ETD — Estimated Time of Departure

ETD — Estimated Time of Departure

ETD is one of the key time variables in airport operations and is continuously updated as new information becomes available. It feeds into FIDS displays, ground handling planning, connecting passenger management and ATC sequencing.

Flight Time Terminology

Aviation uses a precise set of time codes to distinguish planned from actual times:

Why ETD Matters

For passengers: ETD drives the gate display and boarding announcement timing. For ground operations: it determines when fuelling, catering, cleaning and baggage loading must be completed. For ATC: ETD feeds into the slot sequencing and CTOT (Calculated Take-Off Time) calculation.

ETD and A-CDM

In A-CDM environments, the EOBT is the critical input. Airlines update their EOBT estimates in the AODB; this triggers recalculation of TSAT (Target Start-up Approval Time) and CTOT. Accurate EOBT updates are a core airline obligation in A-CDM participation.