As used in this Act, the following terms shall have the following meanings unless a different meaning clearly appears from the context:
     “Aircraft” means any contrivance now known or hereafter invented, used, or designed for navigation of, or flight in, the air.
     “Airport” means any locality, either land or water, which is used or designed for the landing and taking off of aircraft, or for the location of runways, landing fields, airdromes, hangars, buildings, structures, airport roadways, and other facilities.
     “Airport hazard” means any structure, or object of natural growth, located on or in the vicinity of an airport, or any use of land near an airport which is hazardous to the use of such airport for the landing and take off of aircraft.
     “Approach” means any path, course, or zone defined by an ordinance of the District or by other lawful regulation, on the ground or in the air, or both, for the use of aircraft in landing and taking off from an airport located within the District.
     “Board” means the Massac-Metropolis Port District Board.
     “Commercial aircraft” means any aircraft other than public aircraft engaged in the business of transporting persons or property.
     “District” or “Port District” means the Massac-Metropolis Port District created by this Act.
     “Export trading companies” means a person, partnership, association, public or private corporation or similar organization, whether operated for profit or not-for-profit, which is organized and operated principally for purposes of exporting goods or services produced in the United States, importing goods or services produced in foreign countries, conducting third country trading or facilitating such trade by providing one or more services in support of such trade.
     “General obligation bond” means any bond issued by the District any part of the principal or interest of which bond is to be paid by taxation.
     “Governmental agency” means the federal government, the State, and any unit of local government or school district, and any agency or instrumentality, corporate or otherwise, thereof.
     “Governor” means the Governor of the State of Illinois.
     “Mayor” means the Mayor of the City of Metropolis, the Mayor of the City of Brookport, or the President of the Village of Joppa, as the case may require.
     “Navigable waters” means any public waters which are or can be made usable for water commerce.
     “Person” means any individual, firm, partnership, corporation, both domestic and foreign, company, association, or joint stock association; and includes any trustee, receiver, assignee, or personal representative thereof.
     “Port facilities” means all public structures, except terminal facilities as defined herein, that are in, over, under, or adjacent to navigable waters and are necessary for or incident to the furtherance of water commerce and includes the widening and deepening of slips, harbors, and navigable waters.
     “Private aircraft” means any aircraft other than public and commercial aircraft.
     “Public aircraft” means an aircraft used exclusively in the governmental service of the United States, or of any state or of any public agency, including military and naval aircraft.
     “Public airport” means an airport owned by a Port District, an airport authority or other public agency which is used or is intended for use by public, commercial, and private aircraft and by persons owning, managing, operating or desiring to use, inspect, or repair any such aircraft or to use any such airport for aeronautical purposes.
     “Public interest” means the protection, furtherance and advancement of the general welfare and of public health and safety and public necessity and convenience in respect to aeronautics.
     “Revenue bond” means any bond issued by the District the principal and interest of which bond is payable solely from revenues or income derived from terminal, terminal facilities, or port facilities of the District.
     “Terminal” means a public place, station, or depot for receiving and delivering baggage, mail, freight, or express matter and for any combination of such purposes, in connection with the transportation of persons and property on water or land or in the air.
     “Terminal facilities” means all land, buildings, structures, improvements, equipment, and appliances useful in the operation of public warehouse, storage, and transportation facilities for the accommodation of or in connection with commerce by water or land or in the air or useful as an aid, or constituting an advantage or convenience to, the safe landing, taking off and navigation of aircraft, or the safe and efficient operation or maintenance of a public airport; except that nothing in this definition contained shall be interpreted as granting authority to the District to acquire, purchase, create, erect, or construct a bridge across any waterway which serves as a boundary between the State of Illinois and any other state.