ABSTRACT

This chapter gives an insight into the function of airports as the link between the flights and the markets and looks at the varied range of airports around the world with a few detailed examples. There are 8,707 ICAO-designated airports throughout the world. Most of these are very small regional airports that support local and regional traffic, but little or no cargo except for some mail. It is difficult to qualify what is a significant airport in terms of cargo, as in some instances, like a sub-tropical country exporting seasonal fruit, cargo might well be the main traffic. Most airports handle some postal traffic in addition to passengers.