Who Owns and Operates Airports?


In the U.S., most airports are public non-profits, run directly by government entities or government-created authorities, known as airport or port authorities.

 

Commercial Airports are operated by 1 of 6 entities:

  • City -- 33% are city-operated. Examples include Atlanta and Austin.
  • County -- 15% are county-operated. Fort Lauderdale and Las Vegas are examples.
  • State -- 7% are state run. Honolulu and Anchorage are examples.
  • Port Authority -- 9% use a port authority. Examples include New York City and Oakland.
  • Airport Authority -- 30% use an airport authority. Washington’s Reagan National and Dulles as well as Nashville are examples.
  • Other -- 6%. Examples include Dallas/Fort Worth, which is the result of contract between the two cities, and Monterey, Calif., which is operated by a special local tax district.

 

Airport Organizational Structure

The person charged with overseeing the airport is typically referred to as the Airport Director, Aviation Director or CEO. This person determines policy direction for his or her respective organization and has several deputies – each responsible for a specific department.

 

Departments

  • Legal
  • Marketing and Public Affairs
  • Finance and Administration
  • Engineering and Maintenance
  • Operations
  • Safety and Security

Compiled by A.J. Muldoon (amuldoon@aci-na.org),
Manager, Center for Policy and Regulatory Affairs


Need more information?

Who Owns Canada’s Airports? 

For more detailed U.S. airport ownership information on this web site. 


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