Proposal:Aerodrome Classification
| Aerodrome Classification | |
|---|---|
| Proposal status: | Proposed (under way) |
| Proposed by: | Telegram Sam |
| Tagging: | aerodrome=*
|
| Applies to: | |
| Definition: | Classification of aerodromes. |
| Statistics: |
|
| Draft started: | 2026-01-02 |
| RFC start: | 2026-01-22 |
Introduction
Problem Statement
For a long time there has not been a clear and widely established system of categorizing aerodromes. One is necessary, so that international airports and small aerodromes can each be given proper emphasis in the database. This proposal aims to fix this issue.
Proposal
An aerodrome can by classified by its level of infrastructure:
aerodrome=*
|
airport / airfield / airstrip |
Then its usage can by specified:
usage=*
|
mixed / commercial / general |
A special tag for seaplane bases is used to as is done with heliports:
aeroway=*
|
seaplane_base |
Extra tags can be used to add detail to the aerodrome:
access=*
|
yes / private / ... |
sport=*
|
gliding / parachuting / ultralight_aviation / ... |
port_of_entry=*
|
yes / no |
Military aerodromes can be mapped by adding a military=* tag to them or area within them.
Disused aerodromes can be mapped by adding a lifecycle prefix to them.
Rationale
Current System
Currently mappers seem to be using both the aerodrome=* and aerodrome:type=* tags for classifying aerodromes. In these tags, various natures of values are used like "international", "regional", "private" and "gliding" that mix different characteristics of aerodromes. All of these characteristics should instead have their own tags.
Main Tags
Near the beginning of OSM aerodromes were divided into Airports, Aerodromes and Airstrips. This system was lost after an incident, but it still is a natural and useful way to categorize aerodromes, that is, by size or prominence. This then translates to what one can expect to do at the aerodrome, to travel or enjoy leisure.
Previous proposals sometimes mixed in type of use in the main tag which is not ideal, since usage, like general vs. commercial or sports is usually mixed and other tags are better fit for this purpose.
The original system is largely good as is: Airports are bigger and focus more on commercial traffic (travel), Aerodromes are smaller and focus more on general traffic (leisure and airwork) and Airstrips are special in that they have very little infrastructure, can be deployed almost anywhere, and are very numerous.
I propose we bring back the old system, only with different names, coupled with the use of the usage=* tag in order to better specify its use as a commercial or general aerodrome.
Seaplane Bases
By definition of the ICAO, an aerodrome is anywhere an aircraft can land and take-off. In most cases, this is also the case with the aerodrome=* tag in OSM, irrespective of the types of aircraft that use the aerodrome.
However, precedent has been set by the aeroway=heliport tag, which describes an aerodrome in which only helicopters can land. This makes sense as even though airplanes and helicopters both can use mixed aerodromes, they are always dominated by airplanes since helicopters are an expensive, limited, niche mode of travel. This means that a heliport is very different from a regular aerodrome in terms of its facilities and training and equipment necessary to use it.
The same can be said of seaplanes. The era of seaplanes is long gone since land aerodromes became plentiful after WW2. Now they are limited forms of travel mostly used in undeveloped areas of the world. Seaplane bases also are very different from the average aerodrome requiring special equipment and training. Thus, like heliports, seaplane bases should have their own tag, aeroway=seaplane_base.
The alternatives would be using extra an seaplane=yes tag, which is still inventing new tags, or putting it in the main tag, which makes it more convoluted. Both clash with the existence of the aeroway=heliport tag.
Extra Tags
Private aerodromes can be indicated using the access=* tag. Many times, a private aerodrome is still accessible to the public, even if in limited ways. The many values of the tag give many ways to describe these situations.
In case airsports are practiced at an aerodrome the sport=* tag is used. These can happen at a variety of aerodrome sizes and while other traffic is using the aerodrome.
Finally, whether an aerodrome can receive international traffic or not is described by the port_of_entry=* tag. This is normally a legal matter and should be available publicly. It can also be used by other objects like ports or border crossings.
Military and Disused
Current methods for mapping military or disused aerodromes are acceptable.
For purely military aerodromes, add a military=base or military=airfield tag to the aeroway=aerodrome. For joint aerodromes, separate the two. Give the aeroway=aerodrome tag to the entire aerodrome and the military tag only to the areas under control of the military.
In the case of disused aerodromes, add a disused:*=* or abandoned:*=* etc. to the aeroway=aerodrome tag.
Tagging
Definitions
Main Tags
The following descriptions are guidelines based on airport statistics compiled on my page and visual analysis of some of the airports.
Mappers are free to use them as they best see fit.
| Tag | Description |
|---|---|
aerodrome=airport
|
Aerodromes with large to medium built-up infrastructure
|
aerodrome=airfield
|
Aerodromes with medium to small built-up infrastructure
|
aerodrome=airstrip
|
Aerodromes with minimal built-up infrastructure
|
| Tag | Description |
|---|---|
usage=mixed
|
The aerodrome has a mix of commercial and general aviation present.
By default, all aerodromes are assumed to be mixed. |
usage=commercial
|
The aerodrome mainly focuses on commercial aviation. |
usage=general
|
The aerodrome mainly focuses on general aviation. |
Seaplane Bases
| Tag | Description |
|---|---|
aeroway=seaplane_base
|
Aerodromes with only water runways. |
Extra Tags
| Tag | Description |
|---|---|
access=yes
|
Aerodrome owner allows members of the general public to use the aerodrome. Fees and scheduling may apply.
By default, all aerodromes are assumed to be public. |
access=private
|
Aerodrome owner does not allow members of the general public to use the aerodrome. |
| Tag | Description |
|---|---|
port_of_entry=no
|
International traffic cannot legally land at this aerodrome.
By the default, all aerodromes are assumed to not be ports of entry. |
port_of_entry=yes
|
International traffic can legally land at this aerodrome. |
Examples
Commercial Focused
General Focused
Seaplane
| Aerodrome (Bing Maps) | Tags |
|---|---|
| Kenmore Air Harbor | aeroway=seaplane_base
|
Private
| Aerodrome (Bing Maps) | Tags |
|---|---|
| Figueira dos Cavaleiros Aerodrome | aeroway=aerodrome
|
Military
| Aerodrome (Bing Maps) | Tags |
|---|---|
| RMAF Butterworth Air Base | aeroway=aerodrome
|
| Lajes Air Base | For the aerodrome:
For the military zone: |
Disused
| Aerodrome (Bing Maps) | Tags |
|---|---|
| Montargil Aerodrome | disused:aeroway=aerodrome
|
Impacts of Proposal
On Data Consumers
Current aerodromes will remain unchanged as the base aeroway=aerodrome tag is not changed.
If consumers are slow to adopt, airstrips that are changed to the new system could appear in great numbers in areas where they're dense.
Features/Pages affected
Created
aerodrome=airport/airfield/airstrip
usage=mixed/commercial/general
Deprecated
The following tags have all their functionality moved from them and become obsolete:
aerodrome:type=* and its values
Current values of aerodrome=*
Previous Discussions
Wiki
Talk:Aeroways#Airport_Classification
Proposals
Forum
Mailing List
Aeroway=Aerodrome Modifier Tags?
Draft proposal for Key:aerodrome
Comments
Please comment on the discussion page or the forum post.