22 Japanese Airplane & Airport Vocabulary ✈️

How would you say….

Airplane in Japanese?

Or, airport in Japanese?

Well, below are all the must-know Japanese airplane and airport vocabulary. Good if you to know if you’re traveling to Japan.

1. 飛行機

Reading: Hikouki
Hiragana: ひこうき

The most important Japanese word for airplanes is hikouki…

…and it’s how you say airplane in Japanese.

“Hey ma, look at that hikouki!” ✈️

This word uses the word hikou which is flight and ki which is a device in Japanese.

2. 空港

Reading: Kuukou
Hiragana: くうこう

Another word you’ll need to know to have a good understanding of airplane vocabulary is kuukou.

This is how you say airport in Japanese.

“Kuukou” follows the same idea as in English, kuu means sky, and kou means port.

３. 良い旅を

Reading: Yoi tabi o
Meaning: Have a nice trip

This is important if you’re wishing someone a nice trip!

It is a bit casual so it would be best to use this phrase with friends and family.

４. 行ってらっしゃい

Reading: Itterasshai
Meaning: Have a nice trip

Itterasshai can be used to wish a nice trip. It is also used when someone is leaving the house and you wish them a nice day. This phrase is like a “good bye” or “see you” in English.

５. 飛行

Reading: Hikou
Meaning: Flight

The word for flight is hikou but it is rarely used by itself.

Usually, it is combined into other words such as hikouki which represents the word airplane…

…as you learned above.

５. 飛行時間

Reading: Hikou jikan
Meaning: Flight time

This is an important word to know so that you know your flight time!

The inflight announcement will usually tell you the flight time or it may be shown on the screen at your seat.

6. パイロット

Reading: Pairotto
Meaning: Pilot, duh

For the word pilot, Japanese people simply use the English word.

It should be easy to recognize this airplane word!

7. 乗客

Reading: Joukyaku

This is the word for passenger in Japanese!

Japanese airlines have some of the best passenger experiences as flight attendants are trained to provide excellent service.

8. フライトはどうでしたか？

Reading: Furaito wa doudeshitaka?
Meaning: How was your flight?

If you want to ask someone how their flight went you can ask this phrase.

The word for flight is the same as in English!

9. 入国審査

Reading: Nyuukoku shinsa
Immigration

One of the processes if you’re using an airplane internationally is to go through the immigration process.

The word for that is nyuukoku shinsa, and you may see this inside a Japanese airport!

10. 機内食

Reading: Kinai shoku
Meaning: In-flight meal

On a long flight, you might look forward to the in-flight meal or kinai shoku!

Different country’s airlines try to be unique with the kinds of meals they serve.

For example, in Japan, you might notice there are Japanese cuisine options like teriyaki or cup noodles.

11. 通路側

Reading: Tsuuro gawa
Meaning: Aisle side

Regardless of your transportation method, it is useful to know how to say aisle if you’re booking a ticket!

In airplanes, they will often let you choose your seat so you may want to learn this word.

Aisle seats are useful because you can easily stand up and walk around the cabin.

12. 窓側

Reading: Mado gawa
Meaning: Window side

This is the word for window side, which you can also say if you prefer to sit by the window.

Window seats tend to have better views and it can be relaxing to lean against the wall to rest.

13. 席

Reading: Seki
Meaning: Seat

This is the Japanese word for a seat on an airplane!

It can be important to know this word so you can navigate to the correct seat number or understand when a flight attendant mentions it.

14. 席を代わってもらえませんか？

Reading: Seki o kawatte moraemasenka?
Meaning: Would you mind switching seats?

There are times when you’re not able to book the seat you wanted and would like to switch.

In those kinds of situations, you can try using this phrase to sit next to your friend or family!

15. 着陸

Reading: Chakuriku
Landing

This is the word for landing in Japanese.

You may hear it when they tell you to buckle your seat belt before landing.

16. 離陸

Reading: Ririku
Meaning: Take off

In an airplane, they will usually tell you to keep your seat belt on and tray tables stowed away before take off.

This is a good word to know so that you can understand the airline’s safety protocols.

17. 出発

Reading: Shuppatsu
Meaning: Departure

This is the word for departure in Japanese.

You’ll likely see this word on the information panels so you know your departure time and whether anything is delayed.

18. ゲート

Reading: Geeto
Meaning: Gate

Airports are usually marked by gate numbers and in Japanese people also refer to them as geeto.

19. 税関

Reading: Zeikan
Meaning: Customs

As part of arrival procedures, you’ll likely have to go through customs.

This is a good word to know so that you know whether or not you have to fill out your customs forms.

20. 免税店

Reading: Menzei ten
Meaning: Duty-free shop

Shopping is a great way to spend time at the airport since it will be duty-free.

You can find duty-free shops in Japanese airports and they will be referred to as menzei ten.

21. 遅れる

Reading: Okureru
Meaning: To be delayed

In some cases, your flight might get delayed and you’ll need to check your new departure time or get a new ticket.

The word for “to be delayed” is okureru.

You can also use it in the past tense when describing your trip to other people.

22. チェックイン

Reading: Chekku in
Meaning: Check-in

Most flights will require you to check in before boarding so that you can drop off your luggage and they can check your passports.

This is important to know so that you’ll be able to go to the correct check-in counter at the airport.

Back to You

Now you know how to say airplane in Japanese…

Oh yeah, and a whole lot of other useful airport vocabulary.

Feel free to print it on your flight to Japan. You may also be interested in:

Am I missing any?

Let me know. I read comments because I am an addict.

– The Main Lingua Junkie

P.S. Remember: the more you expose yourself to the language, the better you get.