Many of us will have heard the jokes about how some airlines will offer to fly you to a particular city, only to discover once you arrive there that you have landed tens of miles away from your desired destination and that you then face an hour (or sometimes more) traveling by surface transport to reach the city that you wanted to visit.
Airports such as Paris-Beauvais (BVA), London-Luton (LTN), Frankfurt-Hahn (HHN), and Brussels-Charleroi (CRL) are all good examples of this, where you think you will be dropped close to the city that the airport is named after, yet your arrival at the airport represents only half of your journey.
This phenomenon has become a more frequent occurrence since the dawn of mass low-cost air travel in the late 1990s. Out-of-town regional airports often offer relatively cheaper fees (such as landing fees, parking charges, and handling costs) than their rivals located closer to the cities they serve. This in turn means that the airline can reflect these lower fees by offering cheaper fares to those airports. But of course, this does mean that the responsibility for reaching those cities falls on the passengers themselves, which can often be seen as inconvenient at best, and disingenuous at worst.
However, there is another side to this story. For every airport located miles away from the city after which they are named, there are many major international airports whose location means that upon arrival, you land right in the heart of the city you were expecting to be in. Indeed, some of these airports are located so close to those city centers, that one can even walk between the airport terminal and the downtown area in just a matter of minutes.
In this article, AeroTime takes a whistle-stop tour around the world and visits 25 major international airports that are located within the boundary of the cities after which they are named. Each airport listed is located less than six miles (10 km) from the central business district (CBD) of their namesake city, with either a short walk or failing that, a very short taxi ride standing between you, your luggage, and the bright lights and hustle and bustle of the downtown area. Equally, all airports listed handled 500,000 passengers in 2023 or more.
Note: All distances are expressed in terms of the shortest road route between the central business district of each city and the respective airport according to Google Maps. Journey times quoted are averages and should not be relied upon for any purpose.
North America
Kicking off our tour in North America, and even some of the largest cities in the United States have major airports located within the confines of their locations.
Starting our tour in the Northeast US, Boston-Logan International Airport (BOS) is located 4.7 miles (7.5km) from the downtown area of Boston. From the airport’s central area, the Boston skyline is visible and is located across Boston Harbor from the airport itself. Handling 36 million passengers and 378,000 aircraft movements in 2023, the airport was on track to beat these figures in 2024, having already handled 34 million passengers by October 31, 2024.
The airport can be reached by car from the city center in just seven minutes, via the Sumner Road Tunnel that accesses the central terminal area from East Boston.
Also, in the Northeast US can be found Washington-Reagan Airport (DCA – formerly Washington National Airport). The airport is located so close to the city center of the US capital that landing aircraft pass low over the Lincoln Memorial and the National Mall before flying over the Potomac River and touching down. The airport is just 3.1 miles (5km) from the city center and in 2023 handled 25.4 million passengers. Like Boston-Logan Airport, the airport can be reached by road in just seven minutes. However, landing aircraft cover the distance in less than 30 seconds!
Remaining on the east side of the US but further to the south, Miami International Airport (MIA) is located six miles (9.6km) from downtown Miami. Aircraft departing from the airport’s easterly runways blast over the city’s central business district and head out over Miami Beach and the Atlantic Ocean before continuing on track for their destination. In 2023, the airport, which serves as a major gateway to Florida as well as for flights to Central and South America, handled 52.3 million passengers.
In the major cities of Chicago and Dallas, Midway and Love Field Airports respectively have historically been considered as downtown airports. While worth honorable mentions given their historic significance, as both sit just outside of our threshold of six miles (10km) outside of the city centers, neither falls within the scope of this article.
Heading westwards, we reach the city of Phoenix in Arizona, whose Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) is located just 4.6 miles (7.3km) southeast of the downtown area. Handling 48.7 million passengers in 2023, the airport acts as a major gateway to Arizona, Nevada, and even Southern California. With its three parallel runways, Sky Harbor International Airport hosts 24 airlines serving 120 domestic and 25 international destinations.
Close to Phoenix is Las Vegas, whose Las Vegas-Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) is just 3.4 miles (5.4 km) from the Las Vegas Convention Center, located just off ‘The Strip’ in downtown Vegas. Aircraft taking off or landing at the airport have the iconic Las Vegas skyline as their backdrop, with passengers on night flights enjoying spectacular views of the illuminated central area of the city as their aircraft arrives or departs. The airport handled 57.6 million passengers in 2023, making it the eighth busiest airport in the country for that year.
Even further west lies the city of San Diego on the Pacific coast of California. Home to 1.4 million residents, the city is served by San Diego International Airport (SAN), one of the busiest single-runway airports in the US. The airport is located just 2.9 miles (4.6km) from the city center and can be reached by road in ten minutes. The airport handled 24.1 million passengers in 2023, a 9% increase over 2022.
Dropping south of the border into Mexico, Mexico City’s Benito Juárez International Airport (MEX) sits just 5.3 miles (8.5km) from downtown Mexico City. Located at an elevation of 2,230 meters (7,314ft), the airport is the highest above sea level featured on this list. While the traveling time from the city to the airport is quoted by Google as 15 minutes, Mexico City’s notoriously congested road network means that this journey time is rarely achievable.
Lastly, in the US although located in the middle of the Pacific Ocean lies Honolulu-Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL) which is situated 5.4 miles from downtown Honolulu, the Hawaiian Islands’ capital city. A 15-minute drive will take you between the two, where the airport sits out in Mamala Bay. The airport handled just over 20 million passengers in 2023 with flights serving destinations across North America, Asia, and Oceania.
Before leaving North America, two major airports in Canada are worth a mention. Firstly, Vancouver International Airport (YVR) falls just within our distance threshold, located exactly 6.2 miles (10 km) from Vancouver city center. Driveable in just 13 minutes, and located south of the city on Sea Island, the airport handled 24.9 million passengers in 2023.
Also in Canada, and worth a mention as probably the closest airport on our list to its corresponding city center is Toronto’s Billy Bishop-Toronto City Airport (YTZ). Famously located within walking distance of the financial district of Toronto, the airport officially lies just two miles (3.2 km) from the downtown area. Just a ten-minute drive (or 35-to-40-minute walk) will take you to the airport’s terminal which handled two million passengers in 2023, making the airport Canada’s ninth busiest airport.
South America
Two airports in Brazil fall well within our distance threshold and both are located in the country’s two largest cities, Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo.
Located less than a mile (1 km) from the center of Rio de Janeiro lies Santos Dumont Airport (SDU), famous for being one of the largest airports located within its corresponding city center. Situated on a peninsula within the Castelo district and just a stone’s throw from the city’s central cathedral and Museum of Modern Art, the airport’s single north/south runway ensures that aircraft do not fly over the congested city center as they arrive and depart.
Named after the Brazilian aviation pioneer Alberto Santos Dumont, the airport serves as a hub for local airlines such as LATAM Brasil, Azul, and GOL. The airport handled 11.4 million passengers in 2023 and saw 120,000 movements. These figures are remarkable as just a handful of domestic destinations are served from the facility including Sao Paulo (Congonhas and Guarulhos airports), Brasilia, Belo Horizonte, and Campinas.
In Brazil’s second main city, Sao Paulo lies Congonhas Airport (CGH). Located exactly six miles (9.7km) from the city center, the airport is one of four that serves the city of Sau Paulo and is the country’s second busiest airport after neighboring Guarulhos International Airport (GRU). The airport handled 22 million passengers in 2023m and can be reached in 17 minutes by road from the city’s main central cathedral.
Moving south to Argentina, we find Jorge Newberry Aero Parque (AEP) located just 4.4 miles (7.3km) from the center of Buenos Aires. Located in the Palermo district of the city, the airport can be reached in just 11 minutes from the center of the city and serves both domestic and international flights. Major airlines serving the airport include national carrier Aerolienas Argentinas, LATAM, GOL, Flybondi, Avianca, and JetSmart. The airport handled 15.6 million passengers in 2023, making it the busiest airport in Argentina.
Europe
In the continent of Europe, there are numerous airports located fairly close to the cities that give them their name. Due to the way cities developed over the centuries and their unique architecture, some larger airports have invariably been located (or relocated) away from the main built areas. However, there are still some airports located much closer to their corresponding cities.
Probably the most famous European airport that falls within the brief of this article is Gibraltar Airport (GIB) serving the British enclave of Gibraltar, located on the south of the Iberian Peninsula. As a British colony, Gibraltar is home to around 40,000 inhabitants and whose skyline is dominated by a huge, 426m (1,400ft) granite monolith known as ‘The Rock’. The airport serving Gibraltar is officially located just 2.9 miles (4.7km) from the Governor’s official residence in the center of the town.
Shared with the Royal Air Force that continues to maintain an operations base at the airport, two airlines currently serve Gibraltar from the UK including British Airways and easyJet. The airport also handles regular private jets from across Europe, and in 2023, saw 473,000 passengers pass through its single terminal. The airport is located so close to the center of Gibraltar, that famously, a public road in regular use crosses the main runway, with traffic being stopped by traffic lights when an aircraft is landing or taking off!
While referencing the UK, London-City Airport (LCY) has become renowned for writing the textbook on short runway air operations in downtown locations since its opening in 1987. Located 6.5 miles (10km) from Tower Bridge in the center of London and even closer to the financial and business district of Canary Wharf at a mere four miles (6.4km), the airport’s single runway handled a remarkable 3.4 million passengers in 2023, although this total was still far short of the 5.1 million handled in 2019 before the COVID pandemic struck.
The airport currently offers flights to 33 European destinations operated by nine carriers – British Airways City Flyer, SWISS, KLM, ITA Airways, Luxair, LOT Polish Airlines, Loganair, Aurigny, and Lufthansa.
Heading into mainland Europe, Milan’s Linate Airport (LIN) is considered the Italian city’s downtown airport. Located six miles (9.7km) from the city’s main Castello Sforzesco landmark, the airport offers flights to destinations across Europe.
Due in part to the city also being served by Malpensa (MXP) and Bergamo (BGO) airports, as well as its urban location, Linate has faced a cap on the range of flights it can offer of 810 miles (1.500km) for many years. However, despite this, the airport handled 9.4 million passengers, a 22% increase over 2022. The airport can be accessed via road in 36 minutes from the city center.
Poland’s Warsaw-Chopin Airport (WAW) is the primary international airport serving the Polish capital city. Located in the Włochy district of Warsaw, the airport is the busiest airport in Poland and the 31st busiest airport in Europe, handling 18.5 million passengers in 2023, and handling approximately 40% of the country’s total air passenger traffic. The airport is situated 5.2 miles (8.3km) from the downtown area of Warsaw and can be reached in 24 minutes by road from the Centrum metro station in the heart of the city.
In Germany, the city of Dusseldorf is served by Dusseldorf Airport (DUS), known as Dusseldorf International Airport until 2013. As Germany’s fourth busiest airport in 2023 behind Frankfurt (FRA), Munich (MUC), and Berlin-Brandenburg (BER), the airport handled 19.1 million passengers in 2023, and flights serve over 100 destinations. The airport is located 5.3 miles (8.6km) from the city center and can be reached by road in 17 minutes.
Before heading away from Europe, two smaller airports in Greece are worth mentioning as the majority of their passengers originate from international locations. Firstly Corfu-Ioannis Kapodistrias International Airport (CFU) is located on a small island just outside the city walls of Corfu Town on the Ionian island of the same name.
Handling 1.8 million passengers in 2023, the vast majority arriving on scheduled and charter flights carrying holidaymakers from elsewhere in Europe, the airport can be reached by road in just 13 minutes from the old town, although the distance of 2.8 miles (4.5 km) can be reached in just 30 minutes on foot.
Similar to Corfu Airport, the airport serving the Greek island of Skiathos (Skiathos International Airport-JSI) can be reached on foot from the center of Skiathos town in just 28 minutes on foot, or just five minutes by car. The airport located a mere 1.2 miles (2km) from the center of the town handled 560,000 passengers in 2023 and is world-renowned for offering aviation enthusiasts a thrill as landing aircraft pass over the public road at the end of the runway at just 20 meters (60ft) above the ground.
Africa
Serving the Angolan capital city of Luanda, Quatro de Fevereiro International Airport (LAD) has served both domestic and international passengers arriving in Luanda for 70 years. However, a process has just started in November 2024 that will see the vast majority of flights handled by the airport transfer to the newly constructed Dr Antonio Agostinho Neto International Airport that has been built 40km south of the city.
In the meantime, the current airport serves a range of international airlines in addition to TAAG, the Angolan national carrier. The airport is located just 2.7 miles (4.4km) from downtown Luanda – a journey that takes just 11 minutes by road.
Over on the eastern side of the continent of Africa lies Ethiopia, whose capital city Addis Ababa is served by Addis Ababa-Bole International Airport (ADD). The airport is located 5.1 miles (8.3km) from the city center and takes just 31 minutes by car to reach the terminal building. The airport handled 17 million passengers in 2023 and is the home of Ethiopian Airlines, currently the fastest-growing airline on the continent of Africa.
Rest of the world
Wrapping up our tour of major city center airports around the world, we stop off in Doha in the Middle Eastern country of Qatar. Doha’s Hamad International Airport (DOH) is located just six miles (9.7km) from downtown Doha and the National Museum of Qatar. The airport has significantly grown in recent years, following the expansion of national carrier Qatar Airways. Just a nine-minute drive away from the center of Doha, the airport handled 87 million passengers and 1.81 million tonnes of cargo in 2023.
In the Taiwanese capital of Taipei, the city’s secondary airport of Songshan International Airport (TSA) may be overshadowed by its larger sister at the Taipei Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) but is a significant facility in its own right and is also located far nearer the city center.
Just 3.1 miles (4.9km) from the central business district, of Taipei, Songshan Airport sees service from a large number of domestic and international airlines including homegrown China Airlines, All Nippon Airways, EVA Air, Japan Airlines, and a multitude of airline based on the Chinese mainland. The airport, which handled around seven million passengers in 2023, can be accessed by road in just 13 minutes from Taipei’s central shopping district.
Ending our whistle-stop global tour Down Under, Sydney’s Kingsford Smith International Airport (SYD) just sneaks onto the list as the final major international airport located near the city it serves. Located just six miles (9.7km) from the steps of the iconic Sydney Opera House, Sydney’s main airport can be reached by road in just 13 minutes from the CBD. The airport is so close to the downtown area that arriving and departing passengers often get excellent views of Sydney Harbor and its legendary Harbour Bridge as they pass overhead.
To be replaced by the newly constructed Western Sydney Airport in 2026, the current facility is the busiest international gateway to Australia and handled 38 million passengers in 2023.
Summary
Regardless of the unrelenting growth in global commercial aviation and despite the growing trend for larger out-of-town airports, as our tour has shown, there remains a large number of major international airports that survive in their city center locations, offering in many cases a niche service to customers that desire more local and convenient travel options.
Airports such as those listed above in cities like Toronto, London, Rio de Janeiro, and Sao Paulo (to pick just a few), work purely because of their urban locations. While other larger airports that serve the same city or conurbation pick up the majority of the traffic, the smaller airports specialize in serving point-to-point markets, often with smaller aircraft offering higher frequencies of flights.
The combination of city center airports offering such niche services alongside the larger out-of-town airports works for many cities. But as real estate values in cities come under increased pressure and as environmental concerns push inner city airports to the peripheries, the species remains under threat. But so long as airports serving the same city can work in harmony and continue to complement each other going forward, then the future for city-center airports should be assured.
