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Air Traffic Control @
Runway

[ history ]

Description

Control Tower

An airfield is the location where aircraft take off and land. The airfield can consists of runways, taxiways, control tower, lighting, terminal, hangers, and independent businesses that operate at the airfield.

A runway is the location where the aircraft lands and takes off from the airport.

The terminal is the point of entry and exit for passengers boarding and departing flights. When there is a terminal present, it more common to refer to the airfield as an airport.

The control tower is used to control the incoming and outgoing aircraft. The tower is usually located at a higher elevation and provides a 360 degree panoramic view of all approaching aircraft. Air traffic controllers will utilize visual and radar methods to control aircraft.

Hangers are used by aircraft for storage and maintenance of aircrafts.

Taxiways are utilized by aircraft to approach the runways and also as a holding position for those aircrafts before take off and after landing.

Lighting systems are used by pilots to transition from instrument flight to visual flight. Lights are placed in advance of the runway to allow the pilot to align with the runway.

[ history ]

Airfield Traffic

Worlds busiest airport traffic by number of passengers for 2005
1 ATLANTA, GA (ATL)
2 CHICAGO, IL (ORD)
6 DALLAS/FT WORTH AIRPORT, TX (DFW)
5 LOS ANGELES, CA (LAX)
5 LAS VEGAS, NV (LAS)
6 HOUSTON, TX (IAH)
7 DENVER, CO (DEN)
8 PHOENIX, AZ (PHX)
9 PHILADELPHIA, PA (PHL)
10 MINNEAPOLIS/ST PAUL, MN (MSP)

Worlds busiest airport traffic by amount of cargo for 2005:
1 MEMPHIS, TN (MEM)
2 HONG KONG, CN (HKG)
3 ANCHORAGE, AK (ANC)
4 TOKYO, JP (NRT)
5 SEOUL, KR (ICN)
6 FRANKFURT, DE (FRA)
7 LOS ANGELES, CA (LAX)
8 SHANGHAI, CN (PVG)
9 SINGAPORE, SG (SIN)
10 LOUISVILLE, KY (SDF)

Worlds busiest airport traffic by aircraft movement for 2005:
1 ATLANTA, GA (ATL)
2 CHICAGO, IL (ORD)
3 DALLAS/FT WORTH AIRPORT, TX (DFW)
4 LOS ANGELES, CA (LAX)
5 LAS VEGAS, NV (LAS)
6 HOUSTON, TX (IAH)
7 DENVER, CO (DEN)
8 PHOENIX, AZ (PHX)
9 PHILADELPHIA, PA (PHL)
10 MINNEAPOLIS/ST PAUL, MN (MSP)

Source: Airports Council International July 2006