aircrew

IPA/ˈeəkruː/
KK[ˈɛrkrˌu]IPA/ˈerkruː/

aircrew — noun

  • aircrewsingular
  • aircrewsplural

1. the group of trained workers on board a plane or helicopter, including the pilot

1.nounC1
Definition

the group of trained workers on board a plane or helicopter, including the pilot, co-pilot, flight attendants, and engineers, whose job is to fly the aircraft safely and look after the people travelling on it.

Example

The aircrew greeted each passenger warmly as they boarded the early flight to Tokyo.

the aircrew + plural verb

Captain Suarez thanked his aircrew for staying calm during the sudden engine trouble.

possessive: his/her aircrew

Common collocations
  • trained aircrew
  • experienced aircrew
  • military aircrew
  • a member of the aircrew
  • aircrew training
Synonyms
  • flight crew

    near-identical, often preferred in commercial aviation

  • cabin crew

    narrower — only the staff who serve passengers, not the pilots

  • crew

    more general; can mean staff on a ship, train, or film set

Antonyms
  • passengers

    the people being carried, not the staff working on board

  • ground crew

    staff who service the plane on the runway, not in the air

Grammar Patterns

the aircrew + plural verb

a member of the aircrew

Usage Note

Often used as a singular noun with a plural verb in British English (the aircrew are tired). Common in news reports about flights and accidents, and in military or commercial aviation contexts.

Common Mistakes

The aircrews on my flight were friendly.
The aircrew on my flight were friendly.
for a single plane, use singular 'aircrew'; the plural 'aircrews' refers to crews of several aircraft.
She works as an aircrew.
She works as a member of the aircrew.
'aircrew' names the whole team, not one person.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All of these refer to staff working with aircraft, but their scope differs. 'Aircrew' covers everyone who works on board a plane or helicopter while it is in the air — pilots, flight attendants, and engineers together — and is common in military and news contexts. 'Flight crew' usually means the same group, especially in commercial aviation, though some airlines use it more narrowly for the pilots in the cockpit. 'Cabin crew' is narrower still: only the staff who look after passengers. 'Crew' alone is the most general word and can refer to staff on ships or trains as well. 'Ground crew' is the opposite — staff who service the plane on the runway, never in the sky. Compare: 'The aircrew handled the storm well' (everyone on board), 'Please listen to the cabin crew' (the people serving you in the cabin).

aircrew ↗flight crewcabin crew ↗crew ↗ground crew

Common collocations

Nouns

  • aircrew member
  • aircrew training
  • aircrew uniform
  • military aircrew

Phrases

  • a member of the aircrew
  • experienced aircrew
  • RAF aircrew

Prepositions

  • of the aircrew
  • on board with the aircrew

Etymology

Old FrenchEnglish

Formed in early 20th-century English by joining 'air' and 'crew', following the same pattern as 'aircraft' and 'airline'. The word came into wide use during the Second World War, when large numbers of trained pilots, navigators, and gunners were needed to operate military planes, and air forces needed a single label for the whole on-board team.