An airport has two major components; an airfield and terminals. A typical airfield is composed of a runway for takeoffs and landings as well as two (or one) parallel taxiing lanes (taxiway). Runways are labeled according to the direction (rounded magnetic azimuth in decimal) they are facing.

An airport in 2026 is split into two primary zones: Landside and Airside. Landside is everything before security, including the check-in counters, baggage claim, and parking. Once you pass through the security checkpoint, you enter the Airside zone, which includes the gates, duty-free shops, and lounges. The physical layout usually follows one of four structures: Linear (a long building with gates), Pier (narrow fingers sticking out from a main terminal), Satellite (detached buildings reached by underground trains), or Transporter (where buses take you to the plane). A supportive 2026 detail: the "Airside" also includes the apron (where planes park), the taxiways (the roads for planes), and the runway. Everything is organized to keep the movement of passengers (on the inside) and aircraft (on the outside) completely separate for safety and efficiency.