6.3 Runway Orientation
Runway location and orientation are paramount to airport safety, efficiency, economics,
and environmental impact. The wind is a key factor influencing runway orientation and the
number of runways. Ideally, the primary runway should be aligned with the prevailing
wind. Wind conditions affect all aircraft in varying degrees. Generally, the smaller the
aircraft, the more it is affected by wind, particularly crosswind components. The crosswind
component of wind direction and velocity is the resultant vector that acts at a right angle
to the runway.
FAA recommends orienting runways so that aircraft may be landed at least 95% of the time
with allowable crosswind not exceeding specified limits.
• Assumptions
1 - Al- Auja Airport is a transport airport: A transport airport is defined as an
airport that is designed, constructed, and maintained to accommodate aircraft
in approach categories C, D, and E.2 - Assume the airplane design group is I through III, since the smaller the aircraft,
the more it is affected by wind.3 - The allowable crosswind component is 16Knots, determined by the FAA
(AC 150/5300-13A), as shown in Table 6-4.