Second officer (aeronautics)

A Second Officer usually refers to the third in line of command for a flight crew on a commercial or non-military aircraft. Usually a Second Officer is used on international or long haul flights where more than two crew are required to allow for adequate crew rest periods.

In some airlines, the Second Officer acts as a First Officer, but still undergoes training and supervision from a training Captain (Swiss, Lufthansa, Volotea among others use this denomination).