February 17, 2026
Major International Airports: What Makes an Airport "Large"?
The OurAirports classification system groups airports into large, medium, small, and specialty types. Here is what defines a large international airport and which ones top the rankings.
Not all airports are equal. The airport classification system used by OurAirports, IATA, and ICAO groups airports by size and function — from massive international hubs down to single-runway grass strips. Understanding these classifications helps make sense of the global aviation network.
What is a large airport?
In the OurAirports data (which powers this site), a large airport is defined by scheduled international service, multiple runways, high passenger throughput, and IATA code assignment. These are the airports most travelers use for long-haul international flights. Examples include:
- LHR — London Heathrow, the UK's busiest airport
- DXB — Dubai International, one of the world's busiest by international passenger volume
- LAX — Los Angeles International
- HND — Tokyo Haneda
- CDG — Paris Charles de Gaulle
The full list of large airports
Browse the complete directory of major international airports worldwide. The list includes every airport classified as large_airport in the OurAirports dataset that also has scheduled commercial service — currently just over 900 airports globally.
Regional airports
Below the large airport tier sit regional airports — mid-size facilities that handle domestic routes and some short-haul international service. These airports are critical connectors in countries like the United States, Canada, and Australia where distances between cities are enormous.