The big international airports usually have terminals packed with shops, services and amenities.
They also offer flights to a selection of destinations all over the world.
Despite this, an increasing number of people are finding that they prefer to fly from smaller, regional airports.
In this article we take a look at these changing attitudes.
Here in the UK, the aviation sector is dominated by the big London airports.
Heathrow and Gatwick lead the way, while Stansted has seen a growth in flights for those looking to fly more cheaply.
These airports aren't just known by people living here in the UK - they'll also be familiar to millions of tourists who flock to the country each year.
Yet many British people have become fed up with using these major airports.
Part of the problem is that they are not particularly accessible for those living in other regions of the UK.
Although London is at the heart of transport network, it's a place that is heavily congested.
That's partly a problem that's caused by the fact that we live on an island where many millions of people are squeezed into a relatively small amount of space.
We may be used to feeling crowded, but we still don't like the impact of having too many people in one place.
Unfortunately, that impact becomes all too obvious at the busy London airports.
It's easy to see why people prefer to travel from their local airports.
Regional airports are often much easier to get to and the experience is considerably nicer once you are there.
By choosing to travel from such airports, people realise that they can really reduce their overall journey times.
In short, local airports are increasingly being seen as a way of reducing some of the stresses that are associated with flying.