Civil Airport Design Criteria

Conformance to civil airport design standards developed by the Federal Aviation Administration is mandatory for projects assisted with Federal grants under the Federal Airport Act of 1946. FAA advisory circulars of the 150 series are the present vehicles for publishing the standards. The advisory circulars contain a brief summary of the rationale behind the standards thus promulgated. The standards are based on broad considerations for nation wide application. Practical considerations of a specific situation may justify deviation. The factors considered in development of standards are the users, cost versus benefit, operational requirements, probability of occurrence of conditions affecting design, longevity of facilities, and expansion potential. The effect of the SST, jumbo jets, stretched jets, and business jets on existing standards is now being studied.