Top 10 Oldest Airports In The World 2026

Airports are more than just transit points. They are monuments to human ambition, engineering, and the relentless drive to connect distant corners of the globe. Some of these aviation landmarks have been in operation for over a century, evolving from grassy fields used by biplanes to sprawling international hubs handling millions of passengers each year. As of 2026, these ten airports stand as the oldest continuously operating airfields in the world, each with a unique story that traces the history of flight itself.

How We Made Our Picks

Our ranking is based on the official opening date of each airport as a recognized aviation facility, combined with evidence of continuous operational use. We prioritized sites that have remained active as airports without significant breaks in service. Factors such as historical significance, passenger traffic, and the airport's role in early aviation development were also considered. The list focuses on airports that are still functioning in some capacity as of 2026, whether as major commercial hubs, general aviation fields, or specialized facilities.

The Top 10 Oldest Airports In The World 2026:

1. College Park Airport

College Park Airport in College Park, Maryland, holds the undisputed title of the world's oldest continuously operating airport. It opened in 1909 as a training field established by the Wright brothers for the U.S. Army Signal Corps. At an elevation of just 15 meters with a single runway stretching 1,290 meters, it is modest by modern standards. But its historical weight is immense.

The Wright brothers used this field to train the first military pilots in American history. In the 1910s and 1920s, it served as an early terminal for the U.S. Airmail Service, where pilots flew open-cockpit biplanes carrying sacks of letters across the country. The airport hosted pioneering flights by both military and civilian aviators, including the first controlled helicopter flight in 1924. Today, College Park functions as a general-aviation reliever airport for the Washington, D.C. area. The College Park Aviation Museum sits on the grounds, documenting over a century of flight history. It ranks first because no other airport combines an earlier founding date with such a long, uninterrupted operational history.

2. Hamburg Airport

Hamburg Airport in Germany opened in January 1911 and is the oldest commercial airport in the world still in regular passenger service. It handled 13.6 million passengers in 2023, a testament to its enduring relevance. The airport began as a base for Zeppelins and early aircraft, and it was used by Lufthansa and its predecessors from the 1910s.

The airport was heavily damaged during World War II but was rebuilt on the same site. It has remained Hamburg's primary international airport ever since, featuring two runways and a direct rail link to the city center. Its history includes involvement in the Berlin Airlift and decades of continuous expansion. Unlike many early airfields that were replaced by newer facilities, Hamburg Airport has evolved alongside the aviation industry, making it the earliest still-operating commercial airfield with continuous passenger operations on a significant scale.

3. Amsterdam Airport Schiphol

Amsterdam Airport Schiphol opened in 1916 as a military airfield for the Royal Netherlands Army Air Force. Civilian flights began in 1920, and the airport has grown into one of Europe's busiest hubs. In 2023, it handled 61.9 million passengers, consistently ranking among the continent's top five airports by both passenger traffic and cargo volume.

Schiphol was largely destroyed during World War II but was rebuilt on the same site. Its single-terminal, multiple-pier design became a model for modern airport architecture. KLM and the SkyTeam alliance use it as a major hub. The airport's origins as a military field in 1916, combined with its continuous evolution into a top-tier global hub operating on its original field, secure its place at number three. It is a rare example of an early airfield that grew into a world-class facility without ever relocating.

4. Bremen Airport

Bremen Airport in Germany saw its first airfield operations in 1913, making it one of the country's earliest aviation sites. Commercial operations were re-established in 1920 after World War I. In 2019, it handled 2.1 million passengers, serving as a regional airport with a 2,634-meter main runway.

The airport played a notable role in German civil aviation, with links to early aircraft manufacturers and Lufthansa's predecessors. Today, it hosts Airbus-related aviation activities and a dedicated space technology exhibition. Its pre-World War I origins and continued operation as a recognized civil airport on essentially the same site give it the fourth spot on our list. Bremen Airport is a living link to the earliest days of German aviation.

5. Don Mueang International Airport

Don Mueang International Airport in Bangkok, Thailand, opened on March 27, 1914, as a Royal Thai Air Force base. Civil flights began in the 1920s, and it served as Bangkok's main international gateway until Suvarnabhumi Airport opened in 2006. After a brief closure, Don Mueang reopened in 2007 and was repositioned as a low-cost carrier hub. In 2023, it handled 29.2 million passengers, primarily for airlines like AirAsia and Nok Air.

Don Mueang is one of the world's oldest operating international airports. Its sustained large-scale commercial use in Asia, combined with its exceptionally early opening date, places it at number five. The airport's history includes service during World War II and the Vietnam War, and it remains a critical piece of Thailand's aviation infrastructure.

6. Bucharest Aurel Vlaicu International Airport

Bucharest Aurel Vlaicu International Airport, also known as Baneasa Airport, traces its aviation history back to early experimental flights by Romanian pioneers around 1909 and 1910. It was formally established as an airport in 1920. In 2019, it handled 1.3 million passengers.

The airport was Romania's main international gateway for much of the 20th century before Henri Coanda International Airport (Otopeni) took over most commercial traffic. Today, Baneasa primarily serves business aviation, charters, and some low-cost operations. Its historic terminal building dates from the 1940s. While early aviation activity began very soon after the Wright era, its formal commercial airport role solidified slightly later than College Park and Hamburg, earning it the sixth position. It is frequently cited as the oldest airport in Eastern Europe.

7. Rome Ciampino-G. B. Pastine International Airport

Rome Ciampino Airport was inaugurated in 1916 and is one of the oldest airports still operating in Europe. It originally served both military and civil purposes, becoming Rome's main airport until Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport opened in 1961. In 2019, it handled 6.3 million passengers.

Today, Ciampino focuses on low-cost carriers and general aviation. Ryanair is the predominant airline, and the airport's single 2,207-meter runway handles short- and medium-haul traffic. The airport is historically significant as the departure point for Umberto Nobile's Norge airship crossing of the Arctic in 1926. It ranks seventh as a continuously used early-20th-century airport that remains a significant secondary hub for Italy's capital.

8. Sydney Airport

Sydney Airport's Mascot site hosted its first aerial activities in 1919, and it was formally declared an airport in 1920. This makes it one of the oldest continuously operating airports in the Southern Hemisphere. In 2023, it handled 44.4 million passengers, making it Australia's busiest airport.

The field grew from a simple grass paddock to a major international gateway with three runways, including the 3,962-meter "third runway" opened in 1994. It is a key hub for Qantas, Virgin Australia, and many international carriers. Its early-1920 creation date, combined with uninterrupted growth into a premier global gateway, secures its place at number eight. Sydney Airport is a testament to how far aviation has come in just over a century.

9. Paris-Le Bourget Airport

Paris-Le Bourget Airport opened in 1919 and was Paris's primary international airport until 1977, when most commercial traffic moved to Orly and Charles de Gaulle. It has historic significance as the landing site of Charles Lindbergh's solo transatlantic flight in 1927, along with many other pioneering long-distance flights.

Today, Le Bourget functions as Europe's leading dedicated business aviation airport. It is also the permanent venue of the Paris Air Show, one of the world's most important aerospace events, held there since 1953. While no longer a commercial hub, it remains an active historic airfield with continuous aviation use since 1919. It ranks ninth because of its enduring role in general and business aviation.

10. Doncaster Sheffield Airport (Former RAF Finningley)

The airfield at Finningley in South Yorkshire, UK, dates to 1915 as a Royal Flying Corps and later Royal Air Force base. This makes the site one of the older continuously used aviation locations in the UK through much of the 20th century. It transitioned to civil use as Doncaster Sheffield Airport in 2005, with a 2,893-meter runway capable of handling wide-body jets.

Although commercial operations were suspended in 2022, its historical continuity from a World War I-era airfield makes it significant in the chronology of world airports. It ranks tenth as an early-origin airfield whose civil-airport phase ended recently, placing it behind still-active historic airports on this list. The site remains a powerful reminder of the long history of aviation in the United Kingdom.