Top 10 Oldest Airports In The World 2025

The airports are more than simply transportation centers; they are also living pieces of history, with some of them dating back more than a century years. The following is a list of the ten oldest airports that are still in operation as of the year 2025, highlighting the historical significance and ongoing relevance of each of these airports.

List Of Top 10 Oldest Airports In The World 2025

1. Rome Ciampino Airport

With its opening in 1916, Ciampino Airport is one of the oldest airports in the world that is still in operation. Prior to the opening of Fiumicino Airport in 1960–1962, it served as Rome’s major airport and was the site of record-breaking flights during the interwar period. Among these flights was Umberto Nobile’s Norge airship crossing of the arctic region in 1926. The majority of its operations today are low-cost and charter flights, which allows it to maintain a continuous connection to Italy’s early aviation era.

2. Shoreham Airport

It was in 1910 when the first flights took off from Shoreham, although the airport did not formally open until 1911. In addition to being the oldest purpose-built commercial airport in the world that is still in service, it is also commonly acknowledged as the oldest licensed airport in the United Kingdom. This art-deco terminal, which was built in the 1930s and is designated as Grade II, is a period jewel that continues to service general aviation and training.

3. Don Mueang International Airport

On March 27, 1914, Don Mueang Airport opened its doors to serve as a Royal Thai Air Force facility. In 1924, it began offering commercial flights, making it one of the oldest international airports in the worldwide community. Following a brief closure in 2006, when Suvarnabhumi Airport opened its doors, it reopened in 2007 and has since become a key center for low-cost travel throughout Asia.

4. Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport

MSP was initially established as “Speedway Field” on a site that had previously been used as a racetrack. In 1920, the company constructed its first hangar for airmail, and in 1929, it started providing passenger service. It was renamed Wold–Chamberlain Field in 1923, and it eventually developed into the international airport that serves the Twin Cities together as a joint civil-military airport.

5. Paris Airport-LeBourget

In 1919, Le Bourget Airport began its commercial operations, and it continued to function as the primary airport for Paris until the 1930s. Because it was the location where Charles Lindbergh landed on his solo transatlantic trip in 1927, it is permanently engraved into history. Today, it is mostly concerned with corporate aviation and is the host of the Paris Air Show.

6. College Park Airport

College Park is the world’s oldest continuously functioning airport, having been in operation since 1909 and having been established by the Wright brothers for the purpose of training pilots for the United States Army. To this day, it continues to serve as a living museum dedicated to the history of early flight and general aviation.

7. Hamburg Airport

With its founding on January 10, 1911, Hamburg is frequently referred to as the world’s oldest international airport that is still in operation. The airport was initially designed for airships. It was involved in everything from airship operations during World War I to the Berlin Airlift, and it continues to provide services to millions of people daily with a significant aviation maintenance footprint.

8. Bremen Airport

Beginning in 1913, aviation operations have been taking place at Bremen. The airport was officially opened for business in July of 1920, making it one of the earliest commercial fields in continental Europe. A series of renovations have been carried out on the terminal, culminating in a rebranding to “BRE Bremen Airport” in the year 2016.

9. Bucharest Băneasa – Aurel Vlaicu International Airport

The origins of Baneasa may be traced back to Louis Blériot’s flights in 1909 and the establishment of a flight school in 1912. Subsequently, scheduled activity began, and the location was Bucharest’s primary airport for a considerable amount of time before Otopeni was built. Following the completion of renovations, BBU reopened in 2022 and began charter operations in 2023. It is frequently referred to as the oldest airport in Eastern Europe.

10. Amsterdam Airport Schiphol

On September 16, 1916, Schiphol took its first flight as a military airfield. Shortly after World War I, it was converted into a civilian airfield. Reconstructed after being destroyed during World War II, it became the primary airport for the Netherlands in 1949 and is currently considered to be one of the busiest airports in Europe.