Definition
An airport designated by a country for the entry and departure of aircraft engaged in international air travel, where customs, immigration, public health, and agricultural inspection services are provided. It may also refer to an airport designated as an international airport for technical or non-traffic stops by international flights, such as for fuel or maintenance, where the same government inspection services are available.
Plain English
An airport approved for flights crossing national borders, with customs and immigration officers on site to check passengers, crew, and cargo entering or leaving the country.
Context Anchor
Seen in flight planning, airport information, and procedures for arriving in the United States from another country.
Derivation
‘International’ comes from the Latin inter (between) and natio (nation), so an international airport is literally an airport for movement between nations. The label signals that the airport is set up to legally process that movement, not just handle the aircraft.
Why Pilots Care
Landing at a non-designated airport after an international flight can result in fines, seizure of the aircraft, or legal action against the pilot.
Intuition Check
International does not simply mean “large” or “has flights to other countries.” In this FAA use, it means the airport is officially approved for aircraft to enter the country with required entry checks available.
Example Sentence 1
After the transatlantic flight, the crew landed at an international airport so passengers could clear customs and immigration before continuing on.
Example Sentence 2
Before crossing the border from Canada, she verified that her destination airport was listed as an international airport with customs available.