THE COMPONENTS OF THE AIRPORT
AIRPORT
• An airport is a complex transportation
facility, designed to serve aircraft,
passengers, cargo, and surface
vehicles.
• Each of these users is served by
different components of an airport.
THE COMPONENTS OF AN AIRPORT ARE
TYPICALLY PLACES INTO TWO CATEGORIES
1. AIRSIDE
- The airside of an airport is planned
and managed to accommodate the
movement of aircraft around the
airport as well as to and from the air.
• AIRFIELD
- The airport’s airfield component
includes all the facilities located on the
physical property of the airport to
facilitate aircraft operations.
• AIRSPACE
- The airspace surrounding an airport is
simply the area of the ground
surrounding the airport where aircraft
maneuvers, after takeoff, prior to
landing, or even merely to pass
through on the way to another airport.
2. LANDSIDE
- The landside components of an airport
are planned and managed to
accommodate the movement of
ground-based vehicles, passengers,
and cargo.
TERMINAL
- The airport terminal component is
primarily designed to facilitate the
movement of passengers and luggage
from the landside to aircraft on the
airside.
GROUND ACCESS
- The airport’s ground access
component accommodates the
movement of ground-based vehicles
to and from the surrounding
metropolitan area, as well as between
the various buildings found on the
airport property.
THE AIRFIELD
- The area and facilities on the property
of an airport that facilitate the
movement of aircraft are said to be
part of the airport’s airfield.
- The most prominent facilities that are
located on an airport’s airfield are
runways, taxiways, aircraft parking
areas, navigational aids, lighting
systems, signage, and marking
• In addition, facilities to aid in the safe
operation of the airport, such as air
rescue and fire fighting (ARFF) facilities,
snow plowing and aircraft de-icing
stations, and fuel facilities may be
located on or closely near the airfield.
RUNWAYS
• Perhaps the single most important
facility on the airfield is the runway.
After all, without a properly planned
and managed runway, desired aircraft
would be unable to use the airport.
NOTE:
• Regulations regarding the
management and planning of runway
systems are some of the most
comprehensive and strict in airport
management.
UTILITY RUNWAYS
- Runways designed to handle
operations of propeller-driven aircraft
weighing 12,500 pounds or less.
- Runways that are NOT UTILITY
RUNWAYS are designed to handle
operations of aircraft greater than
12,500 pounds.
PRIMARY RUNWAY
- The runway(s) that is ORIENTED INTO
THE PREVAILING WINDS
PARALLEL RUNWAY
- Airports serving higher volumes of
primarily larger aircraft tend to have
additional runways in the form of
parallel primary runways or simply
“parallel runways”
RUNWAY LENGTH AND WITDH
- Characteristics that determine the
required length of a runway include
the performance specifications of the
runway’s design aircraft and the
prevailing atmospheric conditions.
- Specifically, the maximum gross
takeoff weight, acceleration rate, and
safe lift off velocity of aircraft are
considered. In addition, the elevation
above sea level (known as MSL) of the
airport,
- along with the outside air temperature
significantly affect required runway
lengths.
NOTE:
- This is due to the fact that air at higher
elevations and at higher temperatures
is less dense that cooler air and air
closer to sea level.
- The density of air is a significant
determinant in the takeoff
performance of aircraft.
RUNWAY LENGTH
- As with runway length, the width of a
runway is determined by the design
aircraft
• The wingspan of the largest aircraft
performing 500 annual itinerant
operations determines the width of a
runway.
RUNWAY WIDTH
• PUBLIC-USE AIRPORTS
- vary from 50 to 200 feet
• COMMERCIAL SERVICE AIR CARRIER
- operations is 150 feet.
RUNWAY PAVEMENTS
- Runways may be constructed of
flexible (asphalt) or rigid (concrete)
materials.
• CONCRETE ( RIGID )
- 20 to 40 years,
- Is typically found at large commercial
service airports and former military
base Airfields.
• ASPHALT ( FELXIBLE )
- 15 and 20 years
- Flexible pavement runways are
typically much less expensive to
construct than rigid pavement
runways.
PCN ( PAVEMENT CLASSIFICATION NUMBERS )
- to indicate the strength of a runway,
taxiway or apron.
INTERSECTING RUNWAYS
- two or more runways in different
direc_ons crossing each other.
RUNWAY MARKINGS
- Airport pavement markings and signs
provide informa_on that is useful to a
pilot during
THRESHOLD MARKINGS
- iden_fy the beginning of the runway
that is available for landing.
The following table indicates the number of
stripes when related to the runway width.
4 STRIPES = 60’ WIDE
6 STRIPES = 75’ WIDE
8 STRIPES = 100’ WIDE
12 STRIPES = 150’ WIDE
16 STRIPES = 200’S WIDE
AIMING POINT
- Serve as a visual aiming point for a
landing aircrae.
- These two rectangular markings consist
of a broad white stripe located on each
side of the runway centerline.
TOUCHDOWN ZONE MARKINGS
- Iden_fy the touchdown zone for
aircrae on a precision instrument
approach.
SIDE STRIPE MARKINGS
- Consist of con_nuous white stripes
located on each side of the runway.
- These markings provide visual contrast
between runway pavement and the
ground.
DESIGNATION MARKINGS
- Numbers and lehers that iden_fy a
runway. The number is determined
from the approach direc_on.
3 TYPES OF RUNWAY MARKINGS REIL (RUNWAY END IDENTIFIER LIGHTS )

1. VISUAL - there are no approach lights to provide

pilots with posi_ve visual iden_fica_on
- a runway intended solely for the of the approach end of the runway.
opera_on of aircrae using visual
approach procedures. PAPI ( PRECISION APPROACH PATH INDICATOR )

• RUNWAY DESIGNATOR - has two or four lights installed in a

• RUNWAY CENTERLINES single-row instead of near and far bars.
• INT’L (THRESHOLD MARKINGS )
• JET ( 4000 FT ) ALS ( APPROACH LIGHTING SYSTEM )
• AIMING POINTS
- help instrument pilots transi_on to
2. NON-PRECISION visual references at the comple_on of
an instrument approach.
- a runway intended for non-precision
approach procedures. - Some_mes called as “rabbit lights”.

- is an instrument approach and landing - sequenced flashing lights

which u_lizes lateral guidance but does
not u_lize ver_cal guidance VASI ( Visual Approach Slope Indicator )

- HORIZONTAL GUIADANCE - is a light system which indicate the

position in relation to the desired
• RUNWAY DESIGNATOR glide path to the runway.
• RUNWAY CENTERLINES
• AIMING POINT
• THRESHOLD MARKINGS

3. PRECISION

- a runway intended for precision

approach procedures.

- is an instrument approach and landing

using precision lateral and ver_cal
guidance

- VERTICAL GUIDANCE

• RUNWAY DESIGNATOR
• RUNWAY CENTERLINES
• AIMING POINT
• THRESHOLD MARKINGS
• TOUCHDOWN ZONE MARKINGS
• SIDE STRIPES