Some airports are so enormous you can seemingly walk for miles between checking in, going through security and finding your gate. But why go through all the hassle? As these tiny airports, with their minimal facilities, low footfall and short waiting times go to show, sometimes less is definitely more.
With dinky airstrips and tiny terminals, these are the smallest airports in the US...
Paine Field in Washington is one of America’s favourite tiny airports. The compact, two-gate terminal offers just 24 departures a day – in comparison to the 600 daily departures handled by nearby Seattle-Tacoma Airport – to cities including Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Palm Springs, Phoenix, Honolulu, Anchorage and Tucson.
When they arrive, travellers can enjoy a modern terminal with excellent facilities, including high-speed wifi and electric sockets at every seat. The 30,000-square-foot (2,787sqm) building includes individual gender-neutral bathrooms, lounge-style seating and floor-to-ceiling windows, offering the ultimate in pre-flight comfort.
This airport in Trenton, New Jersey, can claim 90 years of aviation history, but it's been a small, local hub for most of that time. Passengers stepping off the plane must use a ramp that’s exposed to the elements, rather than a covered jet bridge, and there’s just one food outlet and no shopping areas.
But what Trenton-Mercer Airport lacks in frills, it more than makes up for in convenience: the car park is right next door, waiting times are minimal and the Sky Lounge is ideally located for watching the (few) planes come and go.
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Originally opened as a training site for the US Air Force during the Second World War, Garden City Regional Airport was handed over to the ownership of the city in 1948. Located around nine miles (14km) southeast of its namesake, the airport offers daily flights to and from Dallas/Fort Worth.
Despite its limited commercial offering, Garden City Regional Airport serves 50,000 passengers a year, and is also used for charter flights, pilot training, cargo operations, air ambulance and leisure flying. The airport opened a restaurant, the Flight Deck, in 2023.
With two runways and two terminals, Bradley International Airport offers non-stop flights to destinations across the US, as well as Canada and Ireland. In 2021, the travel hub was recognised as one of the top 10 best small airports in the country by readers of USA Today.
Conveniently located in Windsor Locks, the airport is within easy reach of New York and Boston. Plus it has great facilities: plenty of parking spaces, charging slots and free wifi. Food outlets including Black Bear Saloon, Papa Gino’s Pizza and Phillips Seafood Restaurant give ample options for a pre-flight meal.
In keeping with the airport’s motto – 'fly easy' – Piedmont Triad International has short lines, minimal crowds and speedy security screening. The Greensboro transit hub offers non-stop daily flights to 13 US cities including Denver, Atlanta, Orlando, Detroit, Chicago and Miami. It's still an 'international' airport as it has customs services and border patrol that allow it to handle international arrivals – be they diverted passenger flights, cargo flights or private jets.
Since the Honda Aircraft Company relocated its headquarters to the airport in 2007, it's benefited from significant investment. In 2010, a third runway was opened and terminal renovations brought in a new bag belt system and purpose-designed areas for TSA security screening. Meanwhile, a £6.8 million ($9m) facility improvement programme in 2012 saw the hub gain high-speed wifi.
Many travellers snub the nearby Boston Logan in favour of this smaller airport, located in Warwick, six miles (10km) south of downtown Providence. Glowing passenger reviews on the airport's website include "the most stressless airport I have been through" and "Green is so much easier and better than Logan".
The airport flies non-stop to 36 destinations across the States and beyond, including Los Angeles, Baltimore, Denver, Minneapolis, nine airports in Florida and Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. Passengers will find all the amenities needed for a pleasant trip – a small selection of food and shopping outlets, free wifi and ATMs.
Opened more than 50 years ago in its current location, Huntsville International has slowly transformed into a modest-sized but popular airport. It boasts two parallel runways, one a whopping 12,600 feet (3,840m) – longer than the runways of most of the major airports in the region. The airport was named the second best small airport in the US by USA Today readers in 2023.
Passengers love Huntsville International Airport because it’s quick and easy to navigate, has good customer service and is conveniently located in northern Alabama. It offers non-stop flights to 14 destinations across the US, including Chicago, Washington DC, Houston, Las Vegas, Detroit and Orlando.
Skip the crowds usually found at JFK and LaGuardia and head to peaceful Long Island MacArthur instead, a smaller airport located in the town of Ronkonkoma. It’s known for having less congested air space than larger airports, which means you’re less likely to face flight delays and cancellations.
The airport ensures a seamless yet comfortable experience with three food outlets, as well as shops, ATMs and free wifi. It’s served by three carriers – Frontier Airlines, Southwest Airlines and Breeze Airways – which fly to and from destinations including Charleston, Fort Lauderdale, Baltimore, Orlando and Myrtle Beach.
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Located three miles (6km) southwest of central Myrtle Beach, this airport has become a traveller favourite thanks to its low average fares and ease of travel. Ten airlines, including Spirit, United, Southwest, American and Delta, fly to more than 50 non-stop destinations across the eastern US.
Myrtle Beach International was named the best small airport in the US by readers of USA Today in 2021, and travellers have plenty of good things to say about it. The airport's single terminal has no fewer than eight eating and drinking options, and an expansion – set for completion in 2025 – will increase the number of gates from 12 to 18.
Blue Grass Airport celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2021, after fielding its first commercial departure on 13 October 1946. Since the 1980s, it's also been home to the Aviation Museum of Kentucky, which showcases a model of first-ever-plane the Wright Flyer alongside a host of retired military planes, some from the earliest days of aviation.
Blue Grass Airport is a small yet convenient outpost for travellers to and from Lexington, and boasts two runways, a respectable collection of shops and restaurants, and even a small gallery selling framed photos and paintings of Kentucky's famous thoroughbred horses. Currently, Blue Grass offers non-stop flights to 16 US destinations, including Philadelphia, Dallas, Orlando, Las Vegas, Denver, Chicago and Atlanta.
Conveniently located 12 miles (19km) northwest of downtown Charleston, this East Coast hub offers popular routes to Atlanta, Charlotte, New York, Washington, Chicago, Baltimore and more. The airport processes more flights than many on this list but gets by with just one terminal and two runways.
It has a good selection of dining options, including local favourite Charleston Beer Works and the Jack Nicklaus Grill, named for the legendary golfer. Meanwhile, premium lounge The Club CHS provides a sleek, modern and comfortable spot for paying customers.
Established back in 1933, with the present terminal dating to 1948, Des Moines International Airport currently serves more than 30 non-stop destinations – more than any other Iowa airport. These include Austin, Fort Lauderdale, Denver, Phoenix, San Diego and Houston.
The airport encompasses 2,600 acres, with two runways and seven parking facilities. At the terminal, food and beverage options include flagship restaurant Portermill bar and grill, which serves local Iowan produce, and Friedrichs Coffee, which serves up a much-needed caffeine fix.
Excellent customer service, short lines and ease of navigation have all been cited as reasons travellers choose Bangor International. The Maine airport flies directly to eight key US cities: Orlando, New York, Washington DC, Charlotte, Philadelphia, Chicago, Newark and Tampa.
The compact terminal offers three dining options and a shop, plus charging stations, ATMs and a kids play area. In May 2021, it was announced that Bangor would receive £1.6 million ($2.1m) from the US Department of Transportation's Airport Improvement Program, which is being used to rebuild the runway alongside other improvements.
Ideally located for passengers looking to visit upstate New York, Buffalo Niagara is one of the country’s oldest public airports. It was established in 1926 after a group of aviation enthusiasts convinced city officials that it would help stimulate economic growth. Since then, the airport has been expanded several times, so that it currently encompasses around a thousand acres.
Thanks to a renovation in 1997, the airport gained its modern, crystalline terminal building, which is meant to resemble a plane in flight and contains around 27,000 square feet (2,508sqm) of glass. Seven major airlines operate direct services to destinations across the US, heading as far west as Los Angeles and as far south as Miami. In 2022 a major expansion project was completed, adding four baggage carousels and a large greeting area, among other things.
Located three miles (5km) northwest of its namesake city, Bellingham International Airport runs non-stop flights to seven cities across the southwest, plus Seattle and some local islands. The small but well-designed airport has plenty of parking spaces, plus a coffee shop, restaurant and free wifi.
One recent reviewer on Yelp described Bellingham International as "super cute and easy", while others called it "gorgeous, clean and user friendly" and "an easy airport to navigate". Another reviewer said it had "no lines, easy TSA and ample seating".
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