Runway

aviation · airports · flight

Takeoff and Landing. Runways are specially designed rectangular surfaces that give airplanes the long, smooth space they need to speed up for takeoff or slow down safely when landing.

Built or Natural. Most runways are human-made surfaces built specifically for airports, but some can be natural surfaces like packed earth or even water for special seaplanes called waterways.

Measured in Meters. Around the world, runway lengths are measured in meters, except in North America where people still use feet to measure them.

More Than Runways. Airports also have taxiways (where planes slowly taxi to the runway) and ramps (where planes park), and all these surfaces together are sometimes called tarmac, even though real tarmac is rarely used anymore.