The average runway to land a commercial plane is from 6000ft to 8000ft. This of course depends on the plane and the altitude, but is a good approximation.
Then how do fighter planes land on aircraft carriers that are about 500 ft long. The secret to this is the tailhook attached to the plane that snags to the arresting wires on the aircraft carrier and brings the plane to halt. More on this at http://science.howstuffworks.com/aircraft-carrier4.htm
Steel is used to make the arresting wires because of its strength and flexibility - but its proves to break with wear and tear. BTW Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. The carbon makes the steel stronger but also less flexible. There is a quest to find a strong unbreakable material and it continues.....
