The United States has more than one airport in one state. As of 2013, the total number of general aviation airports in the United States was about 20,000, but just over 500 of them are open to the public. With the exception of 378 airports with more than 100,000 passengers per year, the rest are considered general aviation airports and are used for a variety of needs, including medical rescue, military and police law enforcement, official tourism, agricultural and forestry development, and basic mobility, driving an aviation industry that accounts for 1 percent of the U.S. annual GDP.
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) was ranked 3rd in the world with 61.61 million passengers in 2001, with United Airlines holding the largest market share, and is one of United's two hubs in the western U.S. LAX is also the largest airport in the U.S. in terms of passenger traffic, and is the largest airport in the U.S. in the world in terms of passenger traffic. LAX is also the largest international gateway to the U.S. West, and is the airport of choice for almost all international carriers flying to Los Angeles. LAX is located in the western part of the greater Los Angeles area, 27 kilometers from the city center, with four runways, a main terminal (divided into eight concourses).
Expanded Information:
Environmental Impact
Construction of new airports or runway expansions are often resisted by local residents due to the impacts on the local area, including historical sites, flora, and fauna; avoiding disturbance to the neighbors is a major reason why Hong Kong's Kai Tak Airport will be relocated. In order to avoid birds colliding with airplanes and causing flight safety accidents, large airports conduct bird control programs to deter or shoot birds in the vicinity of the airport.
It is well established that airports bring about changes in local climate patterns, as they cover large areas and are susceptible to dense fog even in areas with little fog. In addition, most airport runways are paved with asphalt or concrete, replacing vegetated surfaces and causing changes in drainage patterns, leading to more flooding, runoff and soil erosion.
The management of some airports prepares and publishes annual environmental reports to present how they deal with these environmental issues and the measures taken to protect the environment. These reports include all the efforts made to protect the environment, whether it is water, air, soil and noise pollution, as well as the conservation of resources and the protection of the natural ecology around the airport.
Operational Management
Most of the airports in the world are owned by the national, regional or local governments and then handed over to the private sector to oversee the entire operation, for example, the British Aviation Authority Ltd (BAA) manages seven commercial airports in the UK and a number of airports outside of the UK, and Germany's Frankfurt International Airport is managed by Fraport AG. In India, the GMR Group manages Gandhi International Airport and Hyderabad International Airport through joint ventures.
In the United States and Canada, civil airports are usually operated directly by the government or managed by government-established airport authorities. Many U.S. airports still lease some or all of their facilities to specific outside companies to manage, such as vending or parking services.
All civil airports in the United States have runways certified by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) under Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Section 139, "Certification of Airports for Commercial Services," but are managed and maintained by local airports under FAA regulations.
While the U.S. has been reluctant to privatize airports (although the FAA has sponsored a program to privatize airports since 1996), this government-owned, outsourced model remains the standard operating model for most civilian airports around the world.
Baidu Encyclopedia - Airports