The airport apron is the area of an airport where aircraft are parked, unloaded or loaded, refueled, or boarded.[1] Although the use of the apron is covered by regulations, such as lighting on vehicles, it is typically more accessible to users than the runway or taxiway. However, the apron is not usually open to the general public and a license may be required to gain access.
The use of the apron may be controlled by the apron management service (apron control or apron advisory) to provide coordination between the users.