Use the verb disembark to describe leaving a ship, airplane or other type of vehicle, like making sure you haven't left anything in the plane's overhead compartment before you disembark. Embark means putting passengers in a plane or on a boat. Disembark is its opposite.

In the world of aviation, the formal term for getting off a plane is deplaning or disembarking. While "disembarking" is the more traditional maritime-derived term used globally, "deplaning" is specifically common in North American commercial aviation. In 2026, the process is heavily regulated for safety: passengers must remain seated until the "Fasten Seatbelt" sign is extinguished and the "door is disarmed." The act of the aircraft connecting to the gate is called "docking," and once the "jet bridge" is secure, the disembarkation process begins. In more technical flight crew communications, this phase may be referred to as the "arrival flow." For passengers, the term "deplaning" marks the transition from the sterile environment of the aircraft to the arrivals terminal, where they will then proceed to "baggage claim" and "customs" if arriving from an international location.