Aerodrome
Pronunciation: AIR-oh-drohm
The ICAO-standard term for any defined area on land or water used for the arrival, departure, and surface movement of aircraft.
Full Definition
Aerodrome is the formal ICAO term used in international regulatory documents to describe any designated surface area — including its buildings, installations, and equipment — intended for use wholly or partly for the arrival, departure, and surface movement of aircraft. In common usage, 'aerodrome' is often used interchangeably with 'airport', but strictly speaking, an airport is an aerodrome with scheduled commercial air transport operations, while an aerodrome may also include private airfields, heliports, and water aerodromes. Editors working on ICAO-aligned documents should use 'aerodrome' in formal regulatory and technical texts and reserve 'airport' for communications directed at the general public or in non-ICAO jurisdictions such as the United States, where 'airport' is the standard term.
Usage
Usage note: Use 'aerodrome' in ICAO-standard and formal regulatory documents. 'Airport' is acceptable in public-facing and North American texts. 'Airfield' typically implies smaller, non-commercial facilities.
In Context
- "The aerodrome reference point (ARP) is published in the official Aeronautical Information Publication." — Aeronautical Information Publication
- "Aerodrome operating minima are set by the competent authority and published in the aerodrome manual." — Airport Operations Manual