The Us Aviation Network: Exploring Airport Numbers

The United States has an extensive air transportation network, with thousands of airports across the country. The number of public-use airports has decreased since 1990, while the number of private-use airports has increased. In 2022, there were 5,193 public airports in the US, and 14,776 private airports. The US is also home to some of the world's busiest airports, with 16 of the world's 50 busiest passenger airports located in the country, including Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the world's busiest.

There are 5,193 public airports in the US, down from 5,589 in 1990

The United States has an extensive air transportation network. In 2013, there were 86 airports in the U.S. that annually handled over 1,000,000 passengers each. The civil airline industry is entirely privately owned and has been largely deregulated since 1978, while most major airports are publicly owned. The three largest airlines in the world by passengers carried are U.S.-based; American Airlines is number one after its 2013 acquisition by US Airways. Of the world's 50 busiest passenger airports, 16 are in the United States, including the top five and the busiest, Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport. In terms of cargo, in 2015, eight of the world's thirty busiest airports were in the U.S, including the world's second-busiest, Memphis International Airport, just behind Hong Kong International Airport in Hong Kong.

In 2022, there were 5,193 public airports in the U.S., a decrease from the 5,589 public airports operating in 1990. While the number of public-use airports in the United States has fallen since 1990, the number of private-use airports has increased in recent years. The number of private airports increased over this period from 11,901 to 14,776. Public use versus private use airports refers to usage, not ownership. A public-use airport is defined by the FAA as 'an airport available for use by the general public without a requirement for prior approval of the airport owner or operator', whereas prior approval is required for private-use airports.

The list of airports in the United States is broken down into separate lists due to the large number of airports. The lists include public-use and military airports in each U.S. state and territory. Airports in the United States that provide scheduled passenger services and have over 10,000 passenger boardings per year are classified as primary airports by the Federal Aviation Administration.

The number of private airports has increased from 11,901 to 14,776 since 1990

The United States has an extensive air transportation network. In 2013, there were 86 airports in the US that handled over 1,000,000 passengers each year. The civil airline industry is entirely privately owned and has been largely deregulated since 1978, while most major airports are publicly owned.

The number of public-use airports in the US has decreased since 1990, while the number of private-use airports has increased. In 2022, there were 5,193 public airports in the US, a decrease from the 5,589 public airports operating in 1990. The number of private airports increased over this period from 11,901 to 14,776.

The distinction between public and private use airports refers to usage, not ownership. A public-use airport is defined by the FAA as 'an airport available for use by the general public without a requirement for prior approval of the airport owner or operator', whereas prior approval is required for private use airports.

The list of airports in the United States is broken down into separate lists due to the large number of airports. These lists include public-use and military airports in each US state and territory. Airports in the United States that provide scheduled passenger services and have over 10,000 passenger boardings per year are classified as primary airports by the Federal Aviation Administration.

The US has an extensive air transportation network

The civil airline industry in the US is entirely privately owned and has been largely deregulated since 1978, while most major airports are publicly owned. Of the world's 50 busiest passenger airports, 16 are in the United States, including the top five and the busiest, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. In 2015, eight of the world's 30 busiest airports for cargo were in the US, including the world's second-busiest, Memphis International Airport.

The list of airports in the US is broken down into separate lists due to the large number of airports. These lists include public-use and military airports in each state and territory. Airports in the US that provide scheduled passenger services and have over 10,000 passenger boardings per year are classified as primary airports by the Federal Aviation Administration.

16 of the world's 50 busiest passenger airports are in the US

The United States has an extensive air transportation network, with 5,193 public airports in 2022. This is a decrease from the 5,589 public airports operating in 1990, while the number of private airports has increased from 11,901 to 14,776 over the same period. The US also has 19,859 airports in total, according to one source.

The US has 16 of the world's 50 busiest passenger airports, including the top five and the busiest, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, which has held the top position since 2021, except for 2020 when travel restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic were in place. The airport handles over 50 million passengers yearly and has been the world's busiest airport every year since 1998, except for 2020. Other key airports in the US include Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, Denver International Airport, and Los Angeles International Airport.

The civil airline industry is entirely privately owned

The United States has an extensive air transportation network. In 2013, there were 86 airports in the U.S. that annually handled over 1,000,000 passengers each. The civil airline industry is entirely privately owned and has been largely deregulated since 1978, while most major airports are publicly owned. The three largest airlines in the world by passengers carried are U.S.-based; American Airlines is number one after its 2013 acquisition by US Airways. Of the world's 50 busiest passenger airports, 16 are in the United States, including the top five and the busiest, Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport. In terms of cargo, in 2015, eight of the world's thirty busiest airports were in the U.S., including the world's second-busiest, Memphis International Airport, just behind Hong Kong International Airport in Hong Kong.

The U.S. has no single flag carrier and passenger airlines in the United States have always been privately owned. The U.S. has three major international carriers (Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, and United Airlines) and eight additional large carriers that operate mainly domestic flights but have some international destinations. At the end of 2014, the three international carriers plus Southwest controlled more than 80% of all passenger travel in the U.S. market. There is currently no government regulation of ticket pricing, although the federal government retains jurisdiction over aircraft safety, pilot training, and accident investigations (through the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board).

While the number of public-use airports in the United States has fallen since 1990, the number of private-use airports has increased in recent years. In 2022, there were 5,193 public airports in the U.S., a decrease from the 5,589 public airports operating in 1990. Conversely, the number of private airports increased over this period from 11,901 to 14,776. Public use versus private use airports refers to usage, not ownership. A public-use airport is defined by the FAA as ‘an airport available for use by the general public without a requirement for prior approval of the airport owner or operator’, whereas prior approval is required for private use airports.

In the US and Europe, most airlines are privately owned, focusing primarily on maximising profits for their shareholders. However, many of the world’s biggest carriers are either fully or partially owned by their governments, which means they often operate with a different set of priorities. These airlines aren’t just about making money — they’re also tasked with supporting their country’s broader strategic goals.

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