Aerodrome

An aerodrome, airfield, or airstrip is a location from which aircraft flight operations take place, regardless of whether they involve air cargo, passengers, or neither, and regardless of whether it is for public or private use. Aerodromes include small general aviation airfields, large commercial airports, and military air bases. The term airport may imply a certain stature (having satisfied certain certification criteria or regulatory requirements) that not all aerodromes have achieved. That means that all airports are aerodromes, but not all aerodromes are airports. Aerodrome and airfield are more common in Commonwealth English and rare in American English, where airport is applied almost exclusively. A water aerodrome is an area of open water used regularly by seaplanes, floatplanes or amphibious aircraft for landing and taking off. In formal terminology, as defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), an aerodrome is "a defined area on land or water (including any buildings, installations, and equipment) intended to be used either wholly or in part for the arrival, departure, and surface movement of aircraft."