Scheduled vs Estimated vs Actual Flight Times

A flight has three kinds of time: scheduled (the plan), estimated (the current expectation) and actual (what happened). Together they tell you whether a flight is on time and how long a delay is.

Scheduled (STD and STA)

The scheduled time of departure (STD) and arrival (STA) are in the airline’s timetable and on your ticket. They rarely change once published, unless the airline retimes the flight. See STD and STA.

Estimated (ETD and ETA)

The estimated time of departure (ETD) and arrival (ETA) start equal to the scheduled time and then change. If the aircraft is late arriving for its next flight, the ETD moves later. In flight, the ETA changes with speed, wind and air traffic. See ETD, ETA and why ETA changes.

Actual (ATD and ATA)

The actual time of departure (ATD) and arrival (ATA) are recorded when the events occur. Airlines compare them with the schedule to calculate delay. Different airlines record departure at pushback or at takeoff; see OOOI.

An example

A flight scheduled to depart at 09:30 (STD) and land at 11:00 (STA). The aircraft arrives late, so the ETD shows 09:50. It pushes back at 09:52 (ATD), cruises with a tailwind, and lands at 11:05, reaching the gate at 11:12 (ATA). The arrival delay is 12 minutes.

What a tracker shows

A live tracker like this one has no schedule data, so it shows position, not STD or STA. For official times use your airline. See how to read flight status.

General information only, not legal or safety advice. Details change; check with your airline and the relevant authority. See our editorial policy.