Airport

An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial aviation. They usually consist of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surface such as a runway for a plane to take off and to land or a helipad, and often includes adjacent utility buildings such as control towers, hangars and terminals, to maintain and monitor aircraft. Larger airports may have airport aprons, taxiway bridges, air traffic control towers, passenger facilities such as restaurants and lounges, and emergency services. In some countries, the US in particular, airports also typically have one or more fixed-base operators, serving general aviation.

Airport operations are extremely complex, with a complicated system of aircraft support services, passenger services, and aircraft control services contained within the operation. Thus airports can be major employers, as well as important hubs for tourism and other kinds of transit. Because they are sites of operation for heavy machinery, a number of regulations and safety measures have been implemented in airports, in order to reduce hazards. Additionally, airports have major local environmental impacts, as both large sources of air pollution, noise pollution and other environmental impacts, making them sites that acutely experience the environmental effects of aviation. Airports are also vulnerable infrastructure to extreme weather, climate change caused sea level rise and other disasters.

Terminology

The words aerodrome, airfield, and airstrip all mean the same thing as airport. There are also special kinds of airports for helicopters called heliports, places for seaplanes called seaplane bases, and spots for short takeoff and landing planes called STOLports.

The word airplane started being used in the 1870s, long before the Wright brothers successfully flew in 1903. Sometimes people use airport and aerodrome to mean the same thing, but usually airport sounds more important. In some places, only certain special airfields can officially be called airports.

In short, all airports are aerodromes, but not all aerodromes are airports. In the United States, the phrase landing area is used instead of aerodrome, and airport means a place where airplanes regularly land and take off with passengers or cargo.

Management

Smaller airfields often have just one short runway, sometimes less than 1,000 meters long. Bigger airports for airplanes usually have runways that are at least 2,000 meters long. For example, Skyline Airport in Inkom, Idaho has a very short runway, only 122 meters.

As of 2009, there were about 44,000 airports or airfields worldwide that could be seen from the air, with the United States having the most, at around 15,095.

Airports can be owned and run in different ways. In the United States, many airports lease some of their services, like shops and parking, to outside companies. All big airports in the United States have their runways checked and approved by the FAA.

Airports get money from many places. In the United States, a special fund called the Airport & Airway Trust Fund helps pay for airport projects. This fund gets money from taxes on things like passenger tickets, fuel, and cargo.

Airports earn money in three main ways: from airplanes, from things not related to airplanes, and from other business activities. Money from airplanes includes fees for landing, parking, and using airport services. Money from non-airplane sources includes renting space, selling things in shops, and parking for cars. Governments sometimes set rules to make sure airports don’t charge too much.

Airports have two main areas: the landside and the airside. The landside is open to the public and has things like check-in desks and shops. The airside is more controlled, and only people with special passes, like passengers with tickets or airport workers, can go there.

Facilities

The area where airplanes park to load passengers and bags is called an apron or ramp. Airports also have special security checks to make sure everyone is safe. These checks include looking at bags and making sure no dangerous items are brought onto planes.

Airports often have shops and restaurants where travelers can buy things or eat. Some airports also have special areas for very important passengers, like those flying in first or business class. These areas may have comfortable seats, free drinks, and places to get online. Airports also help move goods and cargo around the world, with special buildings for storing and loading items onto planes.

Large airports usually have parking, car rentals, taxis, and sometimes train stations to help people get to and from the airport easily. Inside big airports, there are often moving walkways, buses, or small trains to help travelers get around between different parts of the airport.

Airport operations

Airport operations rely on trained staff, special tools, and important data to keep everything running smoothly. After many workers left during the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been talks about improving how airports work.

Air traffic control

Main article: Air traffic control

Air traffic controllers help guide airplanes through the sky. They talk to pilots using radio to make sure planes stay safe distances apart and avoid traffic. They also help planes change paths if the weather is bad. There are two main types of control centers: terminal control centers around the airport and area control centers for longer trips. Both use radio and radar to track planes.

Ground control

Ground control manages all traffic on the ground except on runways. This includes planes, baggage carts, snowplows, and other vehicles. Ground control tells these vehicles where to go, which runway to use, and when it’s safe to cross runways. When a plane is ready to take off, it moves to tower control. After landing, it goes back to ground control.

Tower control

Tower control looks after planes on the runway and the space around the airport. Controllers may use radar or talk to pilots to know where planes are. They organize planes taking off and landing and make sure passing planes stay clear of others.

Traffic pattern

Main article: Airfield traffic pattern

Airports often use a traffic pattern to help planes take off and land smoothly. This pattern has five parts that form a rectangle. Controllers tell pilots how to join and leave this pattern. The pattern is usually flown at 800 or 1,000 feet above ground. Most patterns are left-handed, meaning all turns are to the left, because it helps pilots see better. Some airports use right-handed patterns because of obstacles or noise concerns.

Navigational aids

There are tools to help pilots land safely. Some airports have visual aids like the visual approach slope indicator (VASI) to help pilots see the correct angle. Others use electronic tools like the VHF omnidirectional range (VOR) to guide pilots. In poor weather, pilots use an instrument landing system (ILS) to find the runway. Many airports now also use the Global Positioning System (GPS) for landing.

Taxiway signs

Airport signs help guide planes and vehicles on the ground. Smaller airports might have fewer signs and rely on charts instead.

Lighting

Taxiway lights help planes move on the ground. Blue lights show the edge of the taxiway, green lights are in the center, and red lights mark where the runway begins. These lights turn off once a plane has permission to take off.

Weather observations

See also: Surface weather observation, Weather station, Automated airport weather station, and Automatic weather station

Weather information is very important for safe takeoffs and landings. Many airports have tools to measure weather conditions, often using a special format called METAR. Pilots also watch windsocks to see wind direction and speed.

Airport ground crew (ground handling)

Main article: Ground support equipment

Each airport has a ground crew to help with flights. When a plane arrives, workers bring carts to collect bags and sort them. They also help guide planes to the gate, clean the plane, load supplies, and fuel the aircraft. Good teamwork lets planes be ready again in as little as 25 minutes.

Maintenance management

Airports need special care to keep all their equipment working well. They use computer systems to plan and track maintenance for all their buildings and tools.

Safety management

Aviation safety is very important. Airports have special teams ready for emergencies, like accidents or dangerous situations. They also work to keep runways clear of debris, birds, and ice. Some runways have special surfaces at the end to help stop planes safely if needed. Airports also have firefighters trained to help with any emergencies.

Environmental concerns and sustainability

Further information: Environmental impact of aviation

Aircraft noise can bother people who live near airports, especially during night and early morning flights. Noise comes from planes taking off, landing, and from activities on the ground like maintenance. This noise can affect sleep and health in other ways too. Traffic leading to airports also creates noise and pollution.

Building new airports or adding runways can upset the natural environment, damage historical sites, and affect local plants and animals. Birds can sometimes fly into planes, so some airports work to keep bird numbers down. Airports can change nearby weather patterns by flattening land and replacing natural surfaces with pavement. This can lead to more fog, flooding, and erosion. Many airports are built in low-lying coastal areas and could face risks from flooding, especially if the world gets warmer.

Airports are working to reduce their impact on the environment. Some are using solar power to cut down on electricity use. The world’s first airport fully powered by solar energy is in Kochi, India. As more electric planes take to the sky, airports are looking at new ways to produce and store energy, like using solar and wind power, to meet these needs.

Airport hygiene and public health concerns

Airports are important places where people from all over the world travel, and they can sometimes help sickness spread. During the 2015–2016 flu season, a study at Helsinki-Vantaa airport in Finland found that surfaces like security trays, which many people touch, can hold viruses for a long time. These trays are made of plastic, which does not let liquids pass through, making it easier for viruses to stay alive.

Keeping hands clean is very important in airports to stop diseases from spreading. Research shows that only about 20% of people in airports wash their hands properly. If more people washed their hands well, it could help prevent many sicknesses around the world. Improving hand cleanliness in airports can make a big difference in keeping everyone healthier.

Military air base

Main article: Air base

A military air base, also called an air station or airfield, supports and houses military aircraft. Some of these bases, known as military airports, have facilities much like regular airports. For example, RAF Brize Norton in the UK has a terminal for passengers on the Royal Air Force’s regular flights to the Falkland Islands. In some places, military air bases share runways, taxiways, and emergency services with nearby civilian airports but have their own terminals and parking areas. Bardufoss Airport, Bardufoss Air Station in Norway, and Pune Airport in India are examples of this.

An aircraft carrier is a special kind of warship that acts like a moving air base. It allows a naval force to use air power far from shore, without needing land bases nearby. These ships became very important during World War II.

Airport designation and naming

Further information: List of airports

Most airports in the United States are called "private-use airports". This means they are not open to everyone, even if they are owned by the public or a private person. You can only use them if the owner or manager invites you.

Airport names often include the place they are located. Many airports are named after important people. For example, some are named after famous leaders, kings, writers, or people who helped with aviation. Some airports even use the word "International" in their name to show they can handle airplanes flying between countries, even if they don’t have many international flights.

History and development

The earliest places where airplanes took off and landed were simple grassy fields. These fields worked well only when the weather was dry. Later, concrete runways were built so planes could land in any weather.

Some of the world's oldest airports include Toussus-le-Noble airport near Paris, established in 1907, and College Park Airport in Maryland, US, started in 1909 by Wilbur Wright. Airports like Hamburg Airport, opened in 1911, and Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport, opened in 1920, are still in use today. Over time, airports added better lighting and systems to help planes land safely. After World War II, airports grew larger and more complex, with new designs to handle more passengers and bigger airplanes.

Airports in entertainment

Airports often appear in movies and TV shows because they are important places for travel and meeting people from different countries. Some films, like The Terminal, show stories that happen inside airport terminals. Other popular movies such as The V.I.P.s, Speed, Airplane!, Airport (1970), Die Hard 2, Soul Plane, Jackie Brown, Get Shorty, Home Alone (1990), Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992), Liar Liar, Passenger 57, Final Destination (2000), Unaccompanied Minors, Catch Me If You Can, Rendition and The Langoliers, also feature airports. TV shows like Lost, The Amazing Race, America's Next Top Model (season 10), 90 Day Fiancé, and Air Crash Investigation sometimes take place in airports too.

Some video games let players run their own airport, such as the Airport Tycoon series, SimAirport, and Airport CEO.

Airport directories

See also: Civil aviation authority and Aeronautical Information Service

Each country has a special group that shares important details about airports. This helps pilots know things like how high the airport is, where runways are, and how to talk to the airport.

Australia uses a guide called the En route Supplement Australia (ERSA), made by Airservices Australia.

Brazil’s airports are managed by Infraero.

In Canada, two guides—the Canada Flight Supplement (CFS) and the Water Aerodrome Supplement—are made by Nav Canada with help from Transport Canada.

Europe uses services from the European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation (EUROCONTROL). This includes an Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP), aeronautical charts, and NOTAM services.

Germany’s details come from the Luftfahrt-Bundesamt.

In France, a guide called Aviation Generale Delage is edited by Delville and published by Breitling.

The United Kingdom uses Pooley's Flight Guide, made with help from the United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). National Air Traffic Services, the UK’s Air Navigation Service Provider, also shares an online AIP for the UK.

In the United States, the Airport/Facility Directory (A/FD), now called the Chart Supplement, is used in seven volumes. DAFIF also has airport data but has not been public since 2006.

Japan’s AIP is given by the Japan Aeronautical Information Service Center, under the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism of Japan.

A worldwide list of commercial airports for businesses is organized by the trade group Airports Council International.

Standards

Airports follow special rules to make sure they are safe and work well. These rules come from groups that help plan and run airports around the world. Some important guides include designs for landing areas, services for planes, and ways to manage air traffic.