Vegetation management in and around airports presents a unique set of challenges not typically encountered in other segments of the transportation industry. With proper planning and execution, these challenges become opportunities for vegetation management professionals to enhance efficiency and reduce operational costs.
The Importance of Vegetation Management in Airports
Effective vegetation management is essential for maintaining airport safety and operational integrity. Uncontrolled vegetation can obstruct visibility, interfere with navigation aids, damage infrastructure, and attract wildlife, which poses significant risks to aircraft. Overgrown vegetation also complicates ground operations and can delay routine maintenance activities.
By implementing a robust Integrated Vegetation Management (IVM) plan, airports can maintain clear runways and taxiways, minimize the risk of wildlife strikes, and meet regulatory compliance standards. This enhances overall safety while helping reduce delays and operational disruptions.
Size and Scope
Vegetation management strategies must be tailored to the unique characteristics of each airport, including size, geography, and terrain. Consequently, the scope of work, personnel needs, and program complexity can vary significantly.
Small municipal or regional airports may cover only a few hundred acres, while major international airports often span land areas comparable to small cities. Below is a list of the ten largest airports in North America by land area, according to Airport Technology (April 2024):
1. Denver International Airport (DEN) - 52.4 square miles 6. Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) - 12 square miles
2. Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) - 26.9 square miles 7. O'Hare International Airport (ORD) - 11.9 square miles
3. Orlando International Airport (MCO) - 20.8 square miles 8. San Francisco International Airport (SFO) - 8.1 square miles
4. Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) - 20.3 square miles 9. John F Kennedy International Airport (JFK) - 8.1 square miles
5. George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) - 15.6 square miles 10. Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DTW) - 7.6 square miles
Regardless of scale, all airports require vegetation management practices that protect aircraft, ground personnel, infrastructure, and critical navigation systems. An IVM plan that integrates mechanical, chemical, and biological control methods, along with key cultural practices, provides vegetation managers the opportunity to incorporate diverse strategies and enhances the efficiency and effectiveness of airport vegetation management.
Mechanical Methodology
As with most IVM programs, mechanical practices are the primary method used to manage vegetation at airports. This often includes the complete removal of overgrown or hazardous vegetation, particularly when it encroaches on infrastructure or critical airspace. However, with proper planning, monitoring, and the integration of additional management strategies, the time and effort required for removal can be significantly reduced.
Mowing and trimming are among the most labor-intensive and costly aspects of airport vegetation management. These operations are continuous throughout the growing season and require close coordination between air traffic control, ground crews, and maintenance teams. Weather delays can further challenge efforts to maintain turf within the FAA-recommended height of 6–12 inches.
Herbicides for Efficiency
Selective herbicides can relieve some of the seasonal pressure felt by vegetation managers during mowing and trimming operations by targeting fast-growing broadleaf weeds and invasive grasses. Plant growth regulators (PGRs) offer additional support when applied to desirable, industrial turf by extending intervals between mowing. Alligare’s Panoramic 2SL and MSM 60 provide both growth regulation and seedhead suppression across multiple grass species. Incorporating these products into an airport turf management program can drive efficiency and reduce operational costs.
In addition to turf management, some areas of the airport require complete vegetation control. These include zones near buildings, fence lines, NAVAIDS (e.g., lights and signs), and pavement cracks on taxiways and runways. Applying a long-lasting, broad-spectrum product like Mainline herbicide helps maintain visibility, protect airport assets, and reduce the need for labor-intensive trimming.
Airports can be comprised of hundreds of acres of impervious flat surfaces, and rainwater and snowmelt must have an unobstructed path to flow away from aircraft movement and where ground operations are taking place. To accomplish this, vegetation must be managed within the many stormwater ditches located throughout an airport property and the detention areas to which they drain.
According to the FAA, in its February 2020 Advisory Circular: "Where possible, airport operators should modify stormwater detention ponds to allow a maximum 48-hour detention period for the design storm. The combination of open water and vegetation is particularly attractive to waterfowl and other hazardous wildlife. Water management facilities holding water longer than 48 hours should be maintained in a manner that keeps them free of both emergent and submergent vegetation."
For areas designed to move, or temporarily hold, water, herbicides labeled for both aquatic and terrestrial use, such as Alligare’s Ecomazapyr 2SL and IMOX, provide effective solutions in these dynamic, and sometimes sensitive, environments.
Biological and Cultural Practices
Though commonly viewed as vast, flat expanses, airports are often biologically diverse ecosystems. Their properties can extend well beyond terminal perimeters, requiring varied vegetation management strategies.
Some airports have successfully introduced goats as a biological control method. Goats are efficient grazers, capable of managing vegetation in steep or uneven terrain that machinery cannot easily access.
In contrast to nuisance wildlife like birds, deer, or coyotes, pollinators can provide environmental benefits. Establishing low-growing, flowering vegetation in designated “mow-free” zones can create habitat for pollinators while reducing labor demands. Alligare’s Panoramic 2SL and Prodiamine 65 WDG include label uses that support wildflower establishment and pollinator habitat maintenance.
Chicago O’Hare International Airport has been a leader in these practices, launching the nation’s first airport apiary in 2011 and deploying goats to manage scrub vegetation by 2013.
Leveraging Technology for Enhanced IVM Strategies
Innovative technology is playing an increasingly important role in vegetation management. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), also known as drones, are now used to map vegetation, assess tree height for potential flight path obstructions, and apply herbicides with precision in sensitive or inaccessible areas.
Autonomous mowers guided by GPS further boost efficiency by reducing dependence on manual labor and lowering equipment operating costs. These smart tools are enabling a more data-driven, cost-effective approach to vegetation control across airport landscapes.
Departure:
Vegetation managers face a multitude of challenges when attempting to meet safety and regulatory standards and protect vital infrastructure components at airports. A well-executed integrated vegetation management program, built on a foundation of mechanical, chemical, biological, cultural, and technological practices, can turn those challenges into opportunities for progress, sustainability, and safety.
