In an airport, from the point of view of airport operations, two parts can be distinguished: the so-called air side and the so-called land side. The distinction between both parts derives from the different functions performed in each one.

On the air side, the focus is on the aircraft and everything revolves around what they need. The main component of this part is the runway, but depending on the type of airport, it may have taxiways, parking aprons (Apron (aviation)) and maintenance hangars. The apron (also known as apron in English) is the area intended to accommodate aircraft while boarding and disembarking operations of passengers or merchandise are carried out, as well as other aircraft care operations (fuel supply, minor maintenance, cleaning).

On the land side, services focus on handling passengers and their needs. Its main component is the terminal (for a commercial passenger airport) or the warehouses and cargo terminal (for a cargo airport). Usually all airports have both components. It is possible that a set of landing strips could also be used by military aircraft.

The volume of passengers and the type of traffic (regional, national or international) determine the characteristics that the infrastructure must have.

An important area in every airport is the so-called control tower, in which are located the so-called air traffic controllers or ATCOs (for their acronym in English), in charge of directing and controlling all the movement of aircraft at the airport and in the air zone under their jurisdiction.

The runway is the most important part of an aerodrome because it allows aircraft on the ground to reach the speeds necessary to achieve lift in the air, and allows aircraft in flight to land. The runway is part of the air side of an aerodrome. With few exceptions, every runway allows landing and takeoff operations for aircraft.

The runways need to be long and wide enough to allow landing and takeoff operations for those larger aircraft that operate the airport. That is, the runway will be the limit for the different types of aircraft that can land on it.

At high-traffic airports there are taxiways, which are auxiliary runways that speed up aircraft traffic on land and increase the maximum number of operations that can be carried out.

The heads of airport runways need to be free of any obstacle that could hinder or put at risk the landing/takeoff operation of the aircraft. The aircraft approach line, for this reason, needs to be free of towers and buildings.

Landing and take-off runways must be oriented according to the wind pattern of the region: for the safety of a landing or take-off operation, the lateral component of the wind must not exceed an admissible speed for smaller aircraft 95% of the time; When they happen, they create turbulence in the aircraft, increasing the chances of an accident. In places where the series of winds is such that a single runway does not comply with such regulations, a second runway must be built with its proper orientation.

Airports for civil use are designed to serve passengers who use the plane as a means of transportation, for cargo and air mail. Most airports operate all three, but many serve primarily either passengers or cargo/mail, given certain circumstances:.

The size of an airport and the variety of services it offers depends mainly on the number of flights the airport serves and the movement of air traffic, which includes the movement of passengers, cargo and airmail. Naturally, airports that move a large number of passengers, with a high movement of aircraft, tend to occupy a larger area.

They are the buildings on the land side of the aerodrome that allow the management and control of passengers boarding or disembarking aircraft. For passenger airports, the terminals have the function of connecting between the access modes, with the mode of air transport: Taxi, car, buses, train or metro "Metro (railway)").

Large or medium-sized airport centers are well equipped to handle important aircraft, as well as for passenger traffic through the airport. In such airports, there are areas intended for check-in, separate terminals for boarding (where the passenger waits for his flight) and disembarkation, commercial services.

The configuration of the terminal is determined by the type of traffic (regional, national or international) and the number of travelers. Large airports have more than one terminal. It may happen that the expansions have led to the construction of several buildings to meet the demand.

The terminals have the following facilities: control halls, boarding rooms, baggage carousels, exit doors, recreation areas, restaurants, shops, banks, exchange offices and car parking. International airports also have immigration controls (passport control and customs. At customs, passengers leaving or entering the country report the entry or exit of money and merchandise.

Due to recent terrorist threats, access controls to aircraft are very strict. In addition to metal detector machines and body scanners, many airports have X-ray machines to detect hazardous materials in passenger luggage.

In addition, some high-traffic airports also offer other commercial services that increase the revenue of the airport operator. They offer the passenger a wide variety of options while waiting; for example, warehouses, VIP rooms, internet centers, playgrounds, places of religious worship, museums, restaurants, etc.

The shape of an airport passenger terminal tries to maximize the number of positions for aircraft boarding, trying to reduce the walking distances of passengers. For this reason, from the central part of the buildings, corridors emerge that allow connection with several planes. These corridors are known as "breakwaters." Very often passengers board aircraft, not from positions in the terminal, but on the apron.

When passenger terminals are far from each other or distant from the main terminal, special bus and train lines come into play that connect one terminal to another, so as to facilitate the movement of passengers and operators between all terminals.

Los aviones no son los únicos medios de transporte presentes en un área aeroportuaria: una amplia variedad de vehículos diferentes actúan dentro del aeropuerto, con una variada gama de servicios "Servicio (economía)"), como el transporte de pasajeros, transporte de carga, equipaje, limpieza de las aeronaves. Entre tales vehículos están:.

Los vehículos aeroportuarios se desplazan por el aeropuerto a través de avenidas destinadas a ellos. Existen otras pistas, dedicadas a la orientación de las aeronaves, en la plataforma de estacionamiento y en las taxiways (calles de rodaje). Además, cuentan con vehículos de emergencia "Emergencia (desastre)") que deben estar listos en todo momento para atender un percance o emergencia: camiones de bomberos, pipas de agua, ambulancias y vehículos de policía.

Aircraft maintenance

The maintenance service for aircraft operating at an airport is generally provided by the largest airline operating at the airport or by specialized companies, in the case of passenger aircraft. It should be noted that although many airports have basic maintenance services, only some of them offer more specialized and complex services.

During the period in which the aircraft is parked on the ground, a check is carried out by an aircraft ground handling company.

Cargo and airmail

Airports generally have an area designated especially for the cargo process, with hangars intended for storing the cargo to be transported and the equipment necessary for its handling, as well as specialized personnel.

Airports are managed by the State, the municipality or by a private party who has been given this task under concession.

The airport concessionaire or manager may have a mixed concession; That is to say, you can maintain only the terminals or only the runways, in most cases both areas are concessioned, for this you must have outsourced companies or your own personnel dedicated to cleaning, infrastructure maintenance (elevators, escalators, refrigeration, heating, primary and secondary energy, furniture, toilets, etc.), cutting of green areas, decontamination of movement areas (the runways become contaminated with the detachment of rubber from aircraft tires when contact and braking on pavements), maintenance of Luminous Visual Aids (runway and taxiway markings) and other operational services on both sides (air and ground).

When passenger and cargo demand leads to infrastructure being close to full capacity, some changes may be necessary, such as expansion of passenger or cargo terminals, new taxiways, runways, and parking lots. When this is not possible, the construction of a new airport in the region is considered.

An airport's income is classified as operational and non-operational. The operational ones are given by the fees charged for the landing of an aircraft and the passenger fees. These fees are generally regulated by the State or its civil aviation authority. Prices vary depending on the airport. The airport's non-operational income is those associated with the income generated by the parking of cars and motorcycles and the rental of commercial premises.

Regarding aviation safety, it is convenient to distinguish between two concepts that, in English, are called differently. One is security from a police or public order point of view (in English security) that affects facilities related to the traffic of goods and passengers; and the other concept is that of safety in transportation and navigation (safety), which mainly affects the organization of the work of people related to air navigation and the maintenance of aircraft and airports.

Security at large passenger airports is a very serious matter, and controls there have increased significantly after the attacks of September 11, 2001.

Busy passenger terminals make use of x-ray machines for hazardous materials screening, metal detectors for weapons detection, and animals trained to detect explosives in a passenger, luggage or cargo. Airport sworn guards may also perform a manual inspection of passengers or their luggage. In addition to objects considered weapons (firearms, knives, scissors, etc.), objects that put the integrity of the flight at risk are also prohibited, such as lighters, nail clippers, flammable or explosive materials, etc.[7] Searches are also carried out to prevent drug trafficking. Problems such as lack of budget can mean that such security measures are not carried out as they should, increasing the risk of attacks or kidnappings.

Other issues concerning airport safety include the landing approach area of ​​aircraft, not always free of obstacles (such as, for example, the old Hong Kong airport, with high-altitude mountains during the approach), or the relationship between the number of landing and takeoff operations at a given airport and the size of its runway. A very important factor in operational safety is the so-called control of bird and fauna danger; This is the name given to the control that is carried out on the runways and maneuvering areas before an aircraft lands or takes off, preventing the turbines or other part of the plane from being sucked in or hit by birds or fauna, endangering the flight phase. There are international methods and associations on this matter since incidents and accidents caused by birds and all types of fauna have cost industries losses in human lives and significant material damage.

Regarding air navigation safety (safety), it is very important to emphasize that it is of utmost importance that passengers know each of the measures taken by the staff in order to achieve a safe flight. One of the main ones is the operation of the doors used as emergency exits, since any passenger who correctly attends to the security measures that the flight attendants on board provide, can achieve a successful evacuation; the correct use of the masks in the event of depressurization (loss of pressure in the cabin for an atmosphere similar to that of the ground) because if the placement and activation of the oxygen system is not adequate, there is a risk of suffering from hypoxia. The constant use of the seat belt can, to a large extent, prevent accidents during the flight such as blows to the head, cervical sprains, etc. (in case of turbulence) and the exit of the same body through the damaged fuselage (in a depressurization). It is of utmost importance that it is clear that when passengers on a flight comply 100% with the instructions of the procedures carried out by the crew, a completely safe flight can be obtained.

Control towers organize the movement of aircraft on the ground and in the airspace when they approach the aerodrome, and authorize landing and takeoff operations. These control towers are located in a location that allows a wide view of the aerodrome, as well as a wide view of approaching aircraft. Several small aerodromes and landing areas, as well as some medium-sized airports, do not have a control tower. At these aerodromes only flight information service is provided and not control.

Given the intense movement of aircraft and traffic generated by the movement of people to and from the airport, airports are a source of two types of pollution:

Such problems can cause alterations in the health of the surrounding inhabitants, such as sleep or respiratory problems. The construction of a new airport is generally not well received by the inhabitants who live near the chosen area.[8]​.

Airports are the safest facilities in the world where an aircraft can take off and land. However, there are some cases in which the runways are shorter than normal or have complicated geographical locations, making these maneuvers very complicated to perform. Below is a list of the most dangerous airports in the world.[9]​.

A military airport (airfield) allows military aircraft operations. It is operated by the air force. Water aerodromes (aircraft carriers) also allow military aviation.

The location criteria for military airports in the territory are different from those of commercial aviation or general aviation airports, since they are located in strategic places for defense or attack, or that allow border patrolling.

In an airport, from the point of view of airport operations, two parts can be distinguished: the so-called air side and the so-called land side. The distinction between both parts derives from the different functions performed in each one.

On the air side, the focus is on the aircraft and everything revolves around what they need. The main component of this part is the runway, but depending on the type of airport, it may have taxiways, parking aprons (Apron (aviation)) and maintenance hangars. The apron (also known as apron in English) is the area intended to accommodate aircraft while boarding and disembarking operations of passengers or merchandise are carried out, as well as other aircraft care operations (fuel supply, minor maintenance, cleaning).

On the land side, services focus on handling passengers and their needs. Its main component is the terminal (for a commercial passenger airport) or the warehouses and cargo terminal (for a cargo airport). Usually all airports have both components. It is possible that a set of landing strips could also be used by military aircraft.

The volume of passengers and the type of traffic (regional, national or international) determine the characteristics that the infrastructure must have.

An important area in every airport is the so-called control tower, in which are located the so-called air traffic controllers or ATCOs (for their acronym in English), in charge of directing and controlling all the movement of aircraft at the airport and in the air zone under their jurisdiction.

The runway is the most important part of an aerodrome because it allows aircraft on the ground to reach the speeds necessary to achieve lift in the air, and allows aircraft in flight to land. The runway is part of the air side of an aerodrome. With few exceptions, every runway allows landing and takeoff operations for aircraft.

The runways need to be long and wide enough to allow landing and takeoff operations for those larger aircraft that operate the airport. That is, the runway will be the limit for the different types of aircraft that can land on it.

At high-traffic airports there are taxiways, which are auxiliary runways that speed up aircraft traffic on land and increase the maximum number of operations that can be carried out.

The heads of airport runways need to be free of any obstacle that could hinder or put at risk the landing/takeoff operation of the aircraft. The aircraft approach line, for this reason, needs to be free of towers and buildings.

Landing and take-off runways must be oriented according to the wind pattern of the region: for the safety of a landing or take-off operation, the lateral component of the wind must not exceed an admissible speed for smaller aircraft 95% of the time; When they happen, they create turbulence in the aircraft, increasing the chances of an accident. In places where the series of winds is such that a single runway does not comply with such regulations, a second runway must be built with its proper orientation.

Airports for civil use are designed to serve passengers who use the plane as a means of transportation, for cargo and air mail. Most airports operate all three, but many serve primarily either passengers or cargo/mail, given certain circumstances:.

The size of an airport and the variety of services it offers depends mainly on the number of flights the airport serves and the movement of air traffic, which includes the movement of passengers, cargo and airmail. Naturally, airports that move a large number of passengers, with a high movement of aircraft, tend to occupy a larger area.

They are the buildings on the land side of the aerodrome that allow the management and control of passengers boarding or disembarking aircraft. For passenger airports, the terminals have the function of connecting between the access modes, with the mode of air transport: Taxi, car, buses, train or metro "Metro (railway)").

Large or medium-sized airport centers are well equipped to handle important aircraft, as well as for passenger traffic through the airport. In such airports, there are areas intended for check-in, separate terminals for boarding (where the passenger waits for his flight) and disembarkation, commercial services.

The configuration of the terminal is determined by the type of traffic (regional, national or international) and the number of travelers. Large airports have more than one terminal. It may happen that the expansions have led to the construction of several buildings to meet the demand.

The terminals have the following facilities: control halls, boarding rooms, baggage carousels, exit doors, recreation areas, restaurants, shops, banks, exchange offices and car parking. International airports also have immigration controls (passport control and customs. At customs, passengers leaving or entering the country report the entry or exit of money and merchandise.

Due to recent terrorist threats, access controls to aircraft are very strict. In addition to metal detector machines and body scanners, many airports have X-ray machines to detect hazardous materials in passenger luggage.

In addition, some high-traffic airports also offer other commercial services that increase the revenue of the airport operator. They offer the passenger a wide variety of options while waiting; for example, warehouses, VIP rooms, internet centers, playgrounds, places of religious worship, museums, restaurants, etc.

The shape of an airport passenger terminal tries to maximize the number of positions for aircraft boarding, trying to reduce the walking distances of passengers. For this reason, from the central part of the buildings, corridors emerge that allow connection with several planes. These corridors are known as "breakwaters." Very often passengers board aircraft, not from positions in the terminal, but on the apron.

When passenger terminals are far from each other or distant from the main terminal, special bus and train lines come into play that connect one terminal to another, so as to facilitate the movement of passengers and operators between all terminals.

Los aviones no son los únicos medios de transporte presentes en un área aeroportuaria: una amplia variedad de vehículos diferentes actúan dentro del aeropuerto, con una variada gama de servicios "Servicio (economía)"), como el transporte de pasajeros, transporte de carga, equipaje, limpieza de las aeronaves. Entre tales vehículos están:.

Los vehículos aeroportuarios se desplazan por el aeropuerto a través de avenidas destinadas a ellos. Existen otras pistas, dedicadas a la orientación de las aeronaves, en la plataforma de estacionamiento y en las taxiways (calles de rodaje). Además, cuentan con vehículos de emergencia "Emergencia (desastre)") que deben estar listos en todo momento para atender un percance o emergencia: camiones de bomberos, pipas de agua, ambulancias y vehículos de policía.

Aircraft maintenance

The maintenance service for aircraft operating at an airport is generally provided by the largest airline operating at the airport or by specialized companies, in the case of passenger aircraft. It should be noted that although many airports have basic maintenance services, only some of them offer more specialized and complex services.

During the period in which the aircraft is parked on the ground, a check is carried out by an aircraft ground handling company.

Cargo and airmail

Airports generally have an area designated especially for the cargo process, with hangars intended for storing the cargo to be transported and the equipment necessary for its handling, as well as specialized personnel.

Airports are managed by the State, the municipality or by a private party who has been given this task under concession.

The airport concessionaire or manager may have a mixed concession; That is to say, you can maintain only the terminals or only the runways, in most cases both areas are concessioned, for this you must have outsourced companies or your own personnel dedicated to cleaning, infrastructure maintenance (elevators, escalators, refrigeration, heating, primary and secondary energy, furniture, toilets, etc.), cutting of green areas, decontamination of movement areas (the runways become contaminated with the detachment of rubber from aircraft tires when contact and braking on pavements), maintenance of Luminous Visual Aids (runway and taxiway markings) and other operational services on both sides (air and ground).

When passenger and cargo demand leads to infrastructure being close to full capacity, some changes may be necessary, such as expansion of passenger or cargo terminals, new taxiways, runways, and parking lots. When this is not possible, the construction of a new airport in the region is considered.

An airport's income is classified as operational and non-operational. The operational ones are given by the fees charged for the landing of an aircraft and the passenger fees. These fees are generally regulated by the State or its civil aviation authority. Prices vary depending on the airport. The airport's non-operational income is those associated with the income generated by the parking of cars and motorcycles and the rental of commercial premises.

Regarding aviation safety, it is convenient to distinguish between two concepts that, in English, are called differently. One is security from a police or public order point of view (in English security) that affects facilities related to the traffic of goods and passengers; and the other concept is that of safety in transportation and navigation (safety), which mainly affects the organization of the work of people related to air navigation and the maintenance of aircraft and airports.

Security at large passenger airports is a very serious matter, and controls there have increased significantly after the attacks of September 11, 2001.

Busy passenger terminals make use of x-ray machines for hazardous materials screening, metal detectors for weapons detection, and animals trained to detect explosives in a passenger, luggage or cargo. Airport sworn guards may also perform a manual inspection of passengers or their luggage. In addition to objects considered weapons (firearms, knives, scissors, etc.), objects that put the integrity of the flight at risk are also prohibited, such as lighters, nail clippers, flammable or explosive materials, etc.[7] Searches are also carried out to prevent drug trafficking. Problems such as lack of budget can mean that such security measures are not carried out as they should, increasing the risk of attacks or kidnappings.

Other issues concerning airport safety include the landing approach area of ​​aircraft, not always free of obstacles (such as, for example, the old Hong Kong airport, with high-altitude mountains during the approach), or the relationship between the number of landing and takeoff operations at a given airport and the size of its runway. A very important factor in operational safety is the so-called control of bird and fauna danger; This is the name given to the control that is carried out on the runways and maneuvering areas before an aircraft lands or takes off, preventing the turbines or other part of the plane from being sucked in or hit by birds or fauna, endangering the flight phase. There are international methods and associations on this matter since incidents and accidents caused by birds and all types of fauna have cost industries losses in human lives and significant material damage.

Regarding air navigation safety (safety), it is very important to emphasize that it is of utmost importance that passengers know each of the measures taken by the staff in order to achieve a safe flight. One of the main ones is the operation of the doors used as emergency exits, since any passenger who correctly attends to the security measures that the flight attendants on board provide, can achieve a successful evacuation; the correct use of the masks in the event of depressurization (loss of pressure in the cabin for an atmosphere similar to that of the ground) because if the placement and activation of the oxygen system is not adequate, there is a risk of suffering from hypoxia. The constant use of the seat belt can, to a large extent, prevent accidents during the flight such as blows to the head, cervical sprains, etc. (in case of turbulence) and the exit of the same body through the damaged fuselage (in a depressurization). It is of utmost importance that it is clear that when passengers on a flight comply 100% with the instructions of the procedures carried out by the crew, a completely safe flight can be obtained.

Control towers organize the movement of aircraft on the ground and in the airspace when they approach the aerodrome, and authorize landing and takeoff operations. These control towers are located in a location that allows a wide view of the aerodrome, as well as a wide view of approaching aircraft. Several small aerodromes and landing areas, as well as some medium-sized airports, do not have a control tower. At these aerodromes only flight information service is provided and not control.

Given the intense movement of aircraft and traffic generated by the movement of people to and from the airport, airports are a source of two types of pollution:

Such problems can cause alterations in the health of the surrounding inhabitants, such as sleep or respiratory problems. The construction of a new airport is generally not well received by the inhabitants who live near the chosen area.[8]​.

Airports are the safest facilities in the world where an aircraft can take off and land. However, there are some cases in which the runways are shorter than normal or have complicated geographical locations, making these maneuvers very complicated to perform. Below is a list of the most dangerous airports in the world.[9]​.

A military airport (airfield) allows military aircraft operations. It is operated by the air force. Water aerodromes (aircraft carriers) also allow military aviation.

The location criteria for military airports in the territory are different from those of commercial aviation or general aviation airports, since they are located in strategic places for defense or attack, or that allow border patrolling.