2. *
• An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing
aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land.
• Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport.
• An airport consists of at least one surface such as a runway for a
plane to take off and land, a helipad, or water for takeoffs and
landings, and often includes buildings such as control towers,
hangars and terminal buildings.
• Larger airports may have fixed base operator services,
seaplane docks and ramps, air traffic control, passenger
facilities such as restaurants and lounges, and emergency
services. A military airport is known as an airbase or air
station.
5. *
INFRASTRUCTURE
• Smaller or less-developed airports—which represent the vast majority—often
have a single runway shorter than 1,000 m (3,300 ft). Larger airports for
airline flights generally have paved runways 2,000 m (6,600 ft) or longer.
Many small airports have dirt, grass, or gravel runways, rather than asphalt
or concrete.
• In the United States, the minimum dimensions for dry, hard landing fields
are defined by the FAR Landing And Takeoff Field Lengths. These include
considerations for safety margins during landing and takeoff. Heavier
aircraft require longer runways.
• The longest public-use runway in the world is at Qamdo Bangda Airport in
China. It has a length of 5,500 m (18,045 ft). The world's widest paved
runway is at Ulyanovsk Vostochny Airport in Russia and is 105 m (344 ft)
wide.
• 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.
6. *
Airports are divided into landside and airside areas. Landside areas
include parking lots, public transportation, train stations and access
roads.
Airside areas include all areas accessible to aircraft, including runways,
taxiways and ramps.
Access from landside areas to airside areas is tightly controlled at most
airports. Passengers on commercial flights access airside areas through
terminals, where they can purchase tickets, clear security check, or
claim luggage and board aircraft through gates. The waiting areas which
provide passenger access to aircraft are typically called concourses,
although this term is often used interchangeably with terminal.
7. *
The area where aircraft park next to a terminal to load passengers and
baggage is known as a ramp (or "the tarmac").
Parking areas for aircraft away from terminals are called aprons.
Airports can be towered or non-towered, depending on air traffic density
and available funds. Due to their high capacity and busy airspace, many
international airports have air traffic control located on site.
Airports with international flights have customs and immigration facilities.
However, as some countries have agreements that allow travel between
them without customs and immigrations, such facilities are not a definitive
need for an international airport. International flights often require a
higher level of physical security, although in recent years, many countries
have adopted the same level of security for international and domestic
travel.
8. *
Some airport structures include on-site hotels built within or attached to
a terminal building. Airport hotels have grown popular due to their
convenience for transient passengers and easy accessibility to the airport
terminal. Many airport hotels also have agreements with airlines to
provide overnight lodging for displaced passengers.
"Floating airports" are being designed which could be located out at sea
and which would use designs such as pneumatic stabilized platform
technology.
9. *
PRODUCTS & SERVICES
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.
Apart from major fast food chains, some airport restaurants offer regional
cuisine specialties for those in transit so that they may sample local food or
culture without leaving the airport.
Major airports in such countries as Russia and Japan offer miniature
sleeping units within the airport that are available for rent by the hour.
The smallest type is the capsule hotel popular in Japan. A slightly larger
variety is known as a sleep box.
10. *
TOP 10 AIRPORTS OF THE WORLD 2013(SKYTRAX)
10. LONDON HEATHROW AIRPORT LHR
9. TOKYO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT HND
8. VANCOUVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT YVR
7. ZURICH AIRPORT ZRH
6. MUNICH AIRPORT MUC
5. BEIJING CAPITAL INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT PEK
4. HONG KONG INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT HKG
3. AMSTERDAM SCHIPHOL AIRPORT SPL
2. INCHEON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT ICN
1. SINGAPORE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT SIN
