Towards More Sustainable Planning Decisions Around Airports: Investigating Global Airport Classifications and Proposing a Four-Tiered System for Australia

Airports vary widely in purpose, scale, land use and activity, yet no globally accepted classification system exists. The absence of standardisation means airports often sit across multiple overlapping categories, obscuring their actual function. Australia similarly lacks an official framework that reflects the diversity of its airport network.

This paper addresses that gap by proposing a holistic, four‑tiered classification system for Australian airports, grounded in international literature and comparative policy analysis. The framework draws on four criteria—location, governance, network function and passenger profile—and is demonstrated through case studies representing each tier, including airports that straddle categories.

The proposed system offers a clearer basis for strategic, coordinated and sustainable infrastructure investment and land‑use decision‑making around airports.