Meteorology
Headwind
At a glance
Meaning of Headwind
The component of wind blowing against the aircraft's direction of travel.
More about Headwind
For a given true airspeed, a headwind reduces ground speed and usually increases the time needed to cover a ground distance.
At takeoff and landing, the wind component along the runway affects performance. Pilots assess the actual component and applicable aircraft procedures, rather than treating every reported wind as a direct headwind.