Glossary
Airline Operations
Spoke
Definition
A route from a hub airport to a smaller destination in the hub-and-spoke network model. Spoke routes feed passengers into the hub for connecting flights.
Related Terms
Hub Airport
An airport used by an airline as a central connecting point to transfer passengers between flights. Airlines concentrate flights at hubs to offer more connections with fewer direct routes.
Point-to-Point
A route network model where aircraft fly directly between city pairs without using a central hub. Favored by low-cost carriers for operational simplicity and faster turnarounds.
Regional Jet
A small jet aircraft designed for short-haul routes connecting smaller cities to hub airports. Typically seats 50-100 passengers. Examples: Embraer E-Jets, CRJ series.