groundside

Groundside is a term used primarily in aviation and airport planning to describe the parts of an airport or airfield that are on the exterior of the secure perimeter and accessible to the general public and to ground transportation. It encompasses facilities and services that passengers and visitors use before passing through security, as well as the roads, parking, and curbside areas that connect the airport to the surrounding region.

In typical airport usage, groundside includes ticketing and check-in areas, baggage drop-off and reclaim facilities, arrival and departure halls, concourses that are open to the public, and the ground transportation network such as taxi stands, ride-hailing pickup zones, bus stops, and parking structures. Access to groundside does not require security screening, which distinguishes it from airside areas where aircraft operations and restricted zones are located.

Groundside is often discussed in contrast to airside, the part of an airport that lies beyond security checkpoints and includes gates, aircraft ramps, and other lands reserved for flight operations. The terms landside and groundside can be used synonymously in some contexts, though regional planners and operators may differentiate them. In some cases, groundside also refers more broadly to the external grounds of an aviation facility, including access roads and related infrastructure, rather than to terminal interiors alone.

Beyond aviation, the word groundside may appear as a brand or in marketing contexts, but in typical encyclopedia usage it is primarily associated with airport terminology and the public-facing areas of transportation hubs.

See also: airside, landside.