Captain
The pilot in command, legally responsible for the aircraft, everyone on board and every operational decision.
Definition
The captain is the pilot in command: the person the regulator holds responsible for the safety of the aircraft, its passengers and crew from the moment the doors close until they open. They sit in the left seat, make the final call on fuel, weather, diversions and dealing with unruly passengers, and under flight time limitation rules they alone can exercise commander's discretion to extend a duty. EASA texts say "commander"; the FAA says "pilot in command".
What it means for you
The captain is your commander on the day and, through the purser, the person you escalate to for anything that could become a safety or legal matter — a drunk passenger, a medical case, a suspected fatigue problem. Their discretion decision on a long day is what may extend your duty by up to two hours, and their consultation with the cabin crew is a legal step, not a courtesy.
In practice
When a Qatar Airways 777 holds for an hour over a fogged-in destination, it is the captain who decides between waiting and diverting, and who asks the cabin crew whether they are fit to continue before extending the duty under discretion.
Related terms
4 terms- First officerRoles & ranksThe second pilot, fully qualified to fly the aircraft and sharing the flying with the captain, who retains overall command.
- Flight deckRoles & ranksThe pilots' compartment at the front of the aircraft, and by extension the pilots themselves as distinct from cabin crew.
- Commander's discretionRoster & schedulingThe captain's authority to extend a duty or shorten a rest beyond normal limits for unforeseen events after report, after consulting crew.
- PurserRoles & ranksThe crew member in charge of the cabin on a flight: briefs the crew, reports to the captain and owns the service and the paperwork.