Interesting facts about airport runways: Dangerous runways, holes, cracks and crashes

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This was published 6 years ago

Interesting facts about airport runways: Dangerous runways, holes, cracks and crashes

By Hugh Morris
Updated
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There are fewer aspects of air travel more mundane than runways.

They are the boring concrete platforms for the stars of the show – those giant tubes of aluminium launching themselves into the sky at hundreds of miles per hour.

But where would those 747s and A380s be without the humble runway? Nowhere, that's where.

There huge differences in length, layout and construction of airport runways depending on factors, such as location.

There huge differences in length, layout and construction of airport runways depending on factors, such as location.Credit: Adobe Stock

Their importance was underlined this week when dozens of flights were delayed at London Stansted because of a "hole" in the runway. The Essex airport was forced to suspend or cancel a number of services as it scrambled to carry out "minor repairs" to its sole landing strip. The cause of the damage is not yet known.

Just last month its cousin across the capital, Gatwick, experienced similar issues when it closed its main runway twice after an aircraft tyre burst during take-off, first to check for debris from the Air Canada plane, and second to allow it to land again.

All this points to just how important runways are in the smooth operation of the 15,000 planes in the air at any given time.

Are all runways the same?

Not even close. The International Civil Aviation Organisation defines a runway as "a defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and take-off of aircraft", but that is where the similarities end.

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Some are on sand – for example, the Hebridean island of Barra's famous tidal tarmac; some are on salt, such as Groom Lake in Nevada; and some cross busy roads -– like in Gibraltar.

Even beyond the most peculiar, there are huge differences in length, layout and construction. The most important factor being the former.

How long are runways?

The ICAO says runways need only be as long as they need be, or "adequate to meet the operational requirements of the aeroplanes for which the runway is intended". But the longer an airport's runway the more planes can land there, with around three kilometres needed to host the world's largest passenger jets, such as the Airbus A380, which needs about 9000 feet (2743 metres) to take off and 5000 feet (1524 metres) to land. An average (smaller) commercial aircraft - such as an A320 or Boeing 737 - requires smaller distances.

For reference, London Heathrow's two runways are 12,802 and 12,001 feet (3902 and 3658 metres) and both regularly welcome the likes of the Airbus A380 and Boeing 777. London Gatwick has a 10,879-foot (3316-metre) runway while Manchester's is 10,000 feet (3048 metre).

But these pale in comparison to the world's longest runways, the table of which has Qamdo Bamda Airport in China at its top, boasting a length of 18,045 feet (5500 metre). Indeed, the UK has no runways longer than 12,802 feet (854 metre). Among others, Iran has 10, China has seven and the US has 27.

Airports sometimes extend their runways to accommodate larger aircraft – and therefore larger revenue. Leeds Bradford extended its runway in the Eighties to raise the profile of the airport and attract more airlines. The work included the construction of a tunnel for the A658 to run under the runway.

See also: New design for airport runway above city streets of Stockholm

What are runways made of?

The ICAO does not stipulate what runways should be made but does say that "a runway shall be capable of withstanding the traffic of aeroplanes the runway is intended to serve." The world's busiest airports can accommodate an aircraft every 40 seconds so their runways need to be of a strong constitution.

When they're not made of sand or salt, they're usually built from concrete or asphalt. The runway at McMurdo Sound, Antarctica, however, is rather unsurprisingly made of ice.

To ensure aircraft wheels can garner maximum friction when wet and to prevent aquaplaning, the surfaces are often grooved to provide grip and allow to water to run off.

One such airport said to have suffered from standing water was Kuala Lumpur International Airport's klia2 terminal, which AirAsia, one of the terminal's main customers, has said is sinking.

Whatever they're made of, they need regular inspection and maintenance to ensure they remain free from cracks, holes and general wear and tear.

How are they cleaned?

Routine maintenance can take place overnight when there are no planes due to land or take off, and can include joint re-sealing, crack stopping and the removal of rubber deposits left behind by skidding aircraft. More extensive work can include renewal of the top surface.

But on a day-to-day basis, many airports have teams who patrol the airfield daily looking for foreign objects and executing their removal. Even the smallest nut or bolt, if kicked up into an aircraft's engine, can cause serious issues. Indeed, the crash of the Concorde in Paris in 2000 was caused by the aircraft running over a titanium alloy strip during take-off left on the runway by a previous aircraft, which blew a tyre and punctured a fuel tank.

Paris's Orly Airport has one slab of concrete replaced every night so that the runway is refreshed completely every other year without the need for major, disruptive works.

Are any runways more dangerous than others?

Sift through our gallery of the world's trickiest landings and you'll see why some runways require an additional level of training for the pilots who tackle them. Of note is Madeira's airport, the runway of which has been extended more than once, the first in the wake of the crash of TAP Portugal Flight 425, which skidded off the end of the original strip. The runway now stands extended on stilts over a former beach.

Can I build my own?

Knock yourself out, but it will cost you a fortune, and you'll have to ensure that you follow every single direction of this 194-page document from the ICAO.

The Telegraph, London

See also: World's top 10 scariest airports for take-offs and landings

See also: Pilots name their 15 favourite airports to fly into

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