Regional airports support regional economies by connecting communities to statewide and interstate markets. Local airports provide access to intrastate and interstate markets. Basic airports link communities to the national airport system and support general aviation activities.

Airports are typically classified into three primary categories based on their function and the level of service they provide: International, Domestic (Regional), and General Aviation. International airports are the largest hubs, equipped with customs, immigration, and health facilities to process travelers moving between countries; they feature long runways capable of handling heavy wide-body aircraft. Domestic or Regional airports serve flights within the same country, acting as vital links for smaller communities to reach larger hubs; they usually lack international processing facilities and handle smaller narrow-body or turboprop planes. General Aviation (GA) airports are dedicated to private, corporate, and recreational flying rather than scheduled commercial service. These airports support flight training, emergency medical services, and private jets. While some classification systems also use "Commercial Service," "Primary," and "Reliever" (as defined by the FAA), the functional trio of International, Domestic, and General Aviation remains the most common way for the public to distinguish between different flight environments.