Definition
Any defined area of land or water — including buildings, installations, and equipment — used either wholly or in part for the arrival, departure, and surface movement of aircraft. The term covers the full range of facilities, from large international airports to small grass strips and seaplane bases.
Plain English
A place where aircraft take off, land, and move around on the ground or water, along with any buildings and equipment that support those operations.
Context Anchor
You may see this term in FAA glossary material, international aviation documents, and airport information when the text is referring broadly to a place used by aircraft.
Derivation
From Greek 'aēr' (air) + 'dromos' (running, course, racetrack) — literally 'a place where things run through the air.' The same '-drome' root appears in 'hippodrome' (horse racing) and 'velodrome' (cycling), so an aerodrome is essentially the 'course' or grounds for aircraft.
Why Pilots Care
Pilots flying internationally, reading ICAO documents, or operating in countries that use British-style aviation terminology will encounter 'aerodrome' in place of 'airport.' Treating them as effectively interchangeable prevents confusion when reading foreign charts, NOTAMs, or flight planning material.
Intuition Check
Do not assume aerodrome always means a large public airport. It is a broader word for a defined place used by aircraft, on land or water.
Example Sentence 1
The pilot reviewed the aerodrome diagram before taxiing to the active runway.
Example Sentence 2
Small aerodromes often lack control towers but still require pilots to follow standard traffic patterns.