Airport Areas

Airports have fuel stores and hangars, which are like giant garages for air­planes. Hangars are also workshops in which aircraft can be serviced or repaired between flights. Other areas of the airport include the aircraft parking area, or loading apron. Here, a plane is refueled, and airport workers load cargo, baggage, and supplies.

Airports that handle passengers have passenger terminals of various sizes. Airports lease space to airlines for offices, ticket counters, and baggage areas. They also rent space to restau­rants, stores, car rental agencies, and other businesses within the airport.

The airport management may also run parking lots. Most big airports have
huge parking zones around the airport for short-stay and long-stay parking and for car rentals.

Large airports have separate cargo terminals for incoming and outgoing cargo. Airfreight often needs quick, careful handling, because it may include delicate equipment or foods and flowers that spoil quickly. Many airliners use big cargo planes with wide-opening doors into which containers and packages are loaded from forklift trucks and elevated loading bays. Security is strict, because airfreight often includes such high-value items as bank bonds or gold.