Minimum connection time
Minimum connection time: The shortest connection interval formally established for a specific airport and itinerary combination, taking account of factors such as domestic or international sectors, terminals and operating carriers.
Plain-English Explanation
Minimum connection time, often abbreviated to MCT, is an operational threshold used when constructing and validating connecting itineraries. It is not one universal number and it is not a guarantee that an individual traveller will make the connection.
The applicable time can differ by airport, terminal, route type, airline and ticket structure. Separate tickets, baggage collection, immigration, security, reduced mobility, children or unfamiliar airports may require more time than the formal minimum.
Why It Matters
A connection can be technically valid but still be a poor fit for the traveller’s circumstances or the consequences of disruption. A readiness review should therefore record both:
- whether the itinerary meets the applicable current minimum; and
- whether the human traveller accepts the practical buffer and recovery risk.
Examples
- An itinerary may meet the airport and carrier’s formal connection requirement, but a traveller using mobility assistance may decide that the remaining buffer is too small. The planning decision is then to choose a longer connection—not to claim that the original itinerary was unsafe or guaranteed to fail.