488190 Other Support Activities for Air Transportation

Official definition

This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in providing specialized services for air transportation (except air traffic control and other airport operations).

Examples Census gives

• Aircraft maintenance and repair services (except factory conversions, overhauls, rebuilding)
• Aircraft passenger screening security services
• Aircraft testing services

Source: US Census Bureau, 2022 NAICS descriptions.

When to use a different code

Census classifies these close-sounding activities somewhere else. Businesses mainly engaged in:

• Wholesaling fuel at airports are classified in Industry 424720, Petroleum and Petroleum Products Merchant Wholesalers (except Bulk Stations and Terminals).
• Providing aircraft janitorial services are classified in Industry 561720, Janitorial Services.
• Providing air traffic control (except military) services are classified in U.S. Industry 488111, Air Traffic Control.
• Providing airport operations (except air traffic control) are classified in U.S. Industry 488119, Other Airport Operations.
• Providing factory conversion, overhaul, and rebuilding of aircraft are classified in Industry 33641, Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing.
• Providing food services to airlines on a contractual arrangement (i.e., food service contractors) are classified in Industry 722310, Food Service Contractors.

Source: US Census Bureau, 2022 NAICS cross-references.

Activities listed under 488190

The Census index assigns these 10 activities to this code. If your business matches one, this is your code.

• Aircraft ferrying services
• Aircraft inspection services
• Aircraft maintenance and repair services (except factory conversion, factory overhaul, factory rebuilding)
• Aircraft testing services
• Airport passenger screening security services
• Fueling aircraft on a contract or fee basis
• Independent pilot, air (except owner-operators)
• Inspection services, aircraft
• Maintenance and repair services, aircraft (except factory conversion, factory overhaul, factory rebuilding)
• Testing services, aircraft

Source: US Census Bureau, 2022 NAICS index file.

SBA size standard for 488190

To count as a small business for SBA loans and federal contracts under NAICS 488190, your business (including affiliates) must not exceed $40 million in average annual receipts. Check your business.

Source: SBA table of size standards, effective March 17, 2023.

Closest UK SIC 2007 codes

There is no official one-to-one link between NAICS and UK SIC. These codes share the same international class (ISIC Rev. 4: 3315, 5223), so treat them as a starting point and check the definition.

• 33150Repair and maintenance of ships and boatsUK SIC
• 52230Service activities incidental to air transportationUK SIC

Built from Census concordances 2022→2017 NAICS and 2017 NAICS→ISIC Rev. 4.