Conventional enterprise fashions are safer, as passenger and cargo visitors is comparatively constant, with the airports in a position to develop robust company relationships with the carriers which have operational hubs at their amenities. Some airports, nonetheless, function on a far riskier enterprise mannequin, relying totally on visitors from personal jets to bolster what may historically be smaller passenger operations. These airports, sometimes called govt airports, are a few of the most fascinating to discover. On this article, we are going to take a look at 5 such airports that rely closely on visitors from personal operators.

1 Teterboro Airport (TEB)

Situated twelve miles outdoors of New York Metropolis within the New Jersey Meadowlands, Teterboro Airport emerges as one of the crucial in style choices for company and personal jet vacationers within the larger New York Space. With over 173,000 takeoffs and landings in pre-pandemic 2019, the airport was the second-busiest normal aviation airport in america, in addition to the world.

There are, nonetheless, some details about Teterboro Airport that make it considerably distinctive when in comparison with different govt airports. Notably, the airport imposes an higher weight restrict of 100,000 kilos (round 45,000 kg), making it nonviable for many business plane. Nonetheless, the airport thrives with visitors from company and personal operators.

Fascinatingly, some bigger personal jets, resembling Donald Trump’s Boeing 757, are too heavy to land on the airport. In consequence, former President Trump’s jet is commonly seen touchdown at close by Newark Liberty Worldwide Airport (EWR). Moreover, Teterboro stands because the oldest nonetheless working airport within the New York Space.

2 Paris – Le Bourget Airport (LBG)

As soon as the first airport serving France’s capital metropolis, Le Bourget is a facility primarily used for personal and normal aviation. Situated simply 26 km from Paris, the airport has change into in style with personal jet operators attributable to its shut location to town. Unsurprisingly, the airport has been dubbed by many because the “Teterboro of Europe.”

Whereas Le Bourget is primarily identified to many at this time for internet hosting the Paris Air Present, the airport is steeped in historical past, having been the stage for a few of the greatest moments in French aviation historical past. In 1927, Charles Lindbergh landed his historic nonstop transatlantic flight at Le Bourget, and the primary transcontinental jet flight, a Pan Am Boeing 707 service, departed from the airport.

3 Farnborough Airport (FAB)

This airport, positioned simply 21 km from London, is a well-liked touchdown spot for personal jet operators touring to and from Britain’s capital metropolis. Whereas most aviation lovers will, equally to the above airport, acknowledge the power for internet hosting the biennial Farnborough Airshow (the UK’s largest), it has additionally performed a important function within the nation’s aviation historical past.

Picture: Farnborough Airport

The primary powered flight in the UK, a 1908 flight piloted by pioneering aviator Samuel Cody, took off from Farnborough Airport. Moreover, the Air Accident Investigation Department, a subdivision of the British Division of Transportation, bases its operations out of FAB.

4 Van Nuys Airport (VNY)

This public airport, positioned within the Van Nuys neighborhood of Los Angeles, is among the busiest govt airports on the earth. Roughly 230,000 takeoffs and landings happen yearly on the airport, which is, in actual fact, dwelling to no business air service in any way. The airport operates two runways, the longest of which is over 8,000 toes lengthy, permitting the overwhelming majority of enterprise jets to function there.

Past merely serving as a facility for normal, company, and personal aviation, the airport additionally serves varied different functions. All through its operational historical past, VNY has been acquired by the Metropolis of Los Angeles a number of instances and at this time stays a upkeep base for the Los Angeles Police Division, the air operations unit of the Los Angeles Metropolis Hearth Division, and the Los Angeles Division of Water and Energy’s helicopters.

5 London Biggin Hill Airport (BQH)

London’s Biggin Hill Airport is a uniquely hidden personal and govt airport in South London. Right now, the airport operates a singular 6,000-meter runway, and flights with fare-paying passengers are strictly prohibited, a restriction that may even forestall visitors from some enterprise aviation JetCard providers.

Initially, the airport was based by the Royal Air Drive as RAF Biggin Hill, a designation {that a} small a part of the power nonetheless retains at this time. In the course of the Second World Conflict’s Battle of Britain, Biggin Hill served as one of many main bases for fighter plane defending the capital metropolis from the German Luftwaffe’s bomber assaults.