README for “Aviation Facilities 1995-Present” dataset. U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA); U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) [distributor] 2025-05-28 ---------------------------------------------------------------- LINKS TO DATASET ---------------------------------------------------------------- A. Dataset archive link: Https://doi.org/10.21949/1520795 B. NTAD catalog dataset link (Current Year): https://doi.org/10.21949/1522006 ---------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY OF DATASET ---------------------------------------------------------------- The Aviation Facilities 1995-Present dataset, formerly known as Airports, is from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT)/Bureau of Transportation Statistics’s (BTS's) National Transportation Atlas Database (NTAD). The Aviation Facilities dataset is a geographic point database of all official and operational aerodromes in the United States and U.S. Territories. Attribute data is provided on the physical and operational characteristics of the aerodrome, current usage including enplanements and aircraft operations, congestion levels and usage categories. This geospatial data is derived from the FAA's National Airspace System Resource Aeronautical Data Product. For more information about these data, please visit: https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/flight_info/aeronav/Aero_Data/NASR_Subscription. ---------------------------------------------------------------- TABLE OF CONTENTS ---------------------------------------------------------------- A. General Information B. Sharing/Access & Policies Information C. Data and Related File Overview D. Methodological Information E. Data-Specific Information for: Aviation Facilities 1995-Present [datasets] F. Update Log ---------------------------------------------------------------- A. GENERAL INFORMATION ---------------------------------------------------------------- 0. Title of Dataset: Aviation Facilities 1995-Present [dataset] 1. Description of Dataset: The Aviation Facilities 1995-Present dataset, formerly known as Airports, is from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT)/Bureau of Transportation Statistics’ (BTS's) National Transportation Atlas Database (NTAD). The Aviation Facilities dataset is a geographic point database of all official and operational aerodromes in the United States and U.S. Territories. Attribute data is provided on the physical and operational characteristics of the aerodrome, current usage including enplanements and aircraft operations, congestion levels and usage categories. This geospatial data is derived from the FAA's National Airspace System Resource Aeronautical Data Product. For more information about these data, please visit: https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/flight_info/aeronav/Aero_Data/NASR_Subscription. 2. Dataset archive link: Https://doi.org/10.21949/1520795 3. Authorship Information: Principal Data Creator or Data Manager Contact Information Institution: U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Address: 800 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington D.C. 20032 Contact: 301-427-4891 Data Distributor Contact Information Name: National Transportation Atlas Database (NTAD) Institution: U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), Office of Spatial Analysis and Visualization (OSAV) Address: 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE, Washington D.C. 20590 Email: ntad@dot.gov 4. Date of data collection and update interval: This dataset is updated monthly. 5. Geographic location of data collection: United States of America 6. Information about funding sources that supported the collection of the data: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) ---------------------------------------------------------------- B. SHARING/ACCESS & POLICIES INFORMATION ---------------------------------------------------------------- 0. Recommended citation for the data: U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) [distributor]. Aviation Facilities 1995-Present [datasets]. Https://doi.org/10.21949/1520795 1. Licenses/restrictions placed on the data: These data are in the Public Domain. 2. Was data derived from another source?: No. 3.This document was created to meet the requirements enumerated in the U.S. Department of Transportation's 'Plan to Increase Public Access to the Results of Federally-Funded Scientific Research' Version 1.1 << https://doi.org/10.21949/1520559 >> and guidelines suggested by the DOT Public Access website << https://doi.org/10.21949/1503647 >>, in effect and current as of December 03, 2020. ---------------------------------------------------------------- C. DATA & RELATED FILE OVERVIEW ---------------------------------------------------------------- 1. File List for the Aviation Facilities 1995-Present dataset A. Filename: Aviation_Facilities_NTAD1995_Present.zip Short description: Compressed file folders containing the geospatial data for Aviation Facilities 1995-Present dataset. File folders are classified by NTAD publication year and data vintage year or date respectively. B. Filename: bts_NTAD_Aviation_Facilities_DMP_20250528.pdf Short description: A PDF file containing the Data Management Plan that was created for current and future management of the data and associated files. C. Filename: bts_NTAD_Aviation_Facilities_README_20250528.txt Short description: The README.txt file that includes human-readable information about the data, variable definitions, contact information, and other contextual information. The file you are reading now. 2. File List for the Aviation_Facilities_NTAD1995_NTADPresent.zip collection. A. Filename: NTADXXXX_SHP_Final_Airports_XXXX*.zip or NTADXXXX_GDB_Final_Aviation_Facilities_XXXX_XX_XX.zip Short description: Compressed file folders containing the geospatial data for Aviation Facilities 1995-Present dataset. File folders are classified by NTAD publication year and data vintage date respectively. 3a. File List for the NTADXXXX_SHP_Final_Airports_XXXX*.zip collection. A. Filename: airports.shp Short description: A shapefile containing the geospatial data for Aviation Facilities 1995-Present dataset. This includes associated files with extensions .prj, .dbf, .sbn, .sbx, .shx. B. Filename: aiports.txt, airports.htm, and airports.shp.xml Short description: Text files containing key metadata and documentation information such as methodology, procedures, data dictionary, etc. 3b. File List for the NTADXXXX_GDB_Final_Aviation_Facilities_XXXX_XX_XX.zip collection A. Filename: NTADXXXX_GDB_Final_Aviation_Facilities_XXXX_XX_XX*.gdb.zip Short description: A file geodatabase containing the geospatial data for Aviation Facilities 1995-Present dataset. Geodatabase (GDB) folders contain all the necessary components to view and otherwise interact with their data. B. Filename: Aviation_Facilities.xml Short description: Text files containing key metadata and documentation information such as methodology, procedures, etc. C. Filename: Aviation_Facilities.xlsx Short description: Excel spreadsheet containing the dataset's data dictionary. ---------------------------------------------------------------- D. METHODOLOGICAL INFORMATION ---------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Description of methods used for collection/generation of data: N/A 2. Instrument- or software-specific information needed to interpret the data: The data and documentation files can be opened with Esri ArcMap and any GIS software package. ---------------------------------------------------------------- E. DATA-SPECIFIC INFORMATION ---------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Aviation Facilities data table This dataset is updated monthly. Dataset Manager is contacted to verify changes to data resulting in NTAD update. The metadata is updated in the same manner. For the most recent data, please visit the NTAD catalog at https://doi.org/10.21949/1522006 A. Number of variables (columns): The data dictionary found in (PDF documentation) provides definitions for the variables B. Data Dictionary/Variable List: Because of the large number of variables, please refer to the Data Dictionary found within the file Aviation_Facilities.txt for names, definitions, and formats of variables. C. Missing data codes: None ---------------------------------------------------------------- F. UPDATE LOG ---------------------------------------------------------------- This bts_Aviation_Facilities_20250528_README.txt file was originally created on 2021-03-11 by Dominic Menegus, Geographer, dominic.menegus@dot.gov [Note changes or update to the readme.txt file, e.g.:] 2021-03-11: Original file created 2021-08-31: Update to README content to reflect data reorganization and review. 2025-05-28: Revised document, including dataset name, data descriptions, and file organization.