An
aerodrome or
airdrome is a location from which
aircraft flight operations take place, regardless of whether they involve
air cargo, passengers, or neither. Aerodromes include small
general aviation airfields, large
commercial airports, and
military airbases. The term
airport may imply a certain stature (having satisfied certain certification criteria or regulatory requirements) that an aerodrome may not have achieved. That is to say, all airports are aerodromes, but not all aerodromes are airports. Usage of the term 'aerodrome' remains more common in the UK and Commonwealth nations, and is conversely almost unknown in American English.