Airport authority

An airport authority is an entity responsible for the operation and oversight of an airport or group of airports. The Airports Council International is the world trade association of airport authorities. In some countries, when the authority of an entity encompasses more than just the airports in an area, harbor and rail facilities for example, the entity may be referred to as a port authority.

Legal forms and structures

In the United States, authorities are often governed by a group of airport commissioners, who are appointed to lead the authority by a government official. In Canada, airport authorities usually refer to private not-for-profit companies that are established to manage a city's commercial airports.