What separates a light carrier from a fleet carrier?

What tonnage or capability marks the useful range for a light carrier?

The categories follow sustainable air missions: roughly 36 aircraft can support two mission sets, while about 54 moves a ship into fleet-carrier territory.

A light carrier can conduct about two mission sets, such as air defence plus ASW or strike. Eighteen aircraft form a sustainable package because four can work, four can remain alert, further groups can cycle through maintenance and recovery, and two airframes remain in reserve. A 36-aircraft ship can support two such packages and sits near the upper end of the light-carrier category. Around 54 aircraft allows three packages and a fuller range of simultaneous operations, making the ship a fleet carrier under this functional scheme. A supercarrier goes further by sustaining multiple full-spectrum efforts. This operational measure allows comparisons across eras in which tonnage labels change.