Which items are included in Basic Operating Weight (BOW)?

• A. A/C empty plus all crewmembers, crew luggage, dry stores and beverages
• B. Fuel, pax, ballast and cargo
• C. Only the aircraft structure
• D. Fuel and pax only

Answer: (A)

Basic Operating Weight is the weight of the aircraft with all standard operating equipment and crew items on board, but before adding payload or usable fuel. It includes the aircraft’s empty weight plus the crewmembers and their luggage, plus standard galley items such as dry stores and beverages. This combination reflects everything that is normally on the airplane for flight operations, excluding passengers, cargo, and fuel.

That’s why the best choice is the one that adds the empty aircraft weight to the crew and their baggage plus the standard catering/galley items. Fuel, passengers, ballast, and cargo are addressed in other weight categories (payload, ballast, or fuel calculations) and are not part of Basic Operating Weight. Similarly, the aircraft structure alone would be just the empty weight, not including crew and galley items.