These include making sure that there are no hills, buildings, towers, or other structures at the ends of the proposed runway that would pose a hazard to aircraft. The FAA would also make sure that the runway is not pointed in a direction that would lead aircraft into traffic that is landing or taking off from a nearby airport. This ensures that the airport has a financing plan in place. Environmental requirements are one of the biggest obstacles that a proposed new runway must overcome. The airport must do an environmental assessment of the project.
Some States have additional environmental requirements of their own.
If it has not already done so, before constructing the runway, the airport must acquire the necessary land. It found that noise from aircraft operations was their biggest challenge. This was followed by water quality and air quality. Water quality is a concern because of the potential harmful effects of deicing fluids used to remove snow and ice from an aircraft s wings during the winter. Other challenges to airport and runway construction according to airport officials included wetlands, endangered species, environmental justice, and historical preservation.