Airports: Exploring The Count Of Primary Hubs Globally

There are more than 14,400 private-use and 5,000 public-use airports, heliports, and seaplane bases in the United States. Airports that offer scheduled passenger services and have over 10,000 passenger boardings per year are classified as primary airports by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). These primary airports are further broken down into four different subsets: non-hub primary, small hub, medium hub, and large hub. Non-hub primary airports handle over 10,000 but less than 0.05% of the country's annual passenger boardings, while small hub airports handle between 0.05% and 0.25%. Medium hub airports handle between 0.25% and 1% of the country's annual passenger boardings, and large hub airports handle over 1%.

Primary airports are further categorised by hub type

There are approximately 5,000 public-use airports, heliports, and seaplane bases in the United States. Airports included in the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems (NPIAS) may be considered for AIP funding.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) categorizes airports by the type of activities that take place there. These include commercial service, primary, cargo service, reliever, and general aviation airports.

Primary airports are further categorized by hub type. These hub categories are defined as a percentage of total passenger boardings within the United States in the most current calendar year ending before the start of the current fiscal year. For example, calendar year 2014 data would be used for fiscal year 2016, as the fiscal year began nine months after the end of the calendar year.

The four hub types are:

• 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).
• Nonhub: accounts for less than 0.05% of total U.S. passenger enplanements, but more than 10,000 annual enplanements.

The four hub types are defined by the percentage of total US passenger boardings

There are approximately 5,000 public-use airports, heliports, and seaplane bases in the United States. Airports that provide scheduled passenger services and have over 10,000 passenger boardings per year are classified as primary airports by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

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

These hub categories are based on the most current calendar year data, ending before the start of the current fiscal year. For example, calendar year 2014 data was used for fiscal year 2016, as the fiscal year began nine months after the end of the calendar year.

The FAA further categorizes primary airports as non-hub primary, small hub, medium hub, or large hub, depending on the number of passenger boardings and the percentage of annual passenger boardings nationwide.

Non-hub primary airports have less than 0.05% of total US passenger boardings

The United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) categorises airports based on the level of commercial passenger traffic passing through each facility. This is used to determine eligibility for funding through the federal government's Airport Improvement Program (AIP).

Airports with more than 10,000 passenger boardings per year are classified as primary airports. These are further broken down into four categories based on the number of passenger boardings as a fraction of the national total. Non-hub primary airports handle over 10,000 passengers per year but account for less than 0.05% of the country's annual passenger boardings.

Non-hub primary airports are typically located in smaller towns or are regional airports meant to provide flight availability to people in more rural regions. They are distinct from large hub primary airports, which account for at least 1% of total US passenger enplanements, medium hub primary airports, which account for between 0.25% and 1% of total US passenger enplanements, and small hub primary airports, which account for between 0.05% and 0.25% of total US passenger enplanements.

Non-hub primary airports are also distinct from non-primary airports, which handle between 2,500 and 10,000 passengers annually, and general aviation airports, which handle fewer than 2,500 scheduled passengers each year and thus have little to no commercial airline traffic.

The FAA's categorisation of airports helps determine the unique set of services each airport offers and the management approach airport managers need to take.

Large hub primary airports have at least 1% of total US passenger boardings

The United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) categorises public-use airports based on the level of commercial passenger traffic through each facility. Airports with more than 10,000 passenger boardings per year are classified as primary airports.

Large hub primary airports are a subset of primary airports. These airports handle at least 1% of total US passenger boardings, which equates to approximately 8,996,632 boardings per year. This is based on 2018 data, which recorded 899,663,192 boardings at commercial airports across the country.

Large hub primary airports are often the largest airports, such as John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Chicago O'Hare International Airport, and Los Angeles International Airport. However, large hub primary airports can also include airports in smaller cities and regional airports that provide flight availability to people in more rural regions.

Large hub primary airports are eligible for funding through the federal government's Airport Improvement Program (AIP). However, fewer than 20% of airports in the US qualify for this program, and most of the airports that do not qualify are private-use-only airports.

Primary airports are defined as having more than 10,000 passenger boardings per year

There are approximately 5,000 public-use airports, heliports, and seaplane bases in the United States. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) categorizes public-use airports based on the level of commercial passenger traffic through each facility. This is used to determine eligibility for funding through the federal government's Airport Improvement Program (AIP).

Primary airports are defined as commercial service airports with more than 10,000 passenger boardings per year. They are further categorized into four subsets based on the number of passenger boardings as a fraction of the national total:

• Non-hub primary airports handle over 10,000 but less than 0.05% of the country's annual passenger boardings.
• Small hub primary airports handle between 0.05% and 0.25% of the country's annual passenger boardings.
• Medium hub primary airports handle between 0.25% and 1% of the country's annual passenger boardings.
• Large hub primary airports handle over 1% of the country's annual passenger boardings.

Examples of primary airports include John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Chicago O'Hare International Airport, and Los Angeles International Airport.

Primary airports are not limited to major cities, however, as they also include airports in smaller cities and regional airports that provide flight availability to people in more rural regions.

Frequently asked questions