Travellers often assume that the bigger airports are international airports, but in reality an airport needs many parameters and operational facilities to become international. An airport is the face of the country, where every traveller gets the look and judgement of the country before entering it. While booking tickets for the country, the first thing that every traveller looks for is an airport.
Every country has multiple airports but not all airports have an international status. Do you know what makes an airport international?
Customs and Immigration services:
The most important requirement of an international airport is customs and immigration services. They are responsible for passport checking, visas and travel document verification, and baggage and goods inspection before entering the country.
These services are the first contact point of the country for every traveller. Immigration officers should be authorised by the national government. An airport without the customs and immigration services cannot be considered as an international airport.
Customs facilities are to inspect baggage, cargo and goods. They also have the duty to prevent illegal imports and exports and collect customs duties.
These services also allow authorities to verify the identities of travellers and approve their stay in the country and enforce border security laws.
Government authorisation and legal status:
An airport does not become an international airport by its own choice; it needs to be authorised by the national government and its aviation cabinet or authorities.
They also need an approval from border control agencies, national security agencies and civil aviation authorities.
For a government to approve an airport as an international airport, it needs to meet the infrastructure standards, safety measures, and security protocols.
These approvals are essential for an airport to operate international routes and serve across borders. The airport must also comply with international aviation standards and laws apart from the above domestic laws.
International security standards:
The next parameter of an international airport is to have higher security standards in accordance with the global standards. These standards are set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and the National Aviation Cabinet.
The main objectives of the international security standards are to screen passengers and their baggage before and after the travel, follow the airport security procedures, safeguard restricted access zones, and have the capability to tackle security threats and attend emergency situations.
This is the mandatory requirement for an international airport. They also not only have the responsibility to protect passengers but also the aircraft and airline operations.
Security standards in the airports are always strict, and in the international airport, they are stricter than in the domestic ones.
Runway and Aircraft capability:
International airports must be able to handle long-haul, wide-body aircraft. To manage those aircraft, an airport requires longer and more durable runways, advanced navigation systems and specialised ground handling equipment.
Though not all airports serve wide-body aircraft, an airport must have the capability to support aircraft which cross borders safely and in a reliable manner.
There are smaller international airports which serve the neighbouring countries that also need to have the above requirements.
Additional requirements:
In addition to the above parameters, an international airport also has other specific requirements. Some of them are air traffic control and international navigation and coordination systems.
International airports must have coordination with foreign air traffic control agencies, international flight planning systems, and cross-border aviation authorities.
All these parameters ensure safe routing of aircraft across international airspace and compliance with global aviation regulations.
There are also some international airports which not only serve international aircraft but also handle charter and cargo flights.
Some international airports serve only seasonal international flights and the regional flights. Some airports maintain international status just for emergency and diversion purposes.
Many airports are international in spite of their smaller sizes because they serve neighbouring countries and are there to support regional tourism.
In contrast, there are some larger airports which don’t have the international status and serve only the domestic. The reason for this is they lack one or many requirements which were mentioned earlier.
International status is one of the most important aspects of an airport. It boosts tourism for the nearby cities, supports trade and cargo operations and also attracts international investment. When you see the term international airport, it does not only represent that it serves international flights but also signifies global connectivity, border security and international coordination.
