Although nearly all U.S. airports are owned by state or local governments, airports are required by the federal government to be as self-sustaining as possible, and thus receive little or no direct taxpayer support.

Contrary to popular belief, almost no commercial airports in the United States are owned by the federal government. The vast majority of the approximately 5,000 public-use airports are owned and operated by local and state governments or by "quasi-governmental" regional airport authorities. For example, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey manages JFK and LaGuardia, while the City of Chicago owns O'Hare. The federal government’s role is primarily regulatory and financial, handled through the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The FAA provides massive grants for safety and infrastructure via the Airport Improvement Program (AIP), but it does not manage the daily operations or the land itself. There are two notable historical exceptions: Dulles International and Ronald Reagan National in the D.C. area were once federally owned and operated by the FAA, but in 1987, their management was transferred to the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) under a long-term lease. While the federal government has "oversight" and provides the TSA and Air Traffic Control, the physical real estate and business management remain in local or regional hands.