Skift Take

U.S. airports don' show on on world airport rankings anymore, and legacy is the biggest reason for it, besides other domestic market imperatives.

— First, most U.S. airports are among the oldest in the world, with many facilities dating back to the 1960s.

— Second, the majority of U.S. airport infrastructure is geared toward domestic travel. There is a huge disparity in the cost/revenue structure between domestic travel and international travel, and it shows in the facilities that serve them.

— Third, most of the world’s best airports are owned and operated by national governments…Airports in the U.S. are owned and operated by a patchwork quilt of city, county, and state governments.

— Finally, numerous international gateways in the U.S,…results in a lack of national pride and focus on international facilities in the U.S.

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