AIRSIDE

Definition

AIRSIDE is an area on the airport surface

intended to be used for Aircraft
Operations.

AIRSIDE SERVICES
• Facilities associated with the movement of
the airplanes on the airports surface.
Airside Facilities

RUNWAY
NAVIGATIONAL
AIDS
AIRSIDE TAXIWAY
FACILITIES
WEATHER
DETECTOR
APRON
AIRSIDE
SIGNAGE
Runway
Runway

A defined rectangular area on a

land of aerodrome prepared for
the landing and take-off of
aircraft.
5
Runway Markings
Non-Instrument Runway (NI) Precision Runway (P)

Non-Precision Runway (NP)

Runway Markings

Non-Instrument Non precision Precision

runway Instrument Instrument marking
Having an instrument
Intended solely Having an
approach procedure
for aircraft instrument
using a precision
approach
operation using instrument landing
procedure using
visual approach system, ILS or
air navigation
procedure precision approach
facility with only
radar (PAR) which
horizontal
provides both
guidance
horizontal and
vertical guidance to
the runway
Precision Runway (P)

Aiming
point

Touchdown
zone

Designators

Threshold
Runway Markings
• Runway Threshold: Helps identify the beginning of
the runway that is available for landing.
• Runway Designators: Shows the magnetic heading
• Runway Centerline Marking: Provides alignment
guidance during takeoff and landings.
• Runway Aiming Point Marking: Serves as a visual
aiming point for a landing aircraft.
• Runway Touchdown Zone Markers: Identify the
touchdown zone for landing operations

9
RWY Designators

• Identified by a two digit number according to their

magnetic heading.
• The angle is measured from magnetic north and is
divided by 10 and rounded to the nearest integer.
Example: RWY with a magnetic heading of 340° is
marked as RWY 34.
• Each runway can be used in either direction, and
hence has two numbers, each 18 apart.
Example: (34-18=16), so the other runway marked as
RWY 16
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RWY Designators

• Each digit is pronounced separately for clarity in

radio communications. Example: Runway 36 is
pronounced as Three Six.
• For two parallel RWYs, R for Right and L for Left are
added to distinguish between the RWS.
• For multiple runways each runway is identified by
Left (L), Center (C) and Right (R).
Example: 26L and 26R.
Airport with the most number
of runways all over the world
Dallas-Fort Worth Airport
 1. Runway 17L/35R
2. Runway 17C/35C
3. Runway 17R/35L
4. Runway 18L/36R
5. Runway 18R/36L
6. Runway 13L/31R
7. Runway 13R/31L

Dallas-Fort Worth Airport: 7 Runways

 O’Hare International Airport –
Chicago, Illinois, United States
 Munich Airport:
Two Parallel Runways
Runways Length
• Runway lengths depend on the size of aircraft
to operate and the weather conditions.
• The bigger the aircraft the longer the runway
(take-off and landing distances)
• The hotter the weather the longer the runway
• **The longest public-use runway in the world is at Qamdo
Bangda Airport in China. It has a length of 5,500 m (18,045
ft).
• **The world’s widest paved runway is at Ulyanovsk
Vostochny Airport in Russia and is 105 m (344 ft) wide.
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Runways Length

• For aircraft weights below approximately

90,718 kg, a runway length ~ 1,829 m
• Larger aircraft (Boeing 747, 767, 777, and
787; Airbus A300, A330, A340, A350, and
A380; McDonnell Douglas DC-10 or MD-11;
and the Lockheed L1011) will usually require
runway length at least 2,438 m.

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Runway Lighting Summary
Importance of Lighting

Lighting systems are important for Lighting systems from the cockpit
a/c landing during night time. window during bad weather.
Poor visibility is mainly due to
heavy snowfall
Runway Lighting
Lighting systems from the cockpit window

Runway Center line

Runway Edge Light System :
Lighting: •White
•White •Alternate white and
•Turn Yellow in red in last 610 m
last 610m •Red in last 310m

Why does the lighting colour

change?
22
Runway Pavements

• The surface sections of roads and runways are

known as “pavements”.

• To serve its purpose, a pavement must have

adequate load-carrying capability, good ride
ability and must allow safe operation of
aircraft.
Concrete Pavement
• Concrete surfaces from 23
to 40 cm (9 to 16 inches)
thick.
• Can remain useful for 20 to
40 years.
• Commonly used at large
airports.
• It is constructed by aligning
a series of concrete slabs
connected by joins,
Asphalt Pavement
• Asphalt surfaces are from 5
to 10 cm (2 to 4 inches)
thick.
• Can remain useful between
15 to 20 years.
• Commonly used at most
smaller airports.
• Pavements are less
expensive to construct.
Taxiway
25
 Taxiway

• Strip for aircrafts to move slowly

(taxi) between the runway and
apron, runway and runway &
apron and apron. 26
Taxiway
• Generally, width smaller than runway
• Lightings for night flying
• Can be one or multiple in bigger airport.
• Taxiways should be provided to permit the safe
surface movement of aircraft.
• Sufficient entrance and exit taxiways for a
runway should be provided to make the
movement of airplanes to and from the runway
smooth and to provide more rapid exit taxiways
when traffic volumes are high. 27
Taxiway Types

28
Taxiway Types
There are four types of taxiways:
• Parallel taxiways: aligned parallel next to runway
• Entrance taxiways: perpendicular to the runway &
located near the departure end of runways.
• High-speed taxiways: to allow aircraft quickly free-up
the runway. (Also known as Rapid Exit) , located at
various points along the runway to allow landing
aircraft to efficiently exit the runway after landing.
• By-pass taxiways: located near apron, to allow
aircraft by-pass other aircraft at aircraft parking area.
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High-speed taxiways
• Also known as Rapid Exit runway.
• To provide exit paths from runway for arriving
aircraft.
• The intersection angle less than 90deg.

30
Taxiway Identification

Taxiways can be identified through:

• Taxiway markings (centerline in yellow color, no
azimuth)
• Taxiway signs (have location sign)
• Taxiway lightings (centerline light in green color,
edge light in blue color)
• Taxiway size and pavement strength (width smaller
than runway, pavement thickness less than runway)

31
Taxiway Lighting

Taxiway
centre line:
green
Taxiway edge
lights: blue
Taxiway Lighting

• Many airports are equipped with taxiway lighting

to facilitate the movement of aircraft on the
airfield at night or in poor visibility conditions.
• Taxiway lighting includes taxiway edge lights,
taxiway centerlines lights.
Taxiway Markings

• Taxiway Centerline : single

continuous yellow line .
• All taxiways should have
centerline markings.
• Aircraft should be kept
centered during taxi to
guarantee wingtip
clearance with other
Taxiway
Centerline aircraft or other objects
Taxiway Markings
Surface Painted Signs: to assist pilot in confirming
the designation of the taxiway (location or
direction)

Surface Painted Signs

36
RWY/TWY Markings
What The Importance of
RWY/TWY Markings?
• To provide information that is useful to a pilot
during takeoff, landing, and taxiing.
• To enhance safety and improve efficiency: Same
airport markings for all airports make pilots
became familiar.
APRON
39
APRON

• An area to accommodate aircraft for

purposes of parking , loading or unloading
passengers, mail or cargo, fueling, or
maintenance.
40
Apron

• Also known as RAMP

• Apron sizes depend on the aircrafts handled
by the airport.
• The bigger the airport handling capacity the
bigger the apron
• Provide FBO services
• Fitted with underground refueling system
• Fitted with water supply system
• Fitted with sewer disposal system 41
 Fixed Base Operators
(FBO)
• The FAA defines an FBO as A commercial
business granted the right by the airport
sponsor to operate on an airport and provide
aeronautical services such as fueling,
hangering, tie-down and parking, aircraft
rental, aircraft maintenance & flight
instruction, etc.
Airside Signage
Signage

• Airside guidance signs provide direction and

information to taxiing aircraft and any
vehicles and assist in safe movement of
aircraft.
Importance of the Signs

• To show mandatory instructions, information on a specific

location or destination in the aerodrome.
• Characteristics of signs:
• Clear
• Rectangular
• Different colors for each category
• Illuminated (light up)
 guidance signs
Runway distance remaining signs:
Landing distance remaining
Destination signs: To show direction to the
specific destinations (cargo areas,
military areas, international areas, etc.)

Location signs:
To identify aircraft location.

Direction signs: To indicate the intersection

for aircraft turning.

Mandatory signs:
To indicate that aircraft ARE NOT ALLOWED to
enter (runway entrance & critical areas)
guidance signs
1. Mandatory signs 2. Location signs

47
guidance signs
3. Direction signs
4. Destination signs

5. Runway distance remaining signs

Sign Indicating
3,000 feet of Runway Remaining 48
Weather Information
Airport Weather
Automated
Stations
Sensor

• Automated Weather • Automated Surface

Observing Systems (AWOS)
• Every 20 minutes
• Observes temperature,
wind speed & direction,
visibility, cloud coverage.
• Can’t observe sudden
weather change.
Observing Systems (ASOS)
• Every 1 hour
• Observe weather
conditions change rapidly.
• Current weather, icing,
lightning,, air pressure.
Wind Indicators

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Wind Indicators
Guiding pilot to determine the correct runway to use for landing and
take off
Wind Sock Wind Tee

• To Indicate wind direction & • To Indicate wind direction only.

speed. • To suggest the pilot the runway
• The stronger the wind, the to be used
straighter the wind sock.
• Move back and forth when the
wind is gusty.
 What are the functions
of Weather Detector?
• To prevent aircraft accidents.
• To avoid flight delay or cancellations.
• To make management of the air routes more
efficient
• To improve the safety of the aircraft in the air.

53
Navigational Aid
Systems
Navigational Aid Systems
There are a number of navigational aids available in
Airports.
• A Visual Approach Slope Indicator (VASI): helps
pilots fly a perfect approach for landing once they
have found the airport.
• VHF Omni directional range (VOR) to help pilots find
the direction to the airport.
• Distance Measuring Equipment (DME) to determine
the distance to the airport.
• Instrument Landing System (ILS) to find the runway
and fly the correct approach, even if they cannot see
the ground.
A Visual Approach Slope Indicator
(VASI):

56
 Navigational Aids

Doppler VHF Omnidirectional Range

Station (VOR) Instrument Landing System(ILS)
Airport Classification
Codes
58
 Airport Classification
Codes
Based On Two Elements

Based on AIRCRAFT Type Of

(ARC-Aerodrome Runway
Reference Code) Approach
(NI,NP,P)
Example: 3C NP
Aerodrome reference code Type of approach
Aerodrome Reference Code

• The aerodromes are coded according to the

physical requirements of the critical aircraft

• The aerodrome facilities must meet physical

requirements of the critical aircraft
 Aerodrome Reference
Code (ARC)
ARC is determined by two factors:
Code number (1,2..,4) to reflect aircraft operating
performance in terms of balanced field length of
runways
Airplane reference field length (RFL)

Code letter (A, B, ..,F) to reflect the aircraft physical

dimensions
Wing span (WS)
61
Aerodrome Reference
Code (ARC)
• Airplane Reference Field Length (RFL):
The minimum field length required for take-off at
maximum certificated take-off mass.

• Wing Span (WS):

The maximum extent across the wings of an aircraft

62
Wing Span (WS)
 Aerodrome Reference Code

Code element 1 Code element 2

Airplane reference Code Wing span Code
field length number (WS) letter
(RFL)

RFL < 800 m 1 WS < 15 m A

800 m ≤ RFL < 1200 m 2 15 m ≤ WS < 24 m B

1200 m ≤ RFL < 1800 m 3 24 m ≤ WS < 36 m C

1800 m ≤ RFL 4 36 m ≤ WS < 52 m
D
52 m ≤ WS < 65 m
E
65 ≤ WS < 80 m
F

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Exercise
What are the airport classification codes
for Boeing 747-400 & Airbus 380 landing
at the Precision type Runway?

Boeing 747-400 Airbus A380

RFL=2990m RFL=>3300m
WS=64.4m
65
WS=79.8m
 Aerodrome Reference Code

Sr.
Aircraft Code Code Aerodrome
Reference
No. type Element Element Code
1 2 (ARC)
RFL Code WS Code
(m) No. (m) letter
1. ATR 42-200 1010 2 24.6 C ?

2. Fokker: 50 1760 3 29.0 C ?

3. A 320-200 2058 4 33.9 C ?

4. A 340-300 2200 4 60.3 E ?

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Aerodrome Reference Code
AEROPLANE REF ARFL Wingspan
TYPE CODE (m) (m)

Lear Jet 55 3A 1292 13.4

Fokker F28-2000 3B 1646 23.6

Fokker:F27-500 3C 1670 29.0

Airbus A300 B2 3D 1676 44.8

Boeing:
B737-200 4C 2295 28.4
B737-300 4C 2749 28.9
B737-400 4C 2499 28.9

Boeing:
B707-300 4D 3088 44.4
B757-200 4D 2057 38.0
B767-200ER 4D 2743 47.6

Boeing:
B747-300 4E 3292 59.6
B747-400 4E 3383 64.9
67
B777-200 4E 2500 60.9