{"id":2079,"date":"2026-06-17T22:25:13","date_gmt":"2026-06-17T22:25:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.relyirgrass.com\/why-do-airports-use-artificial-turf\/"},"modified":"2026-09-19T02:31:57","modified_gmt":"2026-09-19T02:31:57","slug":"why-do-airports-use-artificial-turf","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.relyirgrass.com\/ru\/why-do-airports-use-artificial-turf\/","title":{"rendered":"\u041f\u043e\u0447\u0435\u043c\u0443 \u0430\u044d\u0440\u043e\u043f\u043e\u0440\u0442\u044b \u0438\u0441\u043f\u043e\u043b\u044c\u0437\u0443\u044e\u0442 \u0438\u0441\u043a\u0443\u0441\u0441\u0442\u0432\u0435\u043d\u043d\u044b\u0439 \u0433\u0430\u0437\u043e\u043d?"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>\nh2 { font-size: 1.6em; line-height: 1.3; margin: 40px 0 18px; }\nh3 { font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.35; margin: 26px 0 12px; }\np { line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 28px; }\nul { margin-bottom: 28px; padding-left: 20px; list-style-type: disc; }\nli { margin-bottom: 10px; line-height: 1.6; }\ntable { display: table !important; width: 100% !important; border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 28px; }\nth { text-align: left; padding: 12px 14px; background: #1a5c2e; color: #ffffff; font-weight: 600; }\ntd { padding: 12px 14px; border-bottom: 1px solid #e5e5e5; vertical-align: top; }\nfigcaption { text-align: center; font-style: italic; }\n<\/style>\n<p><!-- meta_title: Why Do Airports Use Artificial Turf? 5 Real Reasons --><br \/>\n<!-- meta_description: Airports use artificial turf to stop jet-blast erosion, cut bird strike risk, reduce mowing inside the fence and improve visibility, with FAA rules. --><\/p>\n<p>Rain stops, the wind picks up, and a line of loose soil lifts off a runway shoulder and drifts across live pavement. Crews collect it as debris, inspectors log it, and the same stretch of grass fails again the following month. Next to it sit the birds and burrows that natural grass attracts, along with the mowing cycles needed to keep any of it in check.<\/p>\n<p>So why do airports use artificial turf? The Federal Aviation Administration asked its own airports that question in a survey of early installations, and the answers ranked cleanly. Erosion came first, then lower maintenance, wildlife control and visual enhancement. We build artificial grass rolls on our own line, and aviation enquiries are the strictest briefs we see, a useful signal of what this environment expects from a surface.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"why-airport-operators-move-away\">Why Airport Operators Move Away From Natural Grass<\/h2>\n<p>The FAA study behind Advisory Circular 150\/5370-15, published in September 2007, examined aviation-grade turf systems installed in areas normally planted with natural grass. Its survey of airports with test installations found the main reason for the switch was to mitigate soil erosion, which creates potentially damaging debris near operational pavement. Secondary reasons were the burden of turf management, wildlife control and visual enhancement.<\/p>\n<p>That ranking matters for anyone specifying an airfield surface. Wildlife gets the headlines, yet the documented driver was simpler. Natural grass under repeated jet blast, poor drainage and vehicle loads breaks apart, and every broken patch becomes material with a path onto the runway. That is why an artificial turf installation near operational pavement is specified and tested like hardware, not landscaping.<\/p>\n<p>The practical answer to why do airports use artificial turf therefore starts with the ground itself, not with the grass. A rooted surface that neither grows nor washes away changes how several airfield problems behave at once. Erosion, wildlife, drainage, maintenance and visibility belong to one engineering decision rather than five separate purchases.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"wildlife-control-food-water-shelter\">Wildlife Control: Removing Food, Water and Shelter<\/h2>\n<p>Natural grass is habitat. It produces seed, shelters insects and holds water after rain, so it feeds the chain that ends with birds beside a taxiway. Wildlife collisions cause more than 94,000 hours of aircraft downtime for the U.S. aviation industry each year. Airfield teams therefore treat every attractant as an operational problem.<\/p>\n<p>For wildlife control, an artificial turf installation works by subtraction. The surface produces no seeds, supports no insect population and needs no irrigation, so the animals that graze, hunt or burrow on living grass lose their reason to stay. Published summaries of airport experience list the wildlife effect first among the surface&#8217;s advantages, alongside its all-season contrast with runways.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.relyirgrass.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/commercial-grass-installation-benefits-featured.webp\" alt=\"A neatly laid green lawn beside a large glass building\" class=\"wp-image-963\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.relyirgrass.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/commercial-grass-installation-benefits-featured.webp 1200w, https:\/\/www.relyirgrass.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/commercial-grass-installation-benefits-featured-300x169.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.relyirgrass.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/commercial-grass-installation-benefits-featured-1024x576.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.relyirgrass.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/commercial-grass-installation-benefits-featured-768x432.webp 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption>A neatly laid green lawn beside a large glass building<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>Orlando Sanford International Airport lived the problem in slow motion. Between 2008 and 2014 the airport excavated more than 875 gopher tortoise burrows and removed 345 of the protected animals. The cycle repeated whenever the tortoises made their way back to re-burrow, a regulated and costly routine. An FAA wildlife biologist survey eventually documented nearly 1,200 burrows on the field, some stretching 48 feet long and almost 10 feet deep.<\/p>\n<p>The airport then replaced natural grass beside the runway blast pad with sand-ballasted aviation turf on a 3.5-acre test plot covering 158,000 square feet. After a full year of observation ending in April 2015, the study recorded no tortoise burrowing in the turf area. It concluded the surface resisted burrowing while staying compatible with safe airport operations.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"erosion-and-jet-blast-shoulders\">Erosion and Jet Blast Along Runway Shoulders<\/h2>\n<p>Jet blast is the brute force of the airfield. Aircraft lining up for departure direct engine wash across the shoulder, where natural grass lives a short life. Soil lifts, divots scatter, and the loose material becomes debris with a direct route onto pavement. New York JFK installed about 90,000 square feet of aviation turf in autumn 2006 after jet blast repeatedly eroded the grass along its runway edges.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.relyirgrass.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/specs-lawn-texture.webp\" alt=\"Green turf in close view, bright and even\" class=\"wp-image-761\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.relyirgrass.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/specs-lawn-texture.webp 1200w, https:\/\/www.relyirgrass.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/specs-lawn-texture-300x200.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.relyirgrass.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/specs-lawn-texture-1024x683.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.relyirgrass.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/specs-lawn-texture-768x512.webp 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption>Green turf in close view, bright and even<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>An aviation artificial turf installation is engineered for that load. The FAA advisory circular requires the system to resist jet blast, weather and contaminants such as fuel, deicing chemicals and hydraulic fluids. It must also support vehicle loads while staying skid and fire resistant. Every one of those requirements lands on the roll itself, which is why buyers start from the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.relyirgrass.com\/artificial-grass-products\/\">standard roll formats and product range<\/a> before comparing aviation briefs.<\/p>\n<p>Wind tunnel runs at varied blast angles and engine speeds confirm the integrity of anchors, seams and ballast, and an anchor pull test follows every installation of each anchor type. In safety areas, migration or evacuation of infill material must stay below five percent under normal operating conditions. Fire behaviour was tested early and publicly. In the October 2000 burn test at Chicago Midway, ignited fuel made the fibres melt back from the flame, and a 16-knot wind did not spread the fire.<\/p>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Requirement<\/th>\n<th>What it checks<\/th>\n<th>Documented benchmark<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Jet blast resistance<\/td>\n<td>Displacement under engine wash<\/td>\n<td>Wind tunnel testing at varied blast angles and engine speeds<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Infill stability<\/td>\n<td>Infill migration in safety areas<\/td>\n<td>Below 5 percent under normal operating conditions<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Anchoring<\/td>\n<td>Hold-down strength of the system<\/td>\n<td>Anchor pull test after each installation<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Fire behaviour<\/td>\n<td>Fuel spill ignition and spread<\/td>\n<td>Midway 2000 burn test: fibres melted from the flame, no spread in a 16-knot wind<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Drainage<\/td>\n<td>Storm handling through the surface<\/td>\n<td>Practically no runoff at 5.5 inches of rain per hour in laboratory testing<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>One boundary deserves honesty. Published guidance does not yet support turf along runways, runway ends and high-speed taxiways, where high-speed veer-off performance lacks sufficient data. Such placements require approval by the FAA Office of Airport Safety and Standards. Industry observers also note that many airside installations remain young, so long-term performance records are still accumulating.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"drainage-and-fod-safety-areas\">Drainage and FOD Control in Safety Areas<\/h2>\n<p>A runway safety area must stay firm and even, free of hazardous ruts, humps and depressions, and able to support the occasional passage of aircraft without major damage. Waterlogged natural grass fails that brief. Ruts form, shoulders soften, and the surface variation itself becomes a hazard to manage.<\/p>\n<p>Permeable turf over a prepared base drains through the surface instead of ponding on it. University of Illinois laboratory testing recorded practically no runoff at rainfall intensities of 5.5 inches per hour, with ponding appearing only near 8 inches per hour. Manufacturers of aviation turf publish drainage capacity around 60 gallons of water per square foot per hour.<\/p>\n<p>Foreign object debris is easier to control on the same surface. With no rocks, clumps or dying vegetation, anything foreign stands out against an even green field, which shortens inspections. It is <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Artificial_turf\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">one of the documented advantages of the surface at airports<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Emergency access holds in bad weather as well. The Orlando Sanford study found the turf performed well under fully loaded rescue and firefighting vehicles. Braking showed no detrimental reduction during aircraft or vehicle excursions.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.relyirgrass.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/artificial-grass-roll-closeup.jpg\" alt=\"A finished artificial grass roll with the backing visible at the open end\" class=\"wp-image-102\" width=\"1120\" height=\"680\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.relyirgrass.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/artificial-grass-roll-closeup.jpg 1120w, https:\/\/www.relyirgrass.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/artificial-grass-roll-closeup-300x182.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.relyirgrass.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/artificial-grass-roll-closeup-1024x622.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.relyirgrass.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/artificial-grass-roll-closeup-768x466.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1120px) 100vw, 1120px\" \/><figcaption>A finished artificial grass roll with the backing visible at the open end<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>Drainage, wildlife and debris control reinforce each other. A surface that sheds rain stays firm, a firm surface leaves nowhere to burrow, and an even green field exposes whatever should not be there. That is the practical logic behind the specification requirements in the previous section.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"less-mowing-security-fence\">Less Mowing Inside the Airport Security Fence<\/h2>\n<p>Every mowing cycle inside the security fence means clearances, escorts and a closure window on or near movement areas. Mowers throw debris, crews spend hours on shoulders metres from live traffic, and each pass carries its own security and runway incursion burden. Fewer workers needing security clearances is one of the documented operational gains when the grass stops growing.<\/p>\n<p>An artificial turf installation removes the recurring work rather than rescheduling it. No mowing, no irrigation, no fertiliser or pesticide programme, and no clippings to collect. The machine hours and escort arrangements leave the calendar along with the grass. What remains is inspection work, and it is lighter:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Weekly: clear debris and check for foreign objects after storms.<\/li>\n<li>Seasonally: inspect seams, edges and ballast levels in high-blast zones.<\/li>\n<li>After spills: clean fuel or hydraulic fluid and check the affected panels.<\/li>\n<li>Annually: review fibre condition against the original specification.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Budgets settle into that smaller routine, and procurement gets simpler when the product is described the same way it is made. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.relyirgrass.com\/commercial-artificial-grass\/\">commercial artificial grass systems<\/a> supplied as rolls to a stated pile, density and backing spec give buyers one line to compare instead of a brochure full of adjectives.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"all-season-visibility-crews\">All-Season Visibility for Pilots and Ground Crews<\/h2>\n<p>Natural grass changes colour with the season, the weather and the mower. Artificial turf holds one shade of green through the year, so the contrast between turf and pavement stays constant in every season and in every light condition.<\/p>\n<p>That contrast gives pilots and ground crews a stable visual reference along runway edges. It extends to delineation as well: coloured aviation turf has been used for painted infield islands and for decommissioned exits in place of repainting. Add erosion control, wildlife deterrence, lower maintenance, drainage and this visibility, and the question of why do airports use artificial turf answers itself in operational terms.<\/p>\n<p>The surface still has to be specified like the safety component it is. When a project reaches that stage, the fastest path is a conversation backed by a test file.<\/p>\n<div class=\"cta-box\" style=\"background-color:#1a2b3c;border-radius:6px;padding:30px;margin:35px 0;\">\n<h3 style=\"color:#ffffff;margin-top:0;\">Are Erosion and Birds Draining Your Airfield Budget?<\/h3>\n<p style=\"color:#ffffff;\">Eroded shoulders, wildlife hazards and mowing crews inside the fence drain budgets. We build rolls to your pile height, density and colour spec, factory-direct. Request airport turf samples.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.relyirgrass.com\/commercial-artificial-grass\/\" style=\"display:inline-block;background-color:#1a5c2e;color:#ffffff;padding:12px 24px;border-radius:4px;text-decoration:none;font-weight:600;\">See Commercial Turf Systems<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2 id=\"mistakes-specifying-airside-turf\">Mistakes to Avoid When Specifying Airside Turf<\/h2>\n<p>Aviation turf projects fail for predictable reasons, and every one of them is visible before the first roll is ordered. Four mistakes account for most of the trouble, and each ignores a documented reason behind why do airports use artificial turf.<\/p>\n<h3>Using Sports-Field Turf as Aviation Turf<\/h3>\n<p>Sports surfaces are built for athletes, not for engine wash and fuel exposure. Aviation products face wind tunnel, anchor pull, infill migration and fire testing that sports grades never attempt, so a visual match is not a specification match. Treat the test file, not the colour, as the product.<\/p>\n<h3>Skipping the Burrowing-Wildlife Survey<\/h3>\n<p>Sanford&#8217;s tortoises returned to re-burrow after removal, which is why the survey work comes before the construction work. Mapping burrows and habitat first tells the project where turf, excavation and relocation apply, instead of discovering protected species after the base is built.<\/p>\n<h3>Laying Turf Along Runway Ends Without Approval<\/h3>\n<p>The placement rules are narrower than the enthusiasm. Guidance covers areas adjacent to taxiway and apron pavement where erosion, impracticality or maintenance cost justify the switch. Runways, runway ends and high-speed taxiways sit outside routine use and need explicit FAA approval. Designing around that boundary early saves a redesign later.<\/p>\n<h3>Treating the Base and Drainage as an Afterthought<\/h3>\n<p>The carpet is the visible part; the graded base underneath does the drainage work. A level, compacted base with the right fall keeps water moving and keeps the surface even enough for emergency vehicles. An aviation artificial turf installation inherits its performance from that base, which is why the specification should name it, not just the grass.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"pre-installation-checklist-airport\">A Pre-Installation Checklist for Airport Projects<\/h2>\n<p>Airside projects move slowly on purpose. Work through these gates before committing to a product or a layout.<\/p>\n<h3>Map Erosion and Wildlife Hot Spots First<\/h3>\n<p>Walk the airfield after heavy rain and after peak growing season. Photograph where soil lifts, where water ponds and where burrows cluster, then rank the areas by operational risk rather than by visual annoyance.<\/p>\n<h3>Confirm Where Funding Rules Allow Turf<\/h3>\n<p>Artificial turf funded under federal airport programmes must follow the advisory circular guidelines, and the funding terms narrow placement further. Confirm the compliance path with the project engineer before the drawing set hardens.<\/p>\n<h3>Collect the Test File Before You Commit<\/h3>\n<p>Ask for the wind tunnel report, anchor pull results, infill migration data and fire test documentation for the exact product on offer. A supplier who cannot produce the file is selling a look, not a tested artificial turf installation.<\/p>\n<h3>Order Samples and Fix the Roll Plan<\/h3>\n<p>Confirm pile height, density, colour and backing against the brief, then check them on a physical sample. Request free samples of 20 by 20 cm pieces before fixing the layout. They ship by courier in 4 to 6 days with freight covered by the buyer, and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.relyirgrass.com\/free-samples\/\">sample rolls<\/a> are the cheapest way to compare two specifications.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"where-turf-fits-airfield\">Where Artificial Turf Fits on an Airfield<\/h2>\n<p>Placement follows the problem, and every zone below solves a distinct operational failure. The table gathers the documented use cases behind why do airports use artificial turf, zone by zone.<\/p>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Airfield zone<\/th>\n<th>Problem it solves<\/th>\n<th>Grounded basis<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Runway and taxiway shoulders<\/td>\n<td>Jet-blast erosion lifting soil onto pavement<\/td>\n<td>The FAA&#8217;s top-cited reason for switching<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Blast pad surrounds<\/td>\n<td>Repeated engine wash at departure thrust<\/td>\n<td>Orlando Sanford test plot sat beside a blast pad<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Infield and paved islands<\/td>\n<td>Grass that cannot survive on paved ground<\/td>\n<td>Guidance permits turf where natural grass is impractical<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Light cans and navigation aids<\/td>\n<td>Vegetation blocking signals, mowing near equipment<\/td>\n<td>No seeds, no insects, no watering needed<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Runway safety areas<\/td>\n<td>Ruts and burrows from wildlife<\/td>\n<td>Backing resists burrowing; surface supports occasional aircraft passage<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Perimeter zones<\/td>\n<td>Mowing and security burden<\/td>\n<td>No irrigation, fertiliser or pesticide programme<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Helicopter areas<\/td>\n<td>Erosion under rotor wash<\/td>\n<td>Aviation turf withstood helicopters hover-taxiing above a test strip<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Decommissioned pavements<\/td>\n<td>Maintaining painted closures<\/td>\n<td>Coloured turf used for delineation instead of repainting<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.relyirgrass.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/analyzing-effectiveness-artificial-grass-slot1.webp\" alt=\"Fine, even blades showing natural colour\" class=\"wp-image-1118\" width=\"1200\" height=\"900\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.relyirgrass.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/analyzing-effectiveness-artificial-grass-slot1.webp 1200w, https:\/\/www.relyirgrass.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/analyzing-effectiveness-artificial-grass-slot1-300x225.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.relyirgrass.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/analyzing-effectiveness-artificial-grass-slot1-1024x768.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.relyirgrass.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/analyzing-effectiveness-artificial-grass-slot1-768x576.webp 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption>Fine, even blades showing natural colour<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>Roll width matters once the zones are drawn. Our line produces rolls in 2, 4 and 5 metre widths at 25 metres long, with custom dimensions available. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.relyirgrass.com\/customization\/\">Custom pile heights, densities and colours<\/a> are quoted against the stated brief. Wider rolls across a shoulder strip reduce seam count, and every artificial turf installation is easier to police at the seams when there are fewer of them.<\/p>\n<p><!-- relyirgate:C1 --><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"frequently-asked-questions\">Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\n<div class=\"faq-card\" style=\"background:#f9f9f9;border-left:4px solid #1a5c2e;border-radius:4px;padding:25px;margin-bottom:18px;\">\n<h3 style=\"color:#1a5c2e;margin-top:0;\">Why do airports use artificial turf instead of natural grass?<\/h3>\n<p>Mainly to stop soil erosion beside pavements. The FAA survey of airports lists erosion control as the primary reason, with lower maintenance, wildlife control and visual enhancement as secondary reasons.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"faq-card\" style=\"background:#f9f9f9;border-left:4px solid #1a5c2e;border-radius:4px;padding:25px;margin-bottom:18px;\">\n<h3 style=\"color:#1a5c2e;margin-top:0;\">Is artificial turf safe near active runways?<\/h3>\n<p>Yes, in approved zones. The year-long Orlando Sanford study found no detrimental reduction in braking during aircraft or vehicle excursions, and the turf performed well under fully loaded rescue and firefighting vehicles.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"faq-card\" style=\"background:#f9f9f9;border-left:4px solid #1a5c2e;border-radius:4px;padding:25px;margin-bottom:18px;\">\n<h3 style=\"color:#1a5c2e;margin-top:0;\">Does airport artificial turf attract birds?<\/h3>\n<p>No. The surface produces no seeds or food, supports no insects and needs no water, so it removes the food, water and shelter that draw birds and burrowing animals to airfields.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"faq-card\" style=\"background:#f9f9f9;border-left:4px solid #1a5c2e;border-radius:4px;padding:25px;margin-bottom:18px;\">\n<h3 style=\"color:#1a5c2e;margin-top:0;\">Where is artificial turf installed at an airport?<\/h3>\n<p>Mostly beside taxiway and apron pavement: shoulders, blast pad surrounds, infield and paved islands, areas around light cans and navigation aids, perimeter zones, safety areas and helicopter areas.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"faq-card\" style=\"background:#f9f9f9;border-left:4px solid #1a5c2e;border-radius:4px;padding:25px;margin-bottom:18px;\">\n<h3 style=\"color:#1a5c2e;margin-top:0;\">Can airport turf survive jet blast?<\/h3>\n<p>Yes, when the artificial turf installation has been tested for it. Aviation systems must pass wind tunnel testing at varied blast angles, hold infill migration below five percent in safety areas and pass an anchor pull test after installation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"faq-card\" style=\"background:#f9f9f9;border-left:4px solid #1a5c2e;border-radius:4px;padding:25px;margin-bottom:18px;\">\n<h3 style=\"color:#1a5c2e;margin-top:0;\">How do buyers check a turf roll before an airside project?<\/h3>\n<p>Request free 20 by 20 cm samples, usually three to four pieces, shipped by DHL or FedEx in 4 to 6 days with the courier freight covered by the buyer. Custom sample sizes are available.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script type=\"application\/ld+json\">\n{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"Article\",\"headline\":\"Why Do Airports Use Artificial Turf?\",\"description\":\"Airports use artificial turf to stop jet-blast erosion, cut bird strike risk, reduce mowing inside the fence and improve visibility, with FAA testing rules.\",\"author\":{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"name\":\"Relyir Artificial Grass\"},\"publisher\":{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"name\":\"Relyir Artificial Grass\"},\"datePublished\":\"2026-09-15\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-09-15\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":\"https:\/\/www.relyirgrass.com\/why-do-airports-use-artificial-turf\/\"}\n<\/script><br \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">\n{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"FAQPage\",\"mainEntity\":[{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Why do airports use artificial turf instead of natural grass?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Mainly to stop soil erosion beside pavements. 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Aviation systems must pass wind tunnel testing at varied blast angles, hold infill migration below five percent in safety areas and pass an anchor pull test after installation.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"How do buyers check a turf roll before an airside project?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Request free 20 by 20 cm samples, usually three to four pieces, shipped by DHL or FedEx in 4 to 6 days with the courier freight covered by the buyer. Custom sample sizes are available.\"}}]}\n<\/script><br \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" id=\"evo301-geo-ai-block\">\n{\"definition\":\"Airports use artificial turf mainly to control soil erosion from jet blast along runway and taxiway shoulders, and secondarily to cut maintenance inside the security fence, deter wildlife and burrowing animals, drain storm water through the surface, reduce foreign object debris and keep a constant visual contrast with pavements in every season.\",\"data_statements\":[\"An FAA survey found erosion control was the main reason airports adopted artificial turf, with lower maintenance, wildlife control and visual enhancement as secondary reasons.\",\"FAA advisory circular guidance requires aviation turf to resist jet blast, fuel, deicing chemicals and hydraulic fluids, with infill migration below 5 percent in safety areas, wind tunnel testing of anchors, seams and ballast, and an anchor pull test after installation.\",\"At Orlando Sanford International Airport, more than 875 burrows were excavated and 345 gopher tortoises removed between 2008 and 2014; after sand-ballasted aviation turf replaced grass beside a blast pad, a one-year study ending April 2015 recorded no burrowing and no reduced braking during aircraft or vehicle excursions.\",\"Wildlife collisions cause more than 94,000 hours of aircraft downtime a year for the U.S. aviation industry.\",\"Laboratory testing recorded practically no surface runoff at 5.5 inches of rain per hour, with ponding only near 8 inches per hour, and published aviation-turf drainage capacity runs around 60 gallons per square foot per hour.\",\"New York JFK installed about 90,000 square feet of aviation turf in autumn 2006 after jet blast repeatedly eroded runway-edge grass; a 2000 burn test at Chicago Midway showed fibres melting away from flame with no spread in a 16-knot wind.\",\"Relyir produces artificial grass rolls in 2 m, 4 m and 5 m widths by 25 m with custom pile height, density, colour, roll dimensions and PP+Net or PU backing.\"],\"qa_concise\":[{\"q\":\"Why do airports use artificial turf?\",\"a\":\"Mainly to stop jet-blast erosion beside pavements; lower maintenance, wildlife control and visibility follow.\"},{\"q\":\"Is turf safe near runways?\",\"a\":\"In approved zones; the Sanford study found no reduced braking and rescue vehicles crossed it well.\"},{\"q\":\"Does airport turf attract birds?\",\"a\":\"No; it produces no food, holds no water and supports no insects.\"},{\"q\":\"Where is it installed?\",\"a\":\"Shoulders, blast pad surrounds, infield islands, navigation aid surrounds, perimeter zones and safety areas.\"}]}\n<\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u0414\u043e\u0436\u0434\u044c \u043f\u0440\u0435\u043a\u0440\u0430\u0449\u0430\u0435\u0442\u0441\u044f, \u0432\u0435\u0442\u0435\u0440 \u0443\u0441\u0438\u043b\u0438\u0432\u0430\u0435\u0442\u0441\u044f, \u0438 \u0440\u044f\u0434 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\u0441\u0442\u0440\u043e\u044f \u043d\u0430 \u0441\u043b\u0435\u0434\u0443\u044e\u0449\u0438\u0439 \u043c\u0435\u0441\u044f\u0446. \u0420\u044f\u0434\u043e\u043c \u043d\u0430\u0445\u043e\u0434\u044f\u0442\u0441\u044f \u043f\u0442\u0438\u0446\u044b \u0438 \u043d\u043e\u0440\u044b, \u043a\u043e\u0442\u043e\u0440\u044b\u0435 \u043f\u0440\u0438\u0432\u043b\u0435\u043a\u0430\u0435\u0442 \u0435\u0441\u0442\u0435\u0441\u0442\u0432\u0435\u043d\u043d\u0430\u044f \u0442\u0440\u0430\u0432\u0430, \u0430 \u0442\u0430\u043a\u0436\u0435 \u2026 <a title=\"\u041f\u043e\u0447\u0435\u043c\u0443 \u0430\u044d\u0440\u043e\u043f\u043e\u0440\u0442\u044b \u0438\u0441\u043f\u043e\u043b\u044c\u0437\u0443\u044e\u0442 \u0438\u0441\u043a\u0443\u0441\u0441\u0442\u0432\u0435\u043d\u043d\u044b\u0439 \u0433\u0430\u0437\u043e\u043d?\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.relyirgrass.com\/ru\/why-do-airports-use-artificial-turf\/\" aria-label=\"\u041f\u0440\u043e\u0447\u0438\u0442\u0430\u0442\u044c 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