AIRPORT CLASSIFICATION

Primary Airports : 

Generally, Primary airports serve commercial airline operators with regularly scheduled passenger service. 

These commercial airline operators (e.g., airline passenger aircraft) typically 

require specific flight standard minimums including specialized IAPs that eliminate or reduce the 

need for diversions to alternate facilities during inclement weather. 

These airports are recommended to 

have an IAP with visibility and ceiling minimums of at least ½-mile visibility and 200-foot ceiling.

The runway protection zones (RPZ) associated with these IAPs, which serve these larger 

passenger jet aircraft, include almost 79 acres of land. 

2. National Airports: 

While National airports may not serve airlines, they do have a significant amount of commercial 

and corporate jet traffic. Since these airports serve corporate and commercial aircraft, but 

generally not airlines, they still benefit from relatively low IAP minimums to allow businesses to operate efficiently. Visibility and ceiling minimums of at least < ¾ mile and 250 feet,

respectively, will provide the required utility that most business aircraft users desire. Again, the RPZs associated with these IAPs include almost 79 acres of land, so IAPs with weather minimums 

3.Regional Airports: 

Regional airports typically will serve corporate operators with jets. Visibility and ceiling 

minimums of at least < 1 mile and 300-foot respectively will provide the required utility that most business aircraft users desire.

 These IAPs do not provide as great utility as those with lower visibility and ceilings, but they will allow most aircraft to land in most conditions. 

With a smaller RPZ—49 acres—they have good utility at a lower investment to the airport. 

4.Local Airports :

While Local airports may serve jet traffic, they are more prominently used by piston aircraft. 

IAPs with visibility and ceiling minimums of at least 1 mile and 300 feet respectively, can  typically accommodate these users. With Runway Protection Zones (RPZs) ranging from eight to 30 acres in area, depending on the airport’s ARC, they offer sufficient access to these airports at 

an affordable investment in land and obstruction removal. 

5. Basic Airports : 

Basic airports are primarily used by piston aircraft. Many of these aircraft are flown for personal  and business use or for flight training. 

IAPs with visibility and ceiling minimums of more than 1 mile and 400 feet respectively, can generally accommodate most of these users’ needs at the 

lowest investment in land acquisition and obstruction removal. 

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