What is minimum connection time?
Minimum connection time is the shortest gap an airport allows between a connecting arrival and departure. Booking systems refuse to sell itineraries below it. The figure varies by airport, by terminal, and by whether the connection is domestic or international.
Minimum connection time explained
Every airport files its own figures, and they can differ sharply within the same building. Connecting between two international flights in one terminal might need 45 minutes, while moving from a domestic arrival to an international departure across terminals at the same airport can require two hours or more.
The number is a floor, not a recommendation. It assumes the inbound flight lands on schedule, that you walk at a reasonable pace and that nothing at security or passport control goes wrong. It exists so that reservation systems do not sell connections that are physically impossible, which is a lower bar than a connection you would actually choose.
There is a real advantage buried in it. Because the airline sold you a connection at or above the published minimum, the connection is protected. Miss it through a delay and they rebook you. That protection is precisely what a self transfer itinerary does not give you, however generous the gap looks on screen.
For premium cabins the calculation shifts again. Priority disembarkation, fast track security and lounge access change what a tight connection feels like, and at a carrier's own hub the transfer is usually designed around it. On an unfamiliar airport with a terminal change, adding an hour to the published minimum is cheap insurance.
More on minimum connection time
The airport files it, and it is published per terminal and per connection type. Airlines and booking systems use those figures to decide which itineraries they are allowed to sell.
It is the physical minimum, not a comfortable margin. It assumes an on time arrival and no queues. Many travelers deliberately book longer connections even though shorter ones are available.
A booking system will not sell it as a single ticket. If you are holding such a connection it is because you booked two separate tickets, which means the connection is not protected.
The rest of the glossary
See all 28 termsFlights and connections
Aircraft and cabins