Definition
An area of land or water used or intended to be used for the landing and takeoff of aircraft, including its buildings and facilities such as runways, taxiways, ramps, hangars, and terminal structures.
Plain English
A place where aircraft take off and land, along with the buildings and ground areas that support those operations.
Context Anchor
Seen in FAA acronym, abbreviation, and notice language where short forms are used to save space.
Derivation
From 'air' plus 'port,' a port being a place where vessels arrive and depart. The word was borrowed from maritime use — just as ships use a seaport, aircraft use an airport.
Why Pilots Care
Reading AP correctly helps a pilot know when information applies to the airport as a whole, rather than only to one runway, taxi route, or building.
Intuition Check
Do not think of an airport as only the passenger terminal or main building. In aviation use, “airport” means the whole operating area used by aircraft, including its landing areas and support facilities.
Example Sentence 1
The NOTAM listed several closures at the destination AP, including one runway and two taxiways.
Example Sentence 2
Preflight planning requires checking runway length and services available at the planned AP.