Commercial Airports In The Us: How Many Are There?

The United States boasts an extensive network of airports, with a total of around 19,400 airports, heliports, and seaplane bases. This vast infrastructure facilitates air travel across the nation, connecting people and businesses. The US airport system is categorised based on usage, ownership, and the type of activities the airports support. As of 2022, there were 5,193 public-use airports, a decrease from 5,589 in 1990, while the number of private-use airports increased from 11,901 to 14,776 during the same period.

Public vs private airports

The US has a large number of airports, which are listed by state and territory. Airports are categorised as either public or private, and this refers to usage, not ownership.

Public Airports

Public-use airports are available for use by the general public without requiring prior approval from the airport owner or operator. In 2022, there were 5,193 public airports in the US, a decrease from the 5,589 public airports operating in 1990.

Private Airports

Private airports, on the other hand, require prior approval for usage. The number of private airports has increased in recent years, from 11,901 in 1990 to 14,776 in 2022.

Models for Airport Development

There are several models for developing airports, which can be used to varying degrees by the public or private sector. These include:

• Government Department or Ministry/Agency: The airport is owned and operated by the government, usually through a ministry. This model allows the government to maintain control of a strategic asset, but investment decisions are often influenced by political rather than technical or financial considerations.
• Corporatization: An independent entity is created to plan and operate the airport, balancing corporate management with public ownership. Changi Airport in Singapore is a successful example of this model.
• Not-for-Profit: This model is used for regional or community airports and ensures that all profits are reinvested in the airport for the benefit of users.
• Service Contract: Publicly owned airports can "buy" private capabilities for specific services or assets. For example, Dubai Airport has a contract with Siemens Postal for baggage handling.
• Management Contracts: The airport remains publicly owned, but contractors are appointed to perform specific functions or operate the airport.
• Public-Private Partnership (PPP)/Concession: This model transfers the most risk to the private sector, as they are responsible for planning, financing, executing, and operating the airport. This usually involves long-term contracts of over 20 years.
• Majority Equity Sale/Divestiture: Control of the airport is transferred from the government to the private sector. This can be useful for mature markets when the government wants to monetise its investment.

There is no single best model, and the choice depends on the specific objectives and situation. For example, corporatization might be better for strategic global hubs, while regional airports could benefit from a not-for-profit approach. If the aim is to grow the market, a PPP/concession model could be successful.

Primary airports

In the United States, airports fall into one of two categories: public-use or private-use. While the number of public-use airports has decreased since 1990, the number of private-use airports has increased. 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.

• Large hub: accounts for at least 1% of total U.S. passenger enplanements (generally 18,500,000 total passengers and above).
• Medium hub: accounts for between 0.25% and 1% of total U.S. passenger enplanements (generally 3,500,000-18,500,000 total passengers).
• Small hub: accounts for between 0.05% and 0.25% of total U.S. passenger enplanements (generally 500,000-3,500,000 total passengers).
• Non-hub: accounts for less than 0.05% of total U.S. passenger enplanements but more than 10,000 annual enplanements.

Alabama

• Birmingham–Shuttlesworth International Airport
• Dothan Regional Airport
• Huntsville International Airport (Carl T. Jones Field)
• Mobile Regional Airport
• Montgomery Regional Airport (Dannelly Field)

Alaska

• Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport
• Bethel Airport (also see Bethel Seaplane Base)
• Merle K. (Mudhole) Smith Airport
• Deadhorse Airport (Prudhoe Bay Airport)
• Fairbanks International Airport
• Juneau International Airport
• Kenai Municipal Airport
• Ketchikan International Airport
• Klawock Airport (also see Klawock Seaplane Base)
• Kodiak Airport (Benny Benson State Airport)
• Ralph Wien Memorial Airport
• Petersburg James A. Johnson Airport
• Sitka Rocky Gutierrez Airport
• Unalaska Airport (Tom Madsen/Dutch Harbor Airport)
• Wiley Post–Will Rogers Memorial Airport
• Wrangell Airport (also see Wrangell Seaplane Base)
• Yakutat Airport (also see Yakutat Seaplane Base)

Arizona

• Flagstaff Pulliam Airport
• Phoenix–Mesa Gateway Airport (formerly Williams AFB)
• Page Municipal Airport
• Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
• Prescott Municipal Airport (Ernest A. Love Field)
• Tucson International Airport
• Yuma International Airport / MCAS Yuma

Commercial service airports

Primary airports are commercial service airports with more than 10,000 annual enplanements. These are further divided into four hub categories, based on a percentage of total passenger boardings within the United States. These hub categories are: Large hub, Medium hub, Small hub, and Nonhub.

Non-primary commercial service airports are commercial service airports that have at least 2,500 and no more than 10,000 passenger boardings each year. These are also known as nonhub nonprimary airports.

In 2022, there were 5,193 public airports in the US, a decrease from the 5,589 public airports operating in 1990. However, the number of private airports increased from 11,901 to 14,776 over the same period.

Nonprimary commercial service airports

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has a system for categorizing public-use airports based on the level of commercial passenger traffic through each facility. Nonprimary Commercial Service Airports are publicly owned airports that process between 2,500 and 10,000 revenue passenger boardings per year.

Nonprimary airports are further classified into nonhub primary airports, which handle over 10,000 but less than 0.05% of the country's annual passenger boardings, and small hub primary airports, which handle 0.05-0.25% of the country's annual passenger boardings.

National airports support the national airport system by providing communities access to national and international markets in multiple states and throughout the United States. These airports have very high levels of aviation activity with many jets and multi-engine propeller aircraft. Regional airports support regional economies by connecting communities to regional and national markets. They are generally located in metropolitan areas and serve relatively large populations. Local airports supplement local communities by providing access to markets within a state or immediate region. Basic airports link the community with the national airport system and support general aviation activities, such as emergency response, air ambulance service, flight training, and personal flying. Finally, Unclassified airports are those currently in the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems (NPIAS) but with limited activity.

Reliever airports

The US has approximately 5,000 public-use airports, and another 14,400 private-use airports, heliports, and seaplane bases. A reliever airport is a public or privately-owned airport that is built or designated to provide additional capacity to an area when the primary commercial airport(s) require it, on a long-term or temporary basis.

To qualify as an FAA-designated reliever airport, the airport must have 100 or more based aircraft or 25,000 annual itinerant operations. In the US, examples of reliever airports include Airlake, Anoka County-Blaine, Crystal, Flying Cloud, Lake Elmo, and St. Paul Downtown.

Frequently asked questions