What does "range" signify in aviation?

In aviation, "range" specifically refers to the maximum distance that an aircraft can fly on a full tank of fuel. This concept is crucial for flight planning, as it determines how far an aircraft can travel before needing to refuel. Knowing an aircraft's range helps in scheduling flights, planning routes, and ensuring that the aircraft can reach its destination plus provide a safety margin for unexpected circumstances, such as needing to divert.

Understanding range is essential for pilots and flight planners because it influences both the operational capabilities of the aircraft and the efficiency of the flight. It impacts the selection of routes and can affect passenger load, cargo capacity, and the overall operational cost of the flight. This measurement is often expressed in nautical miles or kilometers, reflecting the aircraft's performance characteristics and fuel efficiency.

The other options pertain to different aspects of aviation: the seating capacity relates to passengers, time in hours pertains to flight duration, and altitude is about the vertical distance an aircraft can operate at. Each of these elements is important in its own right, but they are not what "range" specifically signifies in the context of aviation.