An airport authority is an entity responsible for the operation and oversight of an airport or group of airports.
[1] The Airports Council International is the world trade association of airport authorities.
[2] In some countries, when the authority of an entity encompasses more than just the airports in an area, harbor and rail facilities for example, the entity may be referred to as a port authority.
In the United States, authorities are often governed by a group of airport commissioners, who are appointed to lead the authority by a government official.
[1] In Canada, airport authorities usually refer to private (not government owned or affiliated) not-for-profit companies that are established to manage a city's commercial airports.