Domestic airport
Encyclopedia
Airport
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...
which handles only domestic flights or flights within the same country
Country
A country is a region legally identified as a distinct entity in political geography. A country may be an independent sovereign state or one that is occupied by another state, as a non-sovereign or formerly sovereign political division, or a geographic region associated with a previously...
. Domestic airports don't have customs and immigration facilities and are therefore incapable of handling flights to or from a foreign airport.
These airports normally have short runways which are sufficient to handle short/medium haul aircraft
Aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...
and regional air traffic. They have in many countries not had any security check / metal detector, but such checks have been added in recent years.
Most municipal airports in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
are of this classification. At international airports in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, there are domestic terminals that handle flights within Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
(flying from one Canadian city to another).
In the UK an example of a domestic airport is Plymouth Airport, which formerly operated frequent flights to other UK airports. Despite being the smallest UK airport, it was the main hub for Air Southwest until the airline pulled out of the airport in July 2011 as part of the airlines closure due in September 2011.
Several small countries do not have any public domestic airports, or even public domestic flights, e.g. Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
.
Regional airport
A regional airport is an airportAirport
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...
serving traffic within a relatively small or lightly populated geographical area. A regional airport usually does not have customs
Customs
Customs is an authority or agency in a country responsible for collecting and safeguarding customs duties and for controlling the flow of goods including animals, transports, personal effects and hazardous items in and out of a country...
and immigration
Immigration
Immigration is the act of foreigners passing or coming into a country for the purpose of permanent residence...
facilities to process traffic between countries. In Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
regional airports usually service connections within Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and some flights to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. A few U.S. regional airports, some of which actually call themselves international airports, may have customs and immigration facilities staffed on an as-needed basis, but the vast majority serve domestic traffic only.
Aircraft using these airports tend to be smaller business jet
Business jet
Business jet, private jet or, colloquially, bizjet is a term describing a jet aircraft, usually of smaller size, designed for transporting groups of up to 19 business people or wealthy individuals...
s, private aircraft and regional airliner
Regional airliner
A regional airliner or a feederliner is a small airliner designed to fly up to 100 passengers on short-haul flights, usually feeding larger carriers' hubs from small markets. This class of airliners are typically flown by the regional airlines that are either contracted by or subsidiaries of the...
s of both turboprop
Turboprop
A turboprop engine is a type of turbine engine which drives an aircraft propeller using a reduction gear.The gas turbine is designed specifically for this application, with almost all of its output being used to drive the propeller...
propelled or regional jet
Regional jet
A Regional jet , is a class of short to medium-range turbofan powered airliners.-History:The term "Regional jet" describes a range of short to medium-haul turbofan powered aircraft, whose use throughout the world expanded after the advent of Airline Deregulation in the United States in...
liner varieties. These flights usually go a shorter distance to a larger regional hub.
Europe
In European countries regional airports are usually classed as airports that don't serve the country's capital/most major city. Examples of larger regional airports include Barcelona Airport, Spain and Manchester Airport, England which are both among Europe's busiest airports and are used by both large and small planes. In countries like France, Germany and Sweden, a regional airport is an airport used with small planes, even though they go to the national hub, just like flights from larger airports. Examples of small regional airports include Coventry AirportCoventry Airport
Coventry Airport is located south southeast of Coventry city centre, in the village of Baginton, Warwickshire, England, and about outside Coventry boundaries...
and Worship Airport.
See also
- International airportInternational airportAn international airport is any airport that can accommodate flights from other countries and are typically equipped with customs and immigration facilities to handle these flights to and from other countries...
- Regional airport
- Civil enclaveCivil enclaveA Civil Enclave is an area allotted at an airport belonging to the armed forces, for the usage of civil aircraft and civil aviation related services....