How do small airports make money?

Margins on operating such airports are varied, but thin. Owners can draw rents from flight schools, airport brokerages, and cargo companies that set up onsite, and as with commercial airports, landing and parking fees are levied on planes. The rec room and waiting area also incur charges.



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Based on data from the ACI Airport Economics Survey, 97% of airports that have fewer than one million passengers operated at a loss in 2019. The propensity to reach profitability increases with airport size thereafter.

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Airports with sufficient traffic can generate revenue by selling advertising space in terminals, garages, and other locations [FAA funds pay for terminals, and airports sell advertising there]. Airline fees are typically negotiated with tenant airlines collectively, (see Air Service).

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Bigger Airports have more competition, which drives prices down. at bigger airports/hubs the airline often has their own check in/ground handling staff as well engineers/maintenance, whereas as at small/non-hub airports those things are often sub contracted, which is more expensive for the airline.

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Private airports can also be airports that are owned and operated by private individuals and are not open to anyone but those who own them. However, access to a private airport is not completely out of the question if you have the pre-approval of the owner or operator of that airport.

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In summary, private planes can land at both public and private airports, depending on the owner's preference and the costs. Both small and large airports also handle and service private jets. Working with a reliable charter broker can help you better understand the options available when it comes to flying private.

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Private-use airports must comply with 14 CFR Part 157, Notice of Construction, Alteration, Activation, and Deactivation. Part 157 applies if you are proposing to construct, alter, activate, or deactivate a civil or joint use (civil/military) airport or alter the status or use of the airport.

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The company makes money from charging landing fees and departing passenger levies to airlines, and from ancillary operations within those airports such as retail, car parking and property.

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Local funding will vary depending on how the airport is owned and operated. However, local funding is generally provided through tax revenue and usage fees collected by the sponsor or airport operator.

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Aeronautical revenue comprises the majority of airport income, and includes airline terminal space rentals, airline landing fees, and usage fees for terminals, gates, services and passenger counts.

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In reality, infrastructure projects at airports in the United States are funded through three key mechanisms: federal grants through the FAA's Airport Improvement Program (AIP), the Passenger Facility Charge (PFC) local user fee, and tenant rents and fees.

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There are far more regional and private airports than commercial airports; in the U.S. alone, there are some 5,000 available airports, but less than 500 of those offer commercial airline service. Private jets can access all commercial airports, but commercial airlines can't get into those smaller airfields.

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Regional airports can be fully privately-owned (e.g. Edinburgh, Glasgow, Southampton, Leeds Bradford), a mix of public and private ownership, whereby an airport is owned by both local authorities and private investors (e.g. Birmingham, Manchester and Newcastle), or fully publicly-owned (e.g. Scottish island airports, ...

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In addition to the UK's civil and military aerodromes, there are hundreds of smaller, grass airfields set up by private individuals (termed 'farm strips'). If you own suitable land, it's possible to set up your own – of course, planning restrictions and practical considerations apply.

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A group of international investors has won a bankruptcy auction for an abandoned airport in central Spain with a €10,000 (£7,000) offer - 100,000 times less than it cost to build.

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Renting an airplane hangar will typically cost between $200 – $500 a month. The cost of purchasing hangar space will depend on the airport and even the location at the airport, and some airports may not have any hangar space for sale.

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