Why Airport Fencing Is Not Just Another Fence

A lot of people assume that airport fencing is basically the same as what you would see around a warehouse or a construction site, just taller. That is not the case at all. Airport fencing operates under a completely different set of performance requirements.

Transport Canada's Canadian Aviation Regulations (CARs), Part III, Subpart 2, lays out the standards for certified airports in this country. Under these rules, airports must maintain a secure perimeter that prevents unauthorized access to restricted areas including runways, taxiways, and aprons. The fence itself is considered the first physical line of defence between the public side (landside) and the restricted operational side (airside).

At major Canadian airports like Vancouver International (YVR), for example, there are strict clear zone requirements around any fence line displaying "Restricted Area" signage. YVR requires a 3-metre clear zone on the exterior and a 1-metre clear zone on the interior of every such fence. These buffer zones ensure that vegetation, equipment, and debris cannot be used to climb over or compromise the barrier.

Most airport perimeter fences in Canada stand at a minimum of 8 feet, though many installations go to 10 or even 12 feet depending on the threat assessment for that particular site. On top of that, you will usually see barbed wire, razor ribbon, or some type of anti-climb topping angled toward the airside. The idea is to make it extremely difficult for anyone to scale the fence, and to make any attempt very visible on security cameras.

For airports that need the highest level of perimeter protection, products like High-Security & Crash-Rated Fencing are built specifically for this purpose. These systems use reinforced steel and crash-tested components designed to stop vehicle intrusion and forced entry attempts, and they meet or exceed ASTM and government impact standards.

The Wildlife Problem Nobody Talks About Enough

Here is something that surprises a lot of people: one of the biggest reasons Canadian airports need serious perimeter fencing has nothing to do with human intruders. It is the wildlife.

Canada is home to large populations of white-tailed deer, coyotes, Canada geese, snow geese, and dozens of other species that are naturally drawn to airport environments. The flat, open grasslands around runways look like ideal habitat to these animals. And when a 150-pound deer wanders onto an active runway at the same time a regional jet is rolling at 130 knots, the results can be catastrophic.

Transport Canada introduced wildlife planning and management regulations under CARs in 2005 specifically because the problem was getting worse. Populations of hazardous species like deer, coyotes, gulls, and large raptors were increasing, and many of these animals are what biologists call "urban-tolerant," meaning they have adapted to living in close proximity to human activity, airports included.

Under these regulations, every certified airport in Canada must file a Wildlife Management Plan with Transport Canada. Part of that plan involves fencing. Airports are expected to install and maintain perimeter fencing that can physically exclude large mammals, particularly deer and coyotes, from airside areas. In fact, Transport Canada's Standard 322 specifically references documents on deer exclusion fencing as required guidance for airport operators developing their wildlife management plans.

The Government of Canada has put real money behind this issue as well. Back in 2014, the Airports Capital Assistance Program (ACAP) invested over $920,000 at the Dryden Regional Airport in Ontario specifically for wildlife management fencing to keep deer and bears off the runway.

For wildlife exclusion applications at airports, Animal Protection & Agricultural Fencing provides a strong solution. These fencing systems use heavy-duty, rust-resistant mesh construction with customizable heights and opening sizes designed to safely deter and exclude animals without causing harm. While they were originally developed for farms, conservation areas, and highway corridors, the same engineering principles apply directly to airport wildlife exclusion zones.

What Kind of Fencing Actually Works at Airports?

This is one of the most common questions we hear, and the answer depends on the specific requirements of the airport and its location.

Access Points: Gates and Barriers That Keep Things Moving

A fence is only as secure as its weakest point, and at an airport, those weak points are almost always the gates. Airports have dozens of access points for vehicles, maintenance crews, catering trucks, fuel tankers, emergency responders, and cargo handlers. Every single one of those openings needs to be controlled, monitored, and secured.

This is where automated gate systems and barrier arms come in.

Questions Canadian Airport Operators and Contractors Commonly Ask