Standby
A rostered period in which you are not assigned a flight but must be available to be called for one, at the airport or at home.
Definition
Standby is a duty during which you hold yourself available to be assigned a flight at short notice, either at the airport in uniform or at home within a set call-out time. Under EASA it is a defined duty type with its own rules: airport standby counts in full as duty time, while home standby counts partly towards cumulative limits and, once it runs past six hours, shortens the maximum FDP you can then be given. It is the European and Gulf equivalent of US reserve days.
What it means for you
Standby blocks are heaviest on your roster in the first year and thin out with seniority or, at company-rostered carriers, simply with luck. The practical rule is to live as if every standby will be used: sleep beforehand, bag packed, phone loud. Know your airline's call-out time and the legal FDP that follows a call, because crewing's clock and your fatigue do not always agree.
In practice
A British Airways new joiner at Heathrow typically has more standby blocks than bid trips in the first months, and a call at 05:30 can turn a planned day at home into a Madrid and back plus a night-stop.
Related terms
4 terms- Airport standbyRoster & schedulingStandby served at the airport in uniform, ready to board within minutes; counts in full as duty under EASA.
- Home standbyRoster & schedulingStandby served away from the airport, usually at home, with a contractual call-out time to report — typically 90 minutes to two hours.
- ReserveRoster & schedulingThe US term for a roster of on-call days rather than assigned trips: you fly whatever crew scheduling gives you, at short notice.
- Crew controlRoles & ranksThe department that manages crew on the day of operation — calling out standbys, reassigning trips and keeping every flight legally crewed.