Plain English Meaning

A piece of ground used for aircraft to take off and land from, along with the surfaces and spaces needed to move and park them on the ground.

Full Definition

An area of land set aside for the takeoff, landing, and ground handling of aircraft, typically including one or more runways or landing surfaces and any associated taxiways, parking areas, or basic support facilities.

Context Anchor

Seen when evaluating possible landing places during an emergency or when identifying nearby airports and landing areas along a route.

Derivation

From 'air' plus 'field' — literally a field used for aircraft. The term dates from early when most flying was done from open grass fields rather than paved runways, and it has stuck as a general word for any basic landing ground.