Term: Airport
**1. Airport Terminology:**
– Aerodrome, airfield, and airstrip are terms for airports
– Heliport, seaplane base, and STOLport refer to specific airport types
– Airport may confer a certain stature compared to aerodromes
– In some jurisdictions, airport is a legal term reserved for certified aerodromes
– In the US, landing area is used instead of aerodrome
**2. Types of Airports:**
– Heliports serve helicopters exclusively
– Seaplane bases cater to seaplanes and amphibious aircraft
– International airports have customs and passport control facilities
– International airports are among the largest and most complex
– Top 50 buildings by floor area include airport terminals
**3. Airport Management and Infrastructure:**
– Small airfields have runways shorter than 1,000m
– Major airline airports have paved runways of 2,000m or longer
– Approximately 44,000 airports are recognizable globally, with the US having the most
– Airports have landing areas, terminals, control towers, and hangars
– Larger airports may have aprons, taxiway bridges, and air traffic control centers
**4. Airport Funding and Revenue:**
– The Airport & Airway Trust Fund (AATF) finances aviation programs in the US
– AIP, F&E, and RE&D are major accounts funded by AATF
– Aeronautical and non-aeronautical revenue sources contribute to airport income
– Landside and airside areas are crucial for airport operations and security
– Revenue sources like concession sales and parking fees significantly contribute to airport income
**5. Passenger Services and Amenities:**
– Facilities in terminals cater to departing and arriving passengers
– Airport security measures have significantly increased post-9/11 attacks
– Artwork at airports enhances ambiance and wayfinding
– Airport amenities include smoking areas, restaurants, and on-site hotels
– Premium and VIP services offer express check-in, dedicated counters, and exclusive lounges
This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (March 2022) |
An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial air transport. Airports 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 centres, 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.
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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.
