Complete French Airport Vocabulary List: 112 Essential Words

Airports don’t reward guesswork. If you don’t understand what’s on the screens, what’s being announced, or what the staff is asking you, things slow down fast. Even strong French learners often realize too late that they’ve never learned the words for boarding, connections, baggage, or security. Airport French isn’t advanced—but it is specific.

That’s exactly why airport French deserves its own focused attention. Not because you need to speak perfectly, but because recognizing the right words at the right moment removes a huge amount of stress. This list brings together 112 essential French airport words—the kind you’ll actually see on signs, hear over loudspeakers, and need when something goes slightly off plan. No fluff, no obscure terms—just practical vocabulary that helps you move through a French-speaking airport calmly and confidently, even on a tired travel day.

1. Airport Areas & Infrastructure

Français	English
l'aéroport	airport
le terminal	terminal
la porte	gate
la porte d'embarquement	boarding gate
la salle d'attente	the waiting area
le comptoir	the counter
le comptoir d'enregistrement	the check-in counter
le carrousel à baggages	the baggage carousel
la piste	the runway
la tour de control	the control tower
la zone des arrivées	the arrivals area
la zone des départs	the departures area
le contrôle de sécurité	the security checkpoint
la douane/les douanes	the customs
le contrôle des passeports	the passport control
la zone internationale	the international area
la zone nationale	the international area
le stationnement	the parking lot
les toilettes	the restroom
la boutique hors taxes	the duty-free shop

2. Tickets, Documents & Travel Information

Français	English
le billet	the ticket
le billet d'embarquement	the boarding pass
le passeport	the passport
la carte d'identité	the ID
le visa	the visa
la réservation	the reservation
le numéro de vol	the flight number
l'itinéraire	the itinerary
la confirmation	the confirmation
la date de départ	the departure date
la date d'arrivée	the arrival date
la classe économique	the economy class
la classe affaires	the business class
la première classe	first class
le siège	the seat
la file	the row
l'allée	the aisle
le siège côté hublot	the window seat

3. Check-in & Baggage

Français	English
s'enregistrer	to check in
les baggages	the luggage
le baggage à main	the carry-on
le baggage enregistré, le baggage en soute	the checked luggage
la valise	the suitcase
le sac à dos	the backpack
le sac	the bag
le chariot à baggage	the luggage cart
le poids	the weight
l'étiquette à baggage	the luggage tag
l'excédent de baggage	the excess baggage
la récupération des baggages	the baggage claim
les baggages perdus	the lost luggage
déclarer	to declare
la soute	the cargo hold

4. Security & Immigration

Français	English
le scanner	the scanner
le détecteur de métal	the metal detector
le liquide	the liquid
l'objet perdu	the prohibited item
montrer	to show
enlever/retirer	to remove
le bac	the tray
passer par	to go through
l'immigration	the immigration
l'agent	the officer
le tampon ou l'étampe	the stamp
l'entrée	the entry
la sortie	the exit

5. Boarding & Flight Status

Français	English
embarquer	to board
l'embarquement	the boarding
le pré-embarquement	the pre-boarding
l'annonce	the announcement
le haut-parleur	the loudspeaker
en retard	delayed
à l'heure	on time
annulé	cancelled
le retard	the delay
le décollage	takeoff
l'atterrissage	landing
le vol	the flight
l'avion	the airplane
la compagnie aérienne	the airline
l'équipage	the crew
le pilote	the pilot
el copilote	the co-pilot
l'agent de bord	the flight attendant

6. On the Plane

Français	English
la ceinture de sécurité	the seatbelt
Attacher sa ceinture de sécurité	to fasten your seatbelt
le dossier	the seat back
incliner	to recline
le compartiment à bagages	the overhead bin
les consignes de sécurité	the safety instructions
le masque d'oxygène	the oxygen mask
la veste de sauvetage	the life vest
turbulences	turbulence
le service à bord	in-flight service

7. Customs & Arrival

Français	English
arriver	to arrive
l'arrivée	arrival
récupérer	to pick-up
déclarer	to declare
rien à déclarer	nothing to declare
quelque chose à déclarer	something to declare
le formulaire	the form
l'inspection	inspection
autorisé	allowed
interdit	prohibited

8. Problems & Help

Français	English
aide	help
information	information
perdu	lost
changer	to change
reprogrammer	to reschedule
se plaindre	to complain
le remboursement	the refund
le comptoir de service à la clientèle	the customer service desk

There you have it.

This list covers almost everything you need to navigate this part of travel with confidence.

Learn the words, then lock them in by imagining the situations where you’d actually use them—that’s what makes them stick. Doing this will lower your stress and make you far more effective in real airports.

Bon voyage!

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