Airports are transforming into airport cities as they become significant employment, shopping, business and leisure destinations. 

Airports have become powerful engines of local economic development, attracting aviation-linked businesses of all types. Along with incorporating a wide variety of retail and consumer services into passenger terminals, many airports are developing their landside areas with hotels, conference and exhibition centres, office and shopping complexes, recreation facilities and logistics and free-trade zones. Such commercial development is substantially and positively impacting the financial bottom line of airports.