runway
Sign in to savethumb|Runway 13R at Palm Springs International Airport thumb|upright|An MD-11 at one end of a runway
AI overview
A runway is a long, flat strip of paved ground at an airport where aircraft take off and land. Runways are essential to airport operations because they provide the necessary space and surface for planes to safely accelerate for flight or decelerate when returning to the ground.
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Article
22 sectionsContents
- History
- Design
- Orientation
- Naming
- Letter suffix
- Renumbering
- Declared distances
- Sections
- Markings
- National variants
- Lighting
- Technical specifications
- Control of lighting system
- Safety
- Surface
- Pavement surface
- Pavement subsurface drainage and underdrains
- {{anchor|surface_types}} Surface type codes
- Length
- See also
- References
- External links
thumb|Runway 13R at Palm Springs International Airport thumb|upright|An MD-11 at one end of a runway
In aviation, a runway is an elongated, rectangular surface designed for the landing and takeoff of an aircraft. Runways may be a human-made surface (often asphalt, concrete, or a mixture of both) or a natural surface (grass, dirt, gravel, ice, sand or salt). Runways, taxiways and ramps, are sometimes referred to as "tarmac", though very few runways are built using tarmac. Takeoff and landing areas defined on the surface of water for seaplanes are generally referred to as waterways. Runway lengths are now commonly given in meters worldwide, except in North America where feet are commonly used.