Which of the following best defines a Positioning flight?

• A. A flight without fare-paying customers on board, where flight crew may be carried
• B. A flight with fare-paying passengers on board
• C. A maintenance flight with no passengers
• D. A cargo-only flight

Answer: (A)

Positioning flights relocate an aircraft to where it will operate the next service. The defining feature is that there are no fare-paying passengers on board during the move; the flight crew is aboard to operate the flight, and the aircraft may carry necessary non-revenue staff, but no paying customers. This distinguishes it from a revenue flight, which carries passengers for payment. It’s also different from maintenance flights, which are for servicing the aircraft, and from cargo-only flights, which carry freight as revenue. So the description of a flight with no fare-paying customers on board, where the flight crew may be carried, best defines a Positioning flight.