9.4.4: Safety management and environment

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Safety: Safety is the most important concern in airport operations. Thus, every airfield includes equipment and procedures for handling emergency situations. Commercial airfields include at least one emergency vehicle (with the corresponding crew) and a fire extinction unit specially equipped for dealing with airfield incidents and accidents.

Potential airfield hazards to aircraft include scattered fragments of any kind, nesting birds, and environmental conditions such as ice or snow. The field must be kept clear of any scattered fragment using cleaning equipment so that doesn’t become a projectile and enter an engine duct. Similar concerns apply to birds nesting near an airfield which might endanger aircraft operations due to impact. To threaten birds, falconry is practiced within the airport boundaries. In adverse weather conditions, ice and snow clearing equipment can be used to improve traction on the landing strip. For waiting aircraft, special equipment and fluids are used to melt the ice on the wings.

Environmental concerns: As already exposed, the construction of new airports (or the enlargement of an existing one) has also a tremendous environmental impact, affecting on the countryside, historical sites, local flora and fauna. In addition, airport operations also cause important environmental impact: vehicles operating in airports (aircraft but also surface vehicles) represent a major source of noise and air pollution which can be very disturbing and damaging for nearby residents and users. Moreover, operating aircraft have a dramatic impact on inhabiting birds colonies and affect entire neighborhoods generating noise (please refer to Chapter 8).