1902, "hangar for airships," from aero- on analogy of hippodrome. From 1909 as "airport." Earlier (1891) a name for a flying machine, from Greek aerodromos "a running through the air."
Entries linking to aerodrome
aero-
word-forming element meaning "air, atmosphere; gases," in 20c. use with reference to aircraft or aviation, from Greek aēr (genitive aeros) "air, lower atmosphere" (see air (n.1)).
hippodrome n.
"horse race-course," 1580s, from French hippodrome, from Latin hippodromos "race course," from Greek hippodromos "chariot road, race course for chariots," from hippos "horse" (from PIE root *ekwo- "horse") + dromos "course" (see dromedary). In modern use, "circus performance place" (mid-19c.), and thus extended to "large theater for stage shows." In old U.S. sporting slang, "a fixed match or race."
airport n.1
also air port, "facility for commercial air transport," used regularly from 1919 (used once, by Alberto Santos-Dumont, in reference to airships, in 1902), from air (n.1) meaning "aircraft" + port (n.1). First reference is to Bader Field, outside Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S., which opened in 1910. An older word for such a thing was aerodrome.