U.S. Airports: Operational Aerodromes and Characteristics

A July 2020 snapshot from the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics details all official operational aerodromes across the United States and its territories. Its geospatial point data, derived from FAA sources, includes attributes on physical characteristics, current usage, and congestion levels. This dataset serves as a foundational layer for analyzing national air transportation infrastructure.

Use Cases

• Site suitability analysis based on airport physical characteristics and congestion levels.
• Regional transportation planning using enplanement and aircraft operations data.
• Infrastructure investment prioritization based on usage categories and operational status.

Strengths

• Comprehensive coverage of all official operational aerodromes in the U.S. and U.S. Territories as of a specific date.
• Derived from the authoritative FAA National Airspace System Resource Aeronautical Data Product.
• Contains multiple operational metrics, including enplanements and congestion levels.

Limitations

• Metadata completeness is low: column names, row counts, file size, and license information are unknown across all sources.
• Data is a single snapshot from July 16, 2020, and may not reflect current conditions.
• Documentation gaps exist, with no codebook or methods documentation noted.

Provenance

Source

U.S. Department of Transportation / Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), National Transportation Atlas Database (NTAD).

Collection Method

Derived from the FAA's National Airspace System Resource Aeronautical Data Product.

Time Range

Snapshot as of July 16, 2020.

Freshness

Last metadata update recorded on 2026-03-23, but the underlying data is from July 16, 2020.

Geography

United States and U.S. Territories.