.airports — Airport Data File
Various Aviation Authorities and Software Developers · Unknown
An .airports file is a plain text format used to store and exchange detailed information about airports for aviation software and flight simulators.
Key Features
- Plain text format for broad compatibility.
- Stores structured airport data (codes, locations, etc.).
- Easily parseable by various software applications.
- Facilitates data exchange in aviation and simulation contexts.
Best For
- Storing and exchanging basic airport geographical and identification data.
- Applications requiring simple, human-readable airport information.
- Flight simulators and general aviation software.
- Custom data management of airport collections.
Less Ideal For
- Storing complex 3D models of airport infrastructure.
- Containing detailed real-time operational data (like weather or flight schedules).
- Applications requiring high-precision geographical rendering.
- Securely storing sensitive operational or passenger data.
Common Use Cases
- Loading airport data into flight simulator software.
- Providing navigation information for aviation apps.
- Building custom databases of airports for research or planning.
- Sharing airport details between different aviation-related programs.
How to Open It
- Open with any text editor (Notepad, VS Code, Sublime Text).
- Import into spreadsheet software (Excel, Google Sheets) if comma or tab-delimited.
- Load directly within compatible aviation software or flight simulators.
What is a .airports file?
An .airports file is a plain text file designed to store geographical and operational data about airports. These files are commonly used in aviation software, flight simulators, and navigation systems. They contain structured information such as airport codes, names, locations (latitude and longitude), runway details, and sometimes communication frequencies or operational hours. The simplicity of the text-based format allows for easy parsing and integration with different applications, making it a flexible way to exchange airport information.
Programs That Open .airports Files
| Platform | Program | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Windows | Notepad | Free | Official |
| Microsoft Excel | Paid | Official | |
| Visual Studio Code | Free | ||
| macOS | TextEdit | Free | Official |
| Microsoft Excel | Paid | Official | |
| Visual Studio Code | Free | ||
| Linux | Gedit | Free | |
| LibreOffice Calc | Free | ||
| Visual Studio Code | Free | ||
| Android | Google Docs | Free | |
| QuickEdit Text Editor | Free | ||
| iOS | Pages | Free | Official |
| Textastic Code Editor | Free | ||
| Web Browser | Google Sheets | Free | |
| Online CSV Viewers/Editors | Free |
How to Convert .airports Files
| Format | Method |
|---|---|
| .CSV | Spreadsheet software (Excel, Google Sheets), Text editor (save as .csv) |
| .GEOJSON | GIS software (QGIS, ArcGIS), Online converters |
Common Problems with .airports Files
Frequently Asked Questions
While .airports is used as a common extension for airport data, there isn't one single official, globally standardized specification. The exact structure can vary between different software developers, though they generally follow plain text conventions.
For basic data like coordinates and codes, yes, but for critical real-world flight planning, you would typically need more comprehensive and regularly updated official data sources, not just a simple .airports file.
.airports is a generic plain text extension for airport data, often simple CSV or tab-delimited. GeoJSON is a standardized format specifically for geographic features using JSON, offering more complex structure and spatial data capabilities.
Technical Details
Typically, .airports files are delimited text files, often using CSV (Comma Separated Values) or tab-delimited structures. Each line usually represents a single airport, with fields separated by a delimiter. This structure allows for straightforward reading and writing by most programming languages and data analysis tools without requiring specialized libraries.