A pass you buy that lets you ride on a plane, bus or train. She bought her ticket last month.

Show all 60 rows (48 more)

Flights 12

arrival The act of reaching the place you were going to. Grandma is waiting for our arrival.
canceled Called off; no longer going to happen. The last flight of the day was canceled.
delayed Running late; not leaving at the time first given. The plane is delayed because of snow.
departure The act of leaving a place to start a trip. The time of departure is on the screen.
destination The place where a trip is planned to end. Our destination is a small town by the sea.
domestic Within a single country, not crossing a border. This desk is for domestic flights.
flight A trip in a plane from one city or country to another. Our flight leaves at nine.
international Going from one country to another. He works on international flights.
layover A break in a trip while you wait for the next plane. We had a short layover on the way home.
on time Exactly when the schedule says; not late. The plane left on time.
one-way Going to a place without the trip back. He bought a one-way ticket.
round trip A trip to a place and then back to where you started. She paid for a round trip.

On the plane 12

airplane A machine with wings and engines that flies people around. The airplane is ready to leave.
aisle The narrow path between the seats that people walk along. Please do not leave bags in the aisle.
carry-on A small bag you keep with you on the plane. My carry-on fits under the seat.
flight attendant A plane worker who takes care of travelers during a flight. The flight attendant brought me a blanket.
overhead bin A closed shelf above the seats that holds small bags. He put his coat in the overhead bin.
passenger A traveler in a vehicle who is not driving or flying it. Every passenger has a number.
pilot Someone whose job is to control a plane in the air. The pilot spoke to us before we left.
row Seats set next to each other in one straight line. We sat in the last row.
runway The long flat road a plane uses to go up and to come down. The plane rolled slowly to the runway.
seat A place made for one person to sit in. My seat is next to yours.
seat belt A strap you fasten across your body to stay in place. Keep your seat belt on.
wing One of two wide flat parts that hold a plane up as it flies. I can see the wing from here.

Travel verbs 12

book To arrange ahead of time to have a seat on a flight. We booked our flight in May.
check in To report at the desk that you have come for your flight. You can check in two hours early.
fasten To join two parts so that something stays closed. She fastened the strap of her bag.
fly To move through the air; to go somewhere by plane. We fly home on Monday.
get off To leave a plane, bus or train when the ride is over. Wait for the plane to stop before you get off.
get on To go onto a plane, bus or train. The children get on first.
land To come down out of the air and touch the ground. We land at noon.
miss To be too late to catch a plane, bus or train. Run, or we will miss the plane.
pack To fill a bag or case with what you need for a trip. I pack my bag the night before.
take off To rise from the ground and start flying. The plane will take off soon.
wait To stay in one spot and not go until it is time. We wait here until they call us.
weigh To put a thing on a scale and read how heavy it is. They weigh every suitcase.

What people say 12

Have a good flight. A kind wish to someone who is about to fly. A worker or a friend says it as you leave.
How many bags are you checking? The worker asks how many bags you are handing over. The worker at the check-in desk asks it.
Is the flight on time? Asking if the plane will leave when the schedule says. You ask it at the desk.
May I see your boarding pass? A worker asks you to show the paper for your flight. You hear it before you get on the plane.
My suitcase is missing. Telling a worker that your bag did not come. You say it at the desk near the carousel.
Please fasten your seat belt. Telling you to close the strap before the plane moves. A flight attendant says it.
Please put your bag on the belt. Telling you to set your bag down so it can be checked. An officer says it at security.
We are now boarding. Telling travelers they can start getting on the plane. A worker at the gate says it to everyone waiting.
What time do we land? Asking when the plane will reach the ground. You ask it on the plane.
Where is baggage claim? Asking where to pick up your bags after landing. You ask it after you get off the plane.
Where is gate 12? Asking the way to the place where your plane waits. You ask it when you cannot find the way.
Window or aisle? The worker asks which kind of seat you would like. You hear it when your seat is chosen.

How this list was compiled: Word list chosen for this site on 2026-10-13. Each meaning is written in our own words, with common words a beginner knows, and was checked that day against the entry for the word in Wiktionary, the free dictionary (https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/ followed by the word), whose text is under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license. The meaning of canceled follows the entry for cancelled. Two meanings also rest on the English Wikipedia articles read that day: Airport security (people and bags are screened) and Baggage carousel (a belt that brings checked bags around to travelers), at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ followed by the title. The twelve sentences of What people say, the note on what each is for and the example sentence after each meaning are our own and rest on no source. Licence: own work

How it works

These ESL airport vocabulary worksheets open on twelve words for the building and your bags: gate, boarding pass, luggage, customs and eight more, each matched to a plain meaning. Flights, the plane, travel verbs and things people say fill four more sheets.

Read the full guide

At the airport vocabulary worksheets, set by set

At the airport follows a traveler from terminal and ticket to baggage claim and carousel. Flights has the words on the board: departure, arrival, on time, delayed, canceled. On the plane has pilot, passenger, aisle and overhead bin. Travel verbs goes from book and pack to get off and miss.

Airport sentences for a role play

In the fifth set each row is a whole sentence, matched to what the speaker means. How many bags are you checking? is the worker asking how many bags you are handing over. We are now boarding tells travelers they can start getting on the plane.

Airplane and baggage claim are American words. For British English, type aeroplane and baggage reclaim as word = meaning; your pairs replace ours.
For a role play, one student reads a sentence from What people say and a partner answers as the traveler or the worker.

Questions and answers

What is the difference between a ticket and a boarding pass?

A ticket is the pass you buy that lets you ride on a plane, bus or train. A boarding pass is the card or paper that lets you walk onto your plane.

What is the difference between luggage and a suitcase?

Luggage is all the bags and cases that someone takes on a trip. A suitcase is one of them: a large box-shaped bag used to carry clothes. A carry-on is a small bag you keep with you on the plane.

What does round trip mean?

A round trip is a trip to a place and then back to where you started. One-way is the opposite: going to a place without the trip back.

All 60 rows

At the airport 12

Flights 12

On the plane 12

Travel verbs 12

What people say 12

How it works

At the airport vocabulary worksheets, set by set

Airport sentences for a role play

Questions and answers

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