What's the expression for the port of boarding of a flight?

Question

What would be an appropriate formal expression to describe the place from which the plane is going to take off?

For e.g. a flight travels from London, Heathrow (LHR) to New Delhi, Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL).

Terms I am thinking of are:

1) Port of departure (LHR), city of departure (London)
2) Port of boarding (LHR), city of boarding (London) On the itinerary, usually short forms are used and the airport and city from which the plane is going to take off are listed under a column named 'DEP'.

But is there a term used in the airline industry for this?

Among the definitions you are suggestinig, Port of departure seems the only valid option:books.google.com/ngrams/… — user66974, Feb 6, 2015 at 11:15
Departure airport may be an alternative:books.google.com/ngrams/… — user66974, Feb 6, 2015 at 11:23
In airline ticketing terms it is origin, destination is your final airport and any stops in between are intermediate. — Frank, Feb 6, 2015 at 11:34
I don't recall seeing port used in an airline environment. Except, remarkably, in those terms port and starboard, the continuation of which I find astonishing in the airline age. — WS2, Feb 6, 2015 at 14:45

sojourner · Accepted Answer · 2015-02-06 13:40:33Z

2

it is embarkation (embarcation) port.Embark: to go aboard a vessel or aircraft, as at the start of a journey.

answered Feb 6, 2015 at 13:40

sojourner

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I think embarkation is a bit dated. Goes back to the steamship days.
– WS2
Feb 6, 2015 at 14:43
@WS2 The last time I went through Heathrow Airport it is still used: Disembarkation Cards arrivals have to fill!
– sojourner
Feb 6, 2015 at 16:20
Ah! Disembarkation cards are a government form. And the government is always decades behind the times. However, in fairness to them, I suppose 'disembarkation' has a legal/procedural meaning for immigration law purposes. It describes the moment of arrival in the country.
– WS2
Feb 6, 2015 at 16:55
@WS2 Well brother I do agree with your remarks about governments being behind the times I am afraid, but I must say that Embarkation and Disembarkation are still also used by countries I visited which were former British colonies: Kenya, Hong Kong and Singapore!
– sojourner
Feb 6, 2015 at 19:22
1

Yes. Their governments are behind the times too! Seriously, I think at an immigration admin. level the words embarkation and disembarkation are important. I don't think airlines use them, but hat-off to you if you prove me wrong.
– WS2
Feb 6, 2015 at 20:22

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