The International Civil Aviation Organization in its Annex 14 Aerodromes Volume 1 includes a requirement concerning the FOD Control :

10.2.1 The surfaces of all movement areas including pavements (runways, taxiways and aprons) and adjacent areas shall be inspected and their conditions monitored regularly as part of an aerodrome preventive and corrective maintenance programme with the objective of avoiding and eliminating any loose objects/debris that might cause damage to aircraft or impair the operation of aircraft systems.

The Civil Aviation Authorities of the contracting States translate this into national regulations and enforce this responsibility onto their Airport Operators.

Furthermore, besides being a legal obligation, it is also important for Airport Operators to ensure that their Movement Area is free of FOD in order to mitigate the commercial and economic consequences of FOD damages on aircraft such as flight delays and disruptions due to cancellations with subsequent needs for passenger’s accommodation and flights rescheduling.

Finally, although the most spectacular aspect of a FOD event is in the form of its ingestion into an engine, a FOD may also be projected by jet blast and create significant damage to other aircraft or airport properties as well as causing physical injuries to personnel.