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A view of Terminal 1, Shanghai Pudong International Airport

An international airport is an airport typically equipped with customs and immigration facilities to handle international flights to and from other countries. Such airports are usually larger, and often feature longer runways and facilities to accommodate the large aircraft commonly used for international or intercontinental travel. International airports often host domestic flights (flights which take place inside only one country) in addition to international flights. In many smaller countries most airports are international airports, so the concept of an “international airport” has little meaning. In certain countries however, there is a sub-category of limited international airports which handle international flights, but are limited to short-haul destinations (often due to geographical factors) or are mixed civilian/military airports.

Many airports with regularly scheduled international service have the word “International” in their official names, but others, including such major airports as London Heathrow Airport, do not. Conversely, some airports which call themselves international airports, especially in smaller United States cities, in fact have no scheduled international airline passenger service but do have customs and immigration facilities serving charter, cargo and general aviation flights. At many of these airports customs and immigration services are only available with several hours advance notice. One example of such an airport is Gerald R. Ford International Airport in Grand Rapids, Michigan. A few, such as Gary/Chicago International Airport in Gary, Indiana, are in fact not international airports at all; they are not designated as airports of entry but aspire to become such in the future and added “international airport” to their names as a marketing tool.

Other airports which previously served international flights now serve primarily domestic flights (international traffic having been redirected to a newer, larger airport in the area), but retain the “international” designation in their name. Examples of these are:

  • Tokyo International Airport (Haneda), in Tokyo, Japan, relieved by Narita International Airport
  • Taipei Songshan Airport in Taipei, Taiwan (which retains its name as “Taipei International Airport” in Chinese), relieved by Taoyuan International Airport.
  • Gimpo International Airport in Seoul, South Korea, relieved by Incheon International Airport
  • Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport in Shanghai, People’s Republic of China, relieved by Pudong International Airport.

Many international airports also serve as “hubs”, or places where non-direct flights may land and passengers switch planes. International airports often have many airlines represented, and many of these are often foreign.

Passengers connecting to domestic flights from an international flight generally must take their checked luggage through customs and re-check their luggage at the domestic airline counter, requiring extra time in the process. In some cases in Europe luggage can be transferred to the final destination even if it is a domestic connection.

In some cases, travelers and the aircraft can clear customs and immigration at the departure airport. As one example of this, are airports in Canada with United States border preclearance facilities. This allows flights from those airports to fly into US airports that do not have customs and immigration facilities. Luggage from such flights can also be transferred to a final destination in the U.S. through the airport of entry.

See also

  • Airport of Entry
  • Border checkpoint
  • Civil enclave
  • Domestic airport
  • Regional airport
  • World’s busiest airport
  • World’s busiest airports by passenger traffic
  • World’s busiest airports by traffic movements
  • World’s busiest airports by cargo traffic
  • United States border preclearance
  • Aerodromes Europe

v • d • e

Lists relating to aviation

General

Timeline of aviation · Aircraft (manufacturers) · Aircraft engines (manufacturers) · Airports · Airlines

Military

Air forces · Aircraft weapons · Missiles · Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) · Experimental aircraft

Accidents/incidents

General · Military · Commercial (airliners) · Deaths

Records

Airspeed · Distance · Altitude · Endurance · Most-produced aircraft

v • d • e

Commercial air travel

Airlines

List of all airlines • List of passenger airlines

Industry associations

IATA • ICAO • ISTAT

Airline alliances

Oneworld • Star Alliance • SkyTeam

Ticketing

Airline Reservations System • Airline ticket • Airline timetable • Boarding pass • Codeshare agreement • Continent pass • Electronic ticket • Frequent flyer program • Government contract flight • Open-jaw ticket • Red-eye flight • Round-the-world ticket • Standby • Travel search engine

Airport

Airline hub • Airport • Airport lounge • Domestic airport • International airport • Regional airport

Luggage

Bag tag • Baggage allowance • Baggage carousel • Baggage claim • Baggage handler • Checked baggage • Lost luggage

Check-in

Airstair • Airport Check-in • Airport security • Boarding • Gate

Seating

Airline seat • First class • Business class • Premium Economy class • Economy class • Travel class

In flight

Aircraft lavatory • Airline meal • Airsickness bag • In-flight entertainment

Crew

Deadheading • Flight attendant • Pilot

Immigration

Arrival Card • Departure Card

Safety

Air traffic control • Aircraft safety card • Airline security • Airport authority • Airport police • Civil Aviation Authority • Flight data recorder • In-flight safety demonstration • Overwing exits

Retrieved from “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_airport”
Categories: All articles to be merged | Aviation terminology | Airports by type | International transportation | Airport infrastructureHidden categories: Articles to be merged since October 2007 | Articles lacking sources from October 2007 | All articles lacking sources


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