June 2, 2026
Small Airports and General Aviation: The Other 90% of Airports
More than 90% of the world's airports never appear on booking sites. These small general aviation airports serve private pilots, charter operators, and remote communities.
When people think of airports, they think of terminals, security lines, and gate agents. But the vast majority of the world's 49,000+ airports are small general aviation facilities — strips of pavement or gravel where no airline has ever operated a scheduled flight.
What general aviation means
General aviation (GA) refers to all civil aviation except commercial airlines. It encompasses private flying, flight training, air ambulance, aerial survey, agricultural aviation, and corporate flight departments. GA aircraft range from two-seat trainers to large business jets, and they use a much wider range of airports than commercial aviation.
Why small airports matter
Small airports provide access to communities that commercial airlines cannot economically serve. In the western United States, many mountain communities are within a short drive of a small airport but hours from the nearest airline-served hub. Business travelers using corporate aircraft can land at small airports close to their actual destination rather than the nearest hub airport.
IATA coverage of small airports
Most small airports do not have IATA codes — only airports with scheduled commercial service qualify. They do have ICAO codes, which identify them in flight planning and aeronautical charts. Our small airports directory lists all facilities in the OurAirports dataset that have at least an ICAO code, whether or not they have IATA designations.