Most air transport is provided by private airlines who serve passengers, shippers, or both. Manufacturing businesses such as Boeing build the aircraft and equipment. The airlines hire pilots, maintenance technicians, cabin crews, airport personnel, and others who directly serve air travelers and shippers. Airports are locally or regionally owned, and a host of people and businesses provide services ranging from parking and limousine service to shops and restaurants. But that is just commercial aviation.
General aviation is an important part of the aviation system.
It includes private pilots flying for recreation, business aircraft and jets, helicopters, crop dusters, experimental aircraft, and even balloons. Purposes range from flying people to oil derricks at sea and aerial bombardment of forest fires to charter services for tourists. The FAA owns, operates, maintains, and modernizes the air traffic control system. The FAA regulates and works with the aviation community to make sure that air traffic is safe, secure, environmentally responsible, and operates using standard procedures that everybody understands. The actual flying, manufacturing, check-in, baggage handling, and other airport services are provided by a host of others in the aviation system.