MLW (maximum landing weight)
Maximum landing weight is the heaviest an aircraft may be when it touches down, set by the strength of the landing gear and structure to absorb the impact. It is lower than the maximum take-off weight, so an aircraft that departs full of fuel for a long flight and then has to return shortly after take-off may need to burn or dump fuel before it can land. For charter customers the MLW matters mainly on short flights with heavy loads: a jet fuelled for a long onward sector cannot always accept a full cabin and full baggage on a 30-minute hop, and the crew may ask to reduce bags or add a fuel stop.