As used in this article:
(1) "Aircraft" means any contrivance now known, or hereafter invented, and used for flight in the air and which is operated by an air carrier holding a certificate issued by the civil aeronautics board of the Department of Transportation of the United States.
(2) "Airport" means any area of land or water which is used, or intended for use, for the landing and takeoff of aircraft, as defined above, and any appurtenant areas which are used, or intended for use, for airport buildings or other airport facilities or rights-of-way, together with all airport buildings and facilities located thereon.
(3) "Airport operator" means a governing body, regional airport authority or county airport authority, under articles twenty-eight, twenty-nine or twenty-nine-a of this chapter, or a board, commission, authority or committee operating under any local act of the Legislature, charged with the operation and management of an airport.
(4) "Airport police officer" means any individual assigned, appointed or designated by an airport operator, to serve as a police officer at an airport.