A runway incursion occurs when an aircraft, vehicle or person is incorrectly present on a runway or within its protected area. Such events are documented in IATA’s Annual Safety Reports, while several recent runway incursions have resulted in fatalities.
Preventing runway incursions requires coordination between airlines, airports, air navigation service providers, regulators and frontline personnel. The new runway safety initiative will focus on improving reporting, strengthening local cooperation and sharing operational experience.
The first area covers safety reporting and data collection. This includes incidents, near misses, precursor events and observations submitted by frontline personnel.
The second area focuses on strengthening Local Runway Safety Teams. These teams serve as the main forum for airlines, airports, air navigation service providers and other stakeholders to assess local risks and agree on coordinated measures.
The third area concerns the sharing of progress and lessons learned. The organisations aim to support the wider adoption of effective practices by airports and other entities operating in similar environments.
Nick Careen, IATA’s Senior Vice President Operations, Safety, and Security, said: “Flying is the safest form of long-distance travel. Maintaining that record requires a relentless focus on continuous improvement, supported by global standards, safety data and collaboration. This initiative brings airlines, airports and air navigation service providers together to identify runway risks earlier and take coordinated action”. Travelhospitality news
The runway safety initiative builds on existing industry programmes, including the Global Action Plan for the Prevention of Runway Incursions. The plan is a collaboration between the International Civil Aviation Organization, EUROCONTROL and the Flight Safety Foundation, with endorsement from IATA, ACI and CANSO.
The programme also supports the objectives of the ICAO Global Runway Safety Action Plan. IATA, CANSO and ACI will use their existing tools and programmes to advance the goals of both global plans.
These resources include risk-assessment tools, runway safety checklists and support programmes for Local Runway Safety Teams. ACI’s Runway Safety Team Implementation Package was developed through its Airport Excellence in Safety programme.
Additional resources include the Runway Safety Checklist, which ACI and CANSO developed jointly, and IATA’s Runway Incursion Safety Risk Assessment. Airlines can also use the GAPPRI gap analysis tool to assess their existing procedures.
The IATA Operational Safety Audit programme will provide assessments of airline risk evaluations and mitigation measures. These tools will support organisations as they identify local hazards and implement coordinated responses.
Andrea Sack, Senior Vice President, Global Operations at CANSO, said: “Runway safety depends on clear communication and coordinated decisions across the airport environment. Strong Local Runway Safety Teams bring controllers, airports, airlines and other operational partners together to identify risks and agree on practical actions”.
Darryl Dowd, Vice President of Safety, Security and Operations at ACI World, said: “Airports sit at the center of this challenge, where every part of the aviation system converges. Local knowledge and sustained collaboration are what turn safety guidance into real reductions in risk, and ACI is committed to supporting our members as they put these tools to work”.
Tags: Andrea Sack, CANSO Darryl Dowd, ACI World, Nick Careen, IATA
center of this challenge, where every part of the aviation system converges. Local knowledge and sustained collaboration are what turn safety guidance into real reductions in risk, and ACI is committed to supporting our members as they put these tools to work
