imbarco

Imbarco is a term in Italian that denotes the act or the moment of placing people or goods on board a vessel, aircraft, or other mode of transportation. The related verb imbarcare means to load or to embark; imbarcarsi means to board oneself. The noun can refer to the process as a whole or to the specific moment when boarding takes place.

In maritime contexts, imbarco concerns passengers, crew, and cargo. It occurs at ports after ticketing or reservation, with checks of documents and tickets, luggage handling, safety briefings, and assignment of berths or seats. Procedures may vary by vessel, company, and regulatory framework, but the general idea is to transfer those on shore onto the ship.

In aviation, imbarco is used to describe boarding of passengers onto an aircraft at the gate. It is typically announced with a boarding group or zone and accompanies procedures such as document verification, security checks, and final access control to the aircraft. The term can also appear in rail or other passenger transport contexts, though its usage is most common in nautical and aeronautical settings.

Historically and legally, imbarco is paired with sbarco, meaning disembarkation or unloading. Together, they frame the cycle of travel and the movement of people and goods between land and water, or air. The concept remains central to port operations, airlines, and logistics worldwide.