airport#Airport operations

File:Gardemoen airport.jpg at Oslo Gardermoen Airport captured from an Icelandair Boeing 757-200]]

The terms aerodrome, airfield, and airstrip also refer to airports, and the terms heliport, seaplane base, and STOLport refer to airports dedicated exclusively to helicopters, seaplanes, and short take-off and landing aircraft.

File:Boeing 747-467, Cathay Pacific Airways JP10362.jpg

In colloquial use in certain environments, the terms airport and aerodrome are often interchanged. However, in general, the term airport may imply or confer a certain stature upon the aviation facility that other aerodromes may not have achieved. In some jurisdictions, airport is a legal term of art reserved exclusively for those aerodromes certified or licensed as airports by the relevant civil aviation authority after meeting specified certification criteria or regulatory requirements.{{CFS}}

That is to say, all airports are aerodromes, but not all aerodromes are airports. In jurisdictions where there is no legal distinction between aerodrome and airport, which term to use in the name of an aerodrome may be a commercial decision. In US technical/legal usage, landing area is used instead of aerodrome, and airport means "a landing area used regularly by aircraft for receiving or discharging passengers or cargo".49 U.S.C. § 40102(a) (2012)

File:Atlanta Airport – Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Georgia.jpg is the busiest in the world]]

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Smaller or less-developed airfields, which represent the vast majority, often have a single runway shorter than {{Convert|1000|m|abbr=on}}. Larger airports for airline flights generally have paved runways of {{Convert|2000|m|abbr=on}} or longer. Skyline Airport in Inkom, Idaho, has a runway that is only {{convert|122|m|ft|abbr=on}} long.{{Cite web|url=http://www.airnav.com/airport/1ID9|title=AirNav: 1ID9 – Skyline Airport|website=airnav.com|access-date=April 10, 2018|archive-date=April 10, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180410201912/http://www.airnav.com/airport/1ID9|url-status=live}}

{{as of|2009}}, the CIA stated that there were approximately 44,000 "airports or airfields recognizable from the air" around the world, including 15,095 in the US, the US having the most in the world.{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2053.html|title=The World Factbook|access-date=September 1, 2015|archive-date=June 25, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140625161845/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2053.html|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2053rank.html|title=The World Factbook|access-date=September 1, 2015|archive-date=May 30, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160530055415/https://www.cia.gov/library/Publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2053rank.html|url-status=dead}}

Many US airports still lease part or all of their facilities to outside firms, who operate functions such as retail management and parking. All US commercial airport runways are certified by the FAA{{cite web|url=http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/faa|title=FAA|access-date=September 1, 2015|archive-date=September 13, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150913173307/http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/faa|url-status=live}} under the Code of Federal Regulations Title 14 Part 139, "Certification of Commercial Service Airports".{{cite web|url=http://www.faa.gov/airports/airport_safety/part139_cert/ |title=Part 139 Airport Certification |publisher=FAA |date=June 19, 2009 |access-date=July 20, 2010| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100729055419/http://www.faa.gov/airports/airport_safety/part139_cert/| archive-date= July 29, 2010 | url-status= live}}

The Airport & Airway Trust Fund (AATF) was created by the Airport and Airway Development in 1970 which finances aviation programs in the United States.{{Cite web|url=https://www.faa.gov/about/budget/aatf/|title=Airport & Airway Trust Fund (AATF)|website=faa.gov|access-date=April 17, 2019|archive-date=April 17, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190417164524/https://www.faa.gov/about/budget/aatf/|url-status=live}} Airport Improvement Program (AIP), Facilities and Equipment (F&E), and Research, Engineering, and Development (RE&D) are the three major accounts of Federal Aviation Administration which are financed by the AATF, as well as pays for the FAA's Operation and Maintenance (O&M) account.{{Cite web|url=https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R44749.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R44749.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live|title=The Airport and Airway Trust Fund|last=Tang|first=Rachel|date=January 31, 2017|website=Congressional Research Service}} The funding of these accounts are dependent on the taxes the airports generate of revenues. Passenger tickets, fuel, and cargo tax are the taxes that are paid by the passengers and airlines help fund these accounts.{{Cite web|last=Office|first=U. S. Government Accountability|date=May 4, 2005|title=Airport and Airway Trust Fund: Preliminary Observations on Past, Present, and Future|url=https://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-05-657T|issue=GAO-05-657T|access-date=April 30, 2019|archive-date=April 30, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190430063903/https://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-05-657T|url-status=live}}

Airports revenues are divided into three major parts: aeronautical revenue, non-aeronautical revenue, and non-operating revenue. Aeronautical revenue makes up 50% in 2021 (from 54% and 48% in 2019 and 2020, non-aeronautical revenue makes up 34% (40%, 39% in previous years), and non-operating revenue makes up 16% (6%, 14%) of the total revenue of airports.{{Cite book |date=2023 |title=Airport Economics 2023 Report |url=https://store.aci.aero/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/2023-Airport-Economics_Final.pdf |access-date=2024-02-22 |publisher=Airports Council International |publication-place=Montreal, Quebec, Canada |isbn=978-1-990290-44-2}}

Aeronautical revenue are generated through airline rents and landing, passenger service, parking, and hangar fees. Landing fees are charged per aircraft for landing an airplane in the airport property.{{Cite web|url=https://guides.erau.edu/c.php?g=153797&p=1009544|title=Landing fees|website=guides.erau.edu|access-date=May 6, 2019|archive-date=February 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210206144906/https://guides.erau.edu/c.php?g=153797&p=1009544|url-status=live}} Landing fees are calculated through the landing weight and the size of the aircraft which varies but most of the airports have a fixed rate and a charge extra for extra weight.{{Cite web|url=http://assets.flysfo.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/investor/SummaryChargesFY1617.pdf|title=SUMMARY OF AIRPORT CHARGES|last=Farooqui|first=Aaryan|website=assets.flysfo|access-date=May 6, 2019|archive-date=May 6, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190506070742/http://assets.flysfo.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/investor/SummaryChargesFY1617.pdf|url-status=dead}} Aircraft parking is also a major revenue source for airports. Aircraft are parked for a certain amount of time before or after takeoff and have to pay to park there.{{Cite web|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/322037374|title=The Current Situation and Change in Airport Revenues: Research on The Europe's Five Busiest Airports}} Every airport has its own rates of parking, for example, John F Kennedy airport in New York City charges $45 per hour for a plane of 100,000 pounds and the price increases with weight.{{Cite web|url=https://www.panynj.gov/airports/pdf/scheduleofcharges-jfk.pdf|title=SCHEDULE OF CHARGES FOR AIR TERMINALS John F. Kennedy International Airport|access-date=May 6, 2019|archive-date=August 19, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190819120001/http://www.panynj.gov/airports/pdf/scheduleofcharges-jfk.pdf|url-status=dead}}

Non-aeronautical revenue is gained through things other than aircraft operations. It includes lease revenue from compatible land-use development, non-aeronautical building leases, retail and concession sales, rental car operations, parking and in-airport advertising.{{Cite book|url=https://www.nap.edu/read/14275/chapter/4|year=2009|doi=10.17226/14275|isbn=978-0-309-11787-6|access-date=May 6, 2019|archive-date=May 6, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190506070743/https://www.nap.edu/read/14275/chapter/4|url-status=live |title=Guidebook for Managing Small Airports }} Concession revenue is one big part of non-aeronautical revenue airports makes through duty free, bookstores, restaurants and money exchange. Car parking is a growing source of revenue for airports, as more people use the parking facilities of the airport. O'Hare International Airport in Chicago charges $2 per hour for every car.{{Cite web|url=https://www.flychicago.com/ohare/tofrom/parking/Pages/economy.aspx|title=Economy Parking {{!}} Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD)|website=flychicago.com|access-date=May 6, 2019|archive-date=March 26, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190326002009/https://www.flychicago.com/ohare/tofrom/parking/Pages/economy.aspx|url-status=live}}

Many airports are local monopolies. To prevent them from abusing their market power, governments regulate how much airports may charge to airlines, using price-cap regulation.{{Cite journal |last=Malavolti |first=Estelle |date=2016-01-01 |title=Single Till or Dual Till at Airports: A Two-sided Market Analysis |journal=Transportation Research Procedia |series=Transport Research Arena TRA2016|volume=14 |pages=3696–3703 |doi=10.1016/j.trpro.2016.05.489 |s2cid=53579769 |issn=2352-1465 |doi-access=free }}{{Cite journal |last1=Czerny |last2=Zhang |date=2015 |title=Single-Till versus Dual-Till Regulation of Airports |url=https://papers.tinbergen.nl/15049.pdf |journal=Tinbergen Institute Discussion Paper |volume=TI 2015-049/VIII |access-date=June 7, 2023 |archive-date=June 7, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230607005159/https://papers.tinbergen.nl/15049.pdf |url-status=live }}

{{redirect|Airside}}

Airports are divided into landside and airside zones. The landside is subject to fewer special laws and is part of the public realm, while access to the airside zone is tightly controlled. Landside facilities may include publicly accessible airport check-in desks, shops and ground transportation facilities.{{Cite web| title = Landside Facilities| work = Airport Consulting| access-date = 2022-07-01| url = https://www.airport-consult.com/en/center-of-excellence/business-areas/landside-facilities/| archive-date = September 9, 2022| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220909144719/https://www.airport-consult.com/en/center-of-excellence/business-areas/landside-facilities/| url-status = live}}

File:Cape Town International Airport Departures Area.jpg's check-in hall|link=Special:FilePath/File:Cape_Town_International_Airport_Departures_Area.jpg]]

File:2018-04-22-10-39-30-IMG 8270 (47054933302).jpg's security clearance gates]]

The area where the aircraft parks to load passengers and baggage is known as an apron or ramp (or incorrectly,{{cite web |last1=Haroon |first1=K |url=https://www.theairlinepilots.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1096 |title=The Airline Pilots Forum & Resource |website=theairlinepilots.com |access-date=25 April 2020 |url-access=subscription |archive-date=May 10, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210510093833/https://www.theairlinepilots.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1096 |url-status=live }}{{Unreliable source|date=March 2025|certain=y}} "the tarmac").

File:Mumbai 03-2016 114 Airport international terminal interior.jpg's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport.]]

{{Main|Airport security}}

{{See also|Airport security repercussions due to the September 11 attacks}}

File:Flughafenkontrolle.jpg as passengers walk through metal detectors]]

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File:HFX Airport 5.jpg, Canada]]

File:Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru (Ank Kumar) 01.jpg, Bengaluru, India]]

Most major airports provide commercial outlets for products and services. Most of these companies, many of which are internationally known brands, are located within the departure areas. These include clothing boutiques and restaurants and in the US amounted to $4.2 billion in 2015.{{cite news|last1=Gross|first1=Daniel|title=Your Misery at the Airport Is Great for Business|url=http://www.slate.com/articles/business/metropolis/2017/09/why_airport_retail_is_booming.html|access-date=September 8, 2017|work=Slate|date=September 7, 2017|archive-date=September 7, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170907225602/http://www.slate.com/articles/business/metropolis/2017/09/why_airport_retail_is_booming.html|url-status=live}} Prices charged for items sold at these outlets are generally higher than those outside the airport. However, some airports now regulate costs to keep them comparable to "street prices". This term is misleading as prices often match the manufacturers' suggested retail price (MSRP) but are almost never discounted.{{Cite web |last=Crockett |first=Zachary |date=2019-07-20 |title=Why is airport food so expensive? |url=https://thehustle.co/airport-food-expensive/ |access-date=2022-11-10 |website=The Hustle}}

Many new airports include walkthrough duty-free stores that require air passengers to enter a retail store upon exiting security.Menno Hubregtse, [https://books.google.com/books?id=U77RDwAAQBAJ Wayfinding, Consumption, and Air Terminal Design] (London: Routledge, 2020), 44-47.

File:Smoking room at Abu Dhabi International Airport 07.jpg

Apart from major fast food chains, some airport restaurants offer regional cuisine specialties for those in transit so that they may sample local food without leaving the airport.USA Today newspaper, October 17, 2006, p. 2D

File:ZiaAirportVIP-01.jpg's VIP Terminal, Dhaka, Bangladesh ]]

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{{Empty section|date=March 2025}}File:Aeroporto Internacional de Guararapes.jpg in Recife, Brazil.]]

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File:Hong Kong International Airport APM Midfield Concourse Station Train.jpg system at Hong Kong International Airport.]]

{{see also|List of airport people mover systems}}

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File:HFX Airport 4.jpg, Canada]]

Airport operations are made possible by an organized network of trained personnel, specialized equipment, and spatial data. After thousands of ground operations staff left the industry during the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been discussions on the need for systemic improvements in three primary areas:{{Cn|date=March 2025}}

• Digitizing and automating processes{{Cite web |author-link=International Air Transport Association |title=CNS Partnership Conference 2023 |url=https://www.iata.org/en/pressroom/2023-releases/2023-05-16-01/ |access-date=2024-01-06 |website=iata.org}}

File:Bangalore Traffic India Atc Tower Airport Control (48186335651).jpg]]

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{{Main|Airfield traffic pattern}}

File:Airport Traffic Pattern with Upwind Leg.svg

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File:Vasi-1.JPG]]

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{{Further|Taxiway#Taxiway signs}}

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{{Further|Taxiway#Taxiway lights|Runway#Runway lighting}}

File:ATL TWY B - RWY Crossing (13534655025).jpg

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{{See also|Surface weather observation|Weather station|Automated airport weather station|Automatic weather station}}

File:2008-07-09 Eureka Airport AWOS viewed from the south.jpgPlanes take-off and land into the wind to achieve maximum performance. Because pilots need instantaneous information during landing, a windsock can also be kept in view of the runway. Aviation windsocks are made with lightweight material, withstand strong winds and some are lit up after dark or in foggy weather. Because visibility of windsocks is limited, often multiple glow-orange windsocks are placed on both sides of the runway.{{Cite web|url=http://www.piggottsflagsandbranding.co.uk/updates/interesting-facts-industrial-windsocks/|title=Why do airports have windsocks?|website=Piggotts Flags And Branding|access-date=March 29, 2017|archive-date=April 26, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180426222956/http://piggottsflagsandbranding.co.uk/updates/interesting-facts-industrial-windsocks|url-status=dead}}

{{Main|Ground support equipment}}Each airport hires its own ground crew to process flights, cargo, passengers, and baggage. When a flight arrives, ramp services navigate a baggage cart to the aircraft. Bags are then sorted and transported by baggage handlers. Ramp services handle aircraft marshaling, the process in which aircraft arrive or depart from the gate. Once passengers and/or cargo is unloaded, a cleaning crew prepares the aircraft for its next flight by loading supplies and preparing other in-flight services. Ground crew will fuel the aircraft, and other visual inspections are conducted. Efficient work allows aircraft to have fast turnaround times of as little as 25 minutes. {{Cite web |last=Hayward |first=Justin |date=2023-06-26 |title=A Comprehensive Guide To Airport Ground Handling |url=https://simpleflying.com/airport-ground-handling-guide/ |access-date=2025-04-03 |website=Simple Flying |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Unsung Heroes: A Day in the Life of an Airport Ground Handler |url=https://www.i6.io/blog/unsung-heroes-a-day-in-the-life-of-an-airport-ground-handler |access-date=2025-04-03 |website=i6.io}}File:KLM 777 pushback.jpg Boeing 777 at Tokyo Narita]]

File:2013-02-22 10-06-11 South Africa Kwa Zulu Natal Tongaat King Shaka International Airport.JPG Airbus A320-200 at Durban's King Shaka International Airport]]

File:Time-lapse and tilt-shift views of Osaka International Airport, Osaka, Japan.webm) of ground crew operations at Osaka International Airport.]]

Like industrial equipment or facility management, airports require tailor-made maintenance management due to their complexity. With many tangible assets spread over a large area in different environments, these infrastructures must therefore effectively monitor these assets and store spare parts to maintain them at an optimal level of service.

To manage these airport assets, several solutions are competing for the market: CMMS (computerized maintenance management system) predominate, and mainly enable a company's maintenance activity to be monitored, planned, recorded and rationalized.{{cite web |first=Daphné |last=Mothes |title=Improve your airport maintenance with your CMMS |url=https://www.mobility-work.com/blog/improve-your-airport-maintenance-your-cmms |work=Mobility Work |date=January 15, 2019 |access-date=April 2, 2019 |archive-date=March 28, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190328104032/https://www.mobility-work.com/blog/improve-your-airport-maintenance-your-cmms |url-status=live }}

File:Altenburg-Nobitz Airport Rosenbauer Panther.jpg

File:Sumburgh Airport Barrier.webm) A970 with Sumburgh Airport's runway. The movable barrier closes when aircraft land or take off.]]

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File:Solar cells near cargo terminal.jpg, India, the world's first airport to be fully powered by solar energy.]]

File:Pista Congonhas01.jpg in Brazil.]]{{Further|Environmental impact of aviation}}

Aircraft noise is a major cause of noise disturbance to residents living near airports. Sleep can be affected if the airports operate night and early morning flights. Aircraft noise occurs not only from take-offs and landings but also from ground operations including maintenance and testing of aircraft. Noise can have other health effects as well. Other noises and environmental concerns are vehicle traffic causing noise and pollution on roads leading to the airport.{{Cite journal|last1=Basner|first1=Mathias|last2=Clark|first2=Charlotte|last3=Hansell|first3=Anna|last4=Hileman|first4=James I.|last5=Janssen|first5=Sabine|last6=Shepherd|first6=Kevin|last7=Sparrow|first7=Victor|date=2017|title=Aviation Noise Impacts: State of the Science|journal=Noise & Health|volume=19|issue=87|pages=41–50|doi=10.4103/nah.NAH_104_16|doi-broken-date=November 1, 2024|issn=1463-1741|pmc=5437751|pmid=29192612|doi-access=free}}

The construction of new airports or addition of runways to existing airports, is often resisted by local residents because of the effect on countryside, historical sites, and local flora and fauna. Due to the risk of collision between birds and aircraft, large airports undertake population control programs where they frighten or shoot birds.{{cite web |last1=Drescher |first1=Cynthia |title=How Airports Keep Birds Away |url=https://www.cntraveler.com/story/how-airports-keep-birds-away |website=Condé Nast Traveler |date=November 5, 2018 |access-date=6 January 2023 |archive-date=January 6, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230106053730/https://www.cntraveler.com/story/how-airports-keep-birds-away |url-status=live }}

The construction of airports has been known to change local weather patterns. For example, because they often flatten out large areas, they can be susceptible to fog in areas where fog rarely forms. In addition, they generally replace trees and grass with pavement, they often change drainage patterns in agricultural areas, leading to more flooding, run-off and erosion in the surrounding land.{{Cite web|url=http://catsr.ite.gmu.edu/SYST460/IntroAirportsWorkbook.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://catsr.ite.gmu.edu/SYST460/IntroAirportsWorkbook.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live|title=Introduction to Airports Design and Operations|last=Sherry|first=Lance|year=2009|website=George Mason University Center for Air Transportation Systems Research}}{{citation needed|date=June 2012}} Airports are often built on low-lying coastal land, globally 269 airports are at risk of coastal flooding now.{{Cite journal|date=2021-01-01|title=Global analysis of sea level rise risk to airports|journal=Climate Risk Management|volume=31|pages=100266|doi=10.1016/j.crm.2020.100266|issn=2212-0963|last1=Yesudian|first1=Aaron N.|last2=Dawson|first2=Richard J.|bibcode=2021CliRM..3100266Y |doi-access=free}} A temperature rise of 2^oC – consistent with the Paris Agreement – would lead to 100 airports being below mean sea level and 364 airports at risk of flooding. If global mean temperature rise exceeds this then as many as 572 airports will be at risk by 2100, leading to major disruptions without appropriate adaptation.

A 2019 report from the Cooperative Research Programs of the US Transportation Research Board showed all airports have a role to play in advancing greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction initiatives. Small airports have demonstrated leadership by using their less complex organizational structure to implement newer technologies and to serve as a proving ground for their feasibility. Large airports have the economic stability and staff resources necessary to grow in-house expertise and fund comprehensive new programs.{{Cite book|last=National Academies of Sciences|first=Engineering|url=https://www.nap.edu/catalog/25609/airport-greenhouse-gas-reduction-efforts|title=Airport Greenhouse Gas Reduction Efforts|date=October 23, 2019|doi=10.17226/25609|isbn=978-0-309-48079-6|s2cid=243747827|access-date=February 21, 2020|archive-date=February 21, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200221174328/https://www.nap.edu/catalog/25609/airport-greenhouse-gas-reduction-efforts|url-status=live}}

A growing number of airports are installing solar photovoltaic arrays to offset their electricity use.{{Cite journal |last1=Anurag |first1=Anurag |last2=Zhang |first2=Jiemin |last3=Gwamuri |first3=Jephias |last4=Pearce |first4=Joshua M. |date=2017-08-12 |title=General Design Procedures for Airport-Based Solar Photovoltaic Systems |journal=Energies|volume=10 |issue=8 |pages=1194 |doi=10.3390/en10081194 |doi-access=free |issn=1996-1073}}{{cite web|url=https://www.solarpowerworldonline.com/2016/03/7-cool-solar-installations-at-u-s-airports/|title=7 cool solar installations at U.S. airports|website=solarpowerworldonline.com|date=March 24, 2016|access-date=September 16, 2017|archive-date=September 16, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170916225256/https://www.solarpowerworldonline.com/2016/03/7-cool-solar-installations-at-u-s-airports/|url-status=live}} The National Renewable Energy Lab has shown this can be done safely.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy14osti/62349.pdA.|title=Kandt and R. Romero . Implementing Solar Technologies at Airports NREL Report}} This can also be done on the roofs of the airports and it has been found that the solar panels on these buildings work more effectively when compared to residential panels.{{Cite web|url=https://www.euronews.com/green/2021/05/21/are-solar-panelled-airports-the-future|title=Airports could power 100,000 homes if we covered them in solar panels|first=Sabrina Fearon|last=Melville|date=May 21, 2021|website=euronews|access-date=May 23, 2021|archive-date=May 23, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210523111425/https://www.euronews.com/green/2021/05/21/are-solar-panelled-airports-the-future|url-status=live}}{{Clarify|Is this because of the flat surface of the buildings, allowing to put them in an optimal tilt and orientation, and/or due to the absence of shade from nearby buildings, trees, ... ?|date=May 2021}}

The world's first airport to be fully powered by solar energy is located at Kochi, India.{{Cite web|title=world's first solar power airport is in Kerala – qoobon|url=https://www.qoobon.com/solar-price-in-kerala/worlds-first-solar-power-airport-is-in-kerala/|access-date=2022-02-02|website=qoobon.com|date=January 26, 2022|archive-date=January 26, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220126140027/https://www.qoobon.com/solar-price-in-kerala/worlds-first-solar-power-airport-is-in-kerala/|url-status=live}}{{Cite journal |last1=Sukumaran |first1=Sreenath |last2=Sudhakar |first2=K. |date=2017-07-01 |title=Fully solar powered airport: A case study of Cochin International airport |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0969699717300297 |journal=Journal of Air Transport Management |volume=62 |pages=176–188 |doi=10.1016/j.jairtraman.2017.04.004 |issn=0969-6997}}

As a part of their sustainability efforts, more and more airports are starting to explore the consequences of more electric aircraft coming into service. Electric aircraft require much energy; operating 49 small 50-passenger short-range battery electric aircraft would demand at least 16 GWh/year,{{Cite book |last1=Meindl |first1=Markus |last2=März |first2=Martin |last3=Weber |first3=Kai Johannes |chapter=Ground-based power supply system to operate hybrid-electric aircraft for future regional airports |date=March 2023 |title=2023 IEEE International Conference on Electrical Systems for Aircraft, Railway, Ship Propulsion and Road Vehicles & International Transportation Electrification Conference (ESARS-ITEC) |chapter-url=https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10114820 |pages=1–6 |doi=10.1109/ESARS-ITEC57127.2023.10114820|isbn=979-8-3503-4689-3 }} and with short turnaround times between different flights, the charging powers have to be substantial. To tackle these issues, more airports are starting to look into alternative energy production such as solar power and wind power, but also how to use airport areas for biomass production.{{Cite journal |last1=DeVault |first1=Travis L. |last2=Belant |first2=Jerrold L. |last3=Blackwell |first3=Bradley F. |last4=Martin |first4=James A. |last5=Schmidt |first5=Jason A. |last6=Wes Burger |first6=L. |last7=Patterson |first7=James W. |date=2012-03-01 |title=Airports Offer Unrealized Potential for Alternative Energy Production |url=https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-011-9803-4 |journal=Environmental Management|volume=49 |issue=3 |pages=517–522 |doi=10.1007/s00267-011-9803-4 |pmid=22245856 |bibcode=2012EnMan..49..517D |issn=1432-1009}}{{Cite journal |last1=Ollas |last2=Sigarchian |last3=Alfredsson |last4=Leijon |last5=Santos Döhler |last6=Aalhuizen |last7=Thiringer |last8=Thomas |title=Evaluating the role of solar photovoltaic and battery storage in supporting electric aviation and vehicle infrastructure at Visby Airport |journal=Applied Energy |date=2023 |volume=352 |issue=15 |doi=10.1016/j.apenergy.2023.121946|doi-access=free |bibcode=2023ApEn..35221946O }} Another solution investigated is to use energy storage to charge during the night and use to charge the aircraft during daytime.{{Cite journal |last1=Liang |first1=Yawen |last2=Mouli |first2=Gautham Ram Chandra |last3=Bauer |first3=Pavol |date=2023 |title=Charging Technology for Electric Aircraft: State of the Art, Trends, and Challenges |url=https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10319783 |journal=IEEE Transactions on Transportation Electrification |volume=10 |issue=3 |pages=6761–6788 |doi=10.1109/TTE.2023.3333536 |issn=2332-7782}}

Airports, as major international travel hubs, have the potential to be significant transmission points for infectious diseases. A notable study conducted during the peak of the 2015–2016 flu season at Helsinki-Vantaa airport in Finland revealed that commonly touched surfaces in airports, especially the plastic security screening trays, are highly susceptible to contamination by respiratory viruses. These trays are touched by hundreds of passengers daily and, being made of plastic, a non-porous material, provide an environment where viruses can survive for extended periods. In comparison, bathroom surfaces in the same airport tested negative for respiratory viruses, possibly indicating a heightened awareness of hygiene in these spaces.{{cite web |title=Airport security bins can be germier than the bathrooms, a new study finds |website=Insider.com |year=2018 |url=https://www.insider.com/airport-security-bins-germs-virus-study-2018-9 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230812223834/https://www.insider.com/airport-security-bins-germs-virus-study-2018-9 |archive-date=2023-08-12 }}{{cite journal | last1 = Ikonen | first1 = N | last2 = Savolainen-Kopra | first2 = C | display-authors = 1 |title=Deposition of respiratory virus pathogens on frequently touched surfaces at airports |journal=BMC Infectious Diseases |volume=18 |issue=437 |year=2018 | page = 437 |doi= 10.1186/s12879-018-3150-5| pmid = 30157776 | pmc = 6116441 | doi-access = free }}

Hand hygiene plays a pivotal role in preventing the spread of infectious diseases in airports. Research indicates that only about 70% of individuals wash their hands after using the toilet, and of those, only 50% do so correctly. In airport settings, just one in five individuals maintain clean hands—defined as washing with soap for at least 15 seconds in the preceding hour. Given the frequent touching of shared surfaces in airports, such as trays, railings, and touch panels, this poses a significant risk for disease transmission. A study from the University of Cyprus and MIT used models and simulations to demonstrate that increasing hand cleanliness from 20% to 30% in all airports could reduce the potential global impact of a disease by 24%. If cleanliness levels reached 60%, this impact could decrease by 69%. Focusing on just the top 10 most influential airports for disease spread, enhancing hand hygiene practices could still significantly reduce disease transmission rates from 45% to 37%. The findings underscore the importance of promoting hand-washing in airports as a key measure in preventing the global spread of diseases.{{cite web |title=Study Shows The Huge Impact Our Gross Airport Hygiene Has on The Spread of Pandemics |year=2020 |url=https://www.sciencealert.com/we-can-help-stop-pandemics-if-we-just-wash-our-hands-better-at-airports-study-shows |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230604212451/https://www.sciencealert.com/we-can-help-stop-pandemics-if-we-just-wash-our-hands-better-at-airports-study-shows |archive-date=2023-06-04 }}{{cite journal | last1 = Nicolaides | first1 =C | last2 = Avraam | first2 = D | display-authors = 1 | title=Hand-Hygiene Mitigation Strategies Against Global Disease Spreading through the Air Transportation Network |journal=Risk Anal. |volume=40 |issue=4 |year=2020 | pages =723–740 | url = https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31872479/ |doi=10.1111/risa.13438| pmid =31872479 | bibcode =2020RiskA..40..723N | hdl =1721.1/125526 | s2cid =209464045 | hdl-access =free }}

{{Main|Air base}}

File:French Air Contingent, NATO Baltic Air-policing.jpg at an airbase in Lithuania]]

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{{Further|List of airports}}

File:Tallinn Airport entrance.jpg, also known as Lennart Meri Airport]]

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The earliest aircraft takeoff and landing sites were grassy fields.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=m1JcWmb9Ik8C&pg=PA154|title=Soft Landing: Airline Industry Strategy, Service, and Safety|last=Thomas|first=Andrew R.|date=2011|publisher=Apress|isbn=978-1-4302-3677-1|page=154}}

Beijing Nanyuan Airport in China, which was built to accommodate planes in 1904, and airships in 1907, opened in 1910.{{Cite web|url=http://www.bjnews.com.cn/news/2019/09/25/629668.html|title=再见！南苑机场的最后一晚和曾经辉煌的第一次 |date=2019-09-25 |website= bjnews.com.cn|access-date=September 28, 2019|archive-date=September 25, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190925162033/http://www.bjnews.com.cn/news/2019/09/25/629668.html|url-status=live}} It was in operation until September 2019. Pearson Field Airport in Vancouver, Washington, United States, was built to accommodate planes in 1905 and airships in 1911, and is still in use as of February 2024.{{Cite web |date=August 10, 2020 |title=Pearson Field – Fort Vancouver National Historic Site |url=https://www.nps.gov/fova/learn/historyculture/pearson.htm|access-date=2021-03-23|website=U.S. National Park Service|archive-date=March 30, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210330022346/https://www.nps.gov/fova/learn/historyculture/pearson.htm|url-status=live}}

Hamburg Airport opened in January 1911, making it the oldest commercial airport in the world which is still in operation. Bremen Airport opened in 1913 and remains in use, although it served as an American military field between 1945 and 1949. Amsterdam Airport Schiphol opened on September 16, 1916, as a military airfield, but has accepted civil aircraft only since December 17, 1920, allowing Sydney Airport—which started operations in January 1920—to claim to be one of the world's oldest continuously operating commercial airports.{{cite web|url=http://www.sydneyairport.com.au/NR/rdonlyres/353DC91E-A259-449B-8B68-C8E88CB58691/0/FactSheetHistory1.pdf |website=Sydney Airport |title=Airport History |access-date=July 20, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090401043447/http://www.sydneyairport.com.au/NR/rdonlyres/353DC91E-A259-449B-8B68-C8E88CB58691/0/FactSheetHistory1.pdf |archive-date=April 1, 2009 }}

File:Bosasairp.jpg in Bosaso, Somalia (2007).]]

File:New Orleans postcard Moissant Airport 1960s.jpg passenger terminal building in New Orleans (1960s).]]

Following the war, some of these military airfields added civil facilities for handling passenger traffic. One of the earliest such fields was Paris – Le Bourget Airport at Le Bourget, near Paris. The first airport to operate scheduled international commercial services was Hounslow Heath Aerodrome in August 1919, but it was closed and supplanted by Croydon Airport in March 1920.Bluffield (2009)File:Mariehamn Airport.jpg in Jomala, Åland (2009).]]The malicious use of UAVs has led to the deployment of counter unmanned air system (C-UAS) technologies such as the Aaronia AARTOS which have been installed on major international airports.{{cite web |url=https://www.shephardmedia.com/news/uv-online/heathrows-picks-new-c-uas-combat-drone-disruption/ |title=Heathrow picks C-UAS to combat drone disruption |access-date=March 13, 2019 |archive-date=November 9, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191109111036/https://www.shephardmedia.com/news/uv-online/heathrows-picks-new-c-uas-combat-drone-disruption/ |url-status=live }}{{cite web |url=https://www.unmannedairspace.info/counter-uas-systems-and-policies/muscat-international-airport-install-usd10-million-aaronia-counter-uas-system/ |title=Muscat International Airport to install USD10 million Aaronia counter-UAS system |date=January 21, 2019 |access-date=January 21, 2019 |archive-date=November 9, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191109111704/https://www.unmannedairspace.info/counter-uas-systems-and-policies/muscat-international-airport-install-usd10-million-aaronia-counter-uas-system/ |url-status=live }}

File:Washington Dulles International Airport at Dusk.jpg, ostensibly the setting for Die Hard 2; the movie was actually filmed at Los Angeles International Airport]]

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{{See also|Civil aviation authority|Aeronautical Information Service}}

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;Australia

:Information can be found on-line in the En route Supplement Australia (ERSA).{{cite web |url=http://www.airservices.gov.au/publications/aip.asp?pg=10 |title=En route Supplement Australia (ERSA) |publisher=Airservices.gov.au |date=July 16, 2010 |access-date=July 20, 2010 |archive-date=March 1, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110301050216/http://www.airservices.gov.au/publications/aip.asp?pg=10 |url-status=dead }}

;Brazil

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;Canada

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;Europe

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;Germany

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;France

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;The United Kingdom

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;The United States

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;Japan

:Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP){{cite web|url=https://aisjapan.mlit.go.jp/Login.do |title=Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP), NOTAMs in Japan |website=Japan Aeronautical Information Service Center |publisher=Japan Civil Aviation Bureau |access-date=February 14, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722105350/https://aisjapan.mlit.go.jp/Login.do |archive-date=July 22, 2011 |url-access=registration}} is provided by Japan Aeronautical Information Service Center, under the authority of Japan Civil Aviation Bureau, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism of Japan.

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{{portal|Aviation|Transport}}

• Airpark
• Altiport
• Environmental effects of aviation
• Model airport
• List of the busiest airports
• Seaplane base

Lists:

• Index of aviation articles
• List of cities with more than one commercial airport
• List of countries without an airport
• List of defunct international airports
• List of hub airports

{{Reflist}}

{{refbegin}}

• Ashford, Norman J., Saleh Mumayiz, and Paul H. Wright. (2011) Airport engineering: planning, design, and development of 21st century airports (John Wiley & Sons, 2011).
• Bluffield, Robert. (2009). Imperial Airways – The Birth of the British Airline Industry 1914–1940 (Ian Allan) {{ISBN|978-1-906537-07-4}}
• {{cite journal |doi=10.1080/00343404.2019.1659948 |doi-access=free|title=Ready for take-off? The economic effects of regional airport expansions in Germany |year=2020 |last1=Breidenbach |first1=Philipp |journal=Regional Studies |volume=54 |issue=8 |pages=1084–1097 |bibcode=2020RegSt..54.1084B |hdl=10419/225046 |hdl-access=free }}
• Burghouwt, Guillaume. (2012) Airline network development in Europe and its implications for airport planning (Ashgate, 2012).
• {{cite journal|doi=10.1016/j.jairtraman.2010.10.003 |title=The evolution of airport ownership and governance |year=2011 |last1=Gillen |first1=David |journal=Journal of Air Transport Management |volume=17 |pages=3–13 }}
• Gordon, Alastair. (2008) Naked Airport: A Cultural History of the World's Most Revolutionary Structure (University of Chicago Press, 2008).
• Halpern, Nigel, and Anne Graham. (2013) Airport marketing (Routledge, 2013).
• Horonjeff, Robert, Francis X. McKelvey, William J. Sproule, and Seth B. Young. (2010) Planning and Design of Airports 5th ed. (McGraw-Hill, 2010).
• Hubregtse, Menno. (2020) Wayfinding, Consumption, and Air Terminal Design (Routledge, 2020).
• {{cite journal|pmc=7328638 |year=2020 |last1=Nakamura |first1=H. |last2=Managi |first2=S. |title=Airport risk of importation and exportation of the COVID-19 pandemic |journal=Transport Policy |volume=96 |pages=40–47 |doi=10.1016/j.tranpol.2020.06.018 |pmid=32834679 }}
• Pearman, Hugh. (2004) Airports: A Century of Architecture (Harry N. Abrams, 2004).
• Salter, Mark. 2008. Politics at the Airport (University of Minnesota Press). This book brings together leading scholars to examine how airports both shape and are shaped by current political, social, and economic conditions.
• Sheard, Nicholas. (2019) "Airport size and urban growth." Economica 86.342 (2019): 300–335; In USA, airport size has a positive effect on local employment, with an elasticity of 0.04.
• {{cite journal|doi=10.1080/21680566.2017.1301274 |url=http://www.m3nets.de/publications/TRMB2017.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://www.m3nets.de/publications/TRMB2017.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live|title=Evolution of domestic airport networks: A review and comparative analysis |year=2019 |last1=Wandelt |first1=Sebastian |last2=Sun |first2=Xiaoqian |last3=Zhang |first3=Jun |journal=Transportmetrica B: Transport Dynamics |volume=7 |pages=1–17 |s2cid=52970361 }}

{{refend}}

{{commons category|Airports}}

{{Commercial air travel}}

{{Public transport}}

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