Airport

Airport, site where airplanes and other aircraft take off and land. Consisting of passenger terminals, hangars, and cargo terminals, large-city airports also include related services such as shops, hotels, restaurants, movie theaters, police and fire-fighting forces, medical facilities, and sewage plants. Although many small airports in the United States are privately owned, most large ones are owned by cities or public corporations. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) licenses aircraft, establishes requirements for pilots, and determines safety regulations. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) establishes airport operation and air-traffic-control standards for its 150 member countries, which include the United States and Canada.

See also: Air traffic control; Aviation.