Only Marry And Have Babies With The 'Airport Dad' Type Of Man

The phenomenon of the 'airport dad' has taken over many people's social media feeds, referring to that man who's taken on the responsibility of corralling the other members of his family whenever it's time to go to the airport. While this new viral label has caused a humorous response from people who can relate to having the 'airport dad' in their lives, it's also prompted many women to reevaluate what type of man they should be settling for.

Women are being encouraged to marry and have babies with the 'airport dad' type of man.

In a TikTok video, a content creator named YaYa issued an encouraging PSA to all of the single women out there — get yourself an 'airport dad' type of man to settle down with. 

"Only marry and give babies to the airport dad type, and if you don't know what that is, follow the hashtag," she said in her video, referring to the 'airport dad' tag on the video-sharing platform, where there are many other videos of people sharing how their own fathers embody the trope.

Most of the videos under the hashtag consist of these 'airport dads' making sure their families are at the airport and ready to check in for their flights at least several hours in advance of when the plane is taking off, holding onto everyone's boarding passes and passports so that no one loses anything. These 'airport dads' hold everyone's luggage and walk at least five paces ahead of the family because of course, they know exactly where to go at all times. 

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Basically, the crux of an 'airport dad' is being over-prepared to ensure that he and his family are reaching their destination on time and in one piece.

A flight attendant explained that an 'airport dad' first starts off as an 'airport boyfriend' or husband.

A flight attendant named Sharmy stitched Yaya's video encouraging women to find their own 'airport dad,' and explained that through her job, she's seen "countless couples" where one person definitely embodies all of the characteristics of this hilarious trope.

"I've been a flight attendant for five years. I've seen countless couples get on and off planes and move through airports," Sharmy said. "The airport dad starts off as an airport boyfriend or an airport husband."

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Sharmy recalled seeing many couples getting on board a plane, where the guy was carrying all of the bags, and all the woman had to worry about was her wedding ring, her purse, and "her love for him." 

"The airport dad sees the drink cart coming down the aisle and asks [for] his wife's order or his girlfriend's order before the cart even gets there. If she's asleep, he doesn't wake her up for her order. He just gets what she usually drinks," she continued.

Whenever there are children involved, Charmy notices that the 'airport dad' is the one being the most active and participating parent. "He's going back and forth to the bathroom. He's watching Bluey on the iPad with one eye open just to make the kids feel engaged."

Being with the 'airport dad' type of man speaks to women's preference of being with a partner who is splitting the mental load.

While the entire phenomenon surrounding 'airport dads' is meant to be taken as a funny little internet trend, some of the attributes of these types of men can be linked to how exhausted women feel to be with partners that don't do any of the heavy lifting when it comes to household responsibilities, parenting, and even things like traveling.

It's even more interesting when looking at the number of men who feel extremely accomplished with the title of an 'airport dad.' According to a survey by the UK travel company Jet2holidays, 69% of dads said that they just tend to take charge when going on vacation.

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More than four in 10 (44%) said that doing all things related to being an 'airport dad,' including planning a getaway actually fills them with excitement, and for some of them (43%) it just helps them feel organized.

In essence, the 'airport dad' serves as a reflection of evolving expectations in relationships, where women seek partners who share the mental load, engage actively in parenting, and take pride in being organized and responsible. The 'airport dad' is not merely a passive observer when it comes to being a partner; he is fully engaged and present.

The 'airport dad' archetype goes against the distant, uninvolved male partner that many women have often complained about. The man who refuses to take care of the children in public, or chooses to leave all of the responsibilities for his girlfriend or wife to handle. Time and time again it's been proven that women value being with someone who prioritizes these qualities as they contribute to feeling safe and secure in their relationships.

While we may chuckle at the amusing antics of an 'airport dad,' they also remind us that when it comes to love and partnership, it's such a relief to have a partner who takes control once in a while and can handle the responsibilities, even if it is just holding everyone's passports so no one loses it!

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Nia Tipton is a Chicago-based entertainment, news, and lifestyle writer whose work delves into modern-day issues and experiences.