Editing Runway (section)

{{Short description|Surface used for takeoff or landing}}
{{Redirect2|Landing strip|RWY|the pubic hairstyle|bikini waxing||RWY (disambiguation)|and|runway (disambiguation)}}
{{Distinguish|roll way}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{use American English|date=September 2021}}
[[File:Palm Springs International Airport photo Don Ramey Logan.jpg|thumb|Runway 13R at [[Palm Springs International Airport]]]]
[[File:McDonnell Douglas MD-11 KLM - Royal Dutch Airlines, AMS Amsterdam (Schiphol), Netherlands PP1151411211.jpg|thumb|upright|An [[MD-11]] at one end of a runway]]

In [[aviation]], a '''runway''' is an elongated, rectangular surface designed for the [[landing]] and [[takeoff]] of an [[aircraft]].<ref>{{Cite book|title=International standards and recommended practices. Aerodromes. Annex 14 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation|publisher=ICAO|year=1951|pages=17|language=English}}</ref> Runways may be a human-made surface (often [[asphalt concrete|asphalt]], [[concrete]], or a mixture of both) or a natural surface ([[sod|grass]], [[soil|dirt]], [[gravel]], [[ice]], [[sand]] or [[road salt|salt]]). Runways, [[taxiway]]s and [[Airport apron|ramps]], are sometimes referred to as "tarmac", though very few runways are built using [[Tarmacadam|tarmac]]. Takeoff and landing areas defined on the surface of water for [[seaplane]]s are generally referred to as '''waterways'''. Runway lengths are now [[International Civil Aviation Organization#Use of the International System of Units|commonly given in meters worldwide]], except in North America where feet are commonly used.<ref>{{Cite web |last=H |first=Ken |date=2014-09-05 |title=Aviation's Crazy, Mixed Up Units of Measure |url=https://aerosavvy.com/metric-imperial/ |website=AeroSavvy |language=en-US |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20240123211839/https://aerosavvy.com/metric-imperial/ |archive-date= Jan 23, 2024 }}</ref>