Airport Ownership and Rights

Airport categories can be split into two types, public-use and private use. At the same time airport ownership is broken into two categories as well, private ownership and public ownership. However, airport categories and ownership do not line up along the same lines - there exist privately owned, public use airports. This lesson seeks to distinguish between public and private ownership of airports as well as their powers available to each.

Please note that the opinions and views expressed in this lesson are solely those of the author.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of the lesson, the student will be able to:

1. List the two types of airport ownership.
2. Define the following terms: airport, public airport, public-use airport, and private-use airport.
3. Discuss what the governmental authority that owns a publicly owned airport can do.
4. Explain the four Constitutional Powers that proprietors of public airports can rely on.
5. Discuss the limitations on a private owner of an airport.