Quote:
Originally Posted by City Of Trees
Yeah, I'm reading up on it, and it does seem like the term isn't 100% accurate. Still, with some rudimentary Googling I'm having trouble finding a metro area bigger than Boise.
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I'm reading up on it too, to try and answer my own question... Seems there is a discrepancy between the amount of international airports in this country and airports with service to international destinations.
If we're talking about cities with international service then there are many larger than Boise without it. Many of those still call themselves international airports. For example, El Paso International Airport, despite close proximity to Mexico, has no international service. Albuquerque (metro pop. 900,000) also has a airport titled international with no international service, same with Tuscon (980,000), Birmingham (1.1 mil) and Jacksonville (1.3 mil).
Omaha's (metro pop. 885,000) Eppley Airfield neither calls itself international nor has any international service.
Conversely, Detroit's "Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport" has no mention of international in its name but is served by Air Canada, Lufthansa and Air France, in addition to international service by Delta to Asia, Europe and Central America.
So it seems to me that the only difference between an international airport and a non-international airport is the instructions the given to the guys who make the sign
Boise Airport is a "landing rights airport," meaning US Customs and Border Patrol are on hand to process private international flights, but must be notified 3 or more hours in advance of intentions to land. Weekends and evenings are "by appointment only," according to BOI's website.