International aviation organisations have joined forces to strengthen runway safety and reduce the risk of runway incursions at airports around the world.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA), Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation (CANSO) and Airports Council International (ACI) have launched a joint initiative focused on improving co-ordination between airlines, airports, air navigation service providers and other aviation stakeholders.
A runway incursion happens when an aircraft, vehicle or person is incorrectly present on a runway or within its protected area. Such incidents are recorded regularly in aviation safety reports and have previously contributed to serious and fatal accidents. Preventing them requires close co-operation between the organisations and people responsible for airport operations.
The new initiative will focus on three main areas. The first is improving safety reporting and data collection, including information on incidents, near misses and observations made by employees working on the frontline. The second involves strengthening Local Runway Safety Teams so they can identify hazards, assess risks and agree on practical measures to address them. The third is sharing operational experience and successful safety practices between airports facing similar conditions.
Nick Careen, IATA’s senior vice president for Operations, Safety and Security, said maintaining aviation’s strong safety record requires constant attention and international co-operation.
“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,” Careen said.
He added that bringing airlines, airports and air navigation service providers together could help identify runway hazards at an earlier stage and allow them to respond through joint action.
The programme builds on existing international safety frameworks, including the Global Action Plan for the Prevention of Runway Incursions, developed by the International Civil Aviation Organisation, EUROCONTROL and the Flight Safety Foundation. It also supports the ICAO Global Runway Safety Action Plan.
The organisations will make available a range of practical resources, including risk assessment frameworks, checklists and implementation tools for Local Runway Safety Teams. These include ACI’s Runway Safety Team Implementation Package, the joint ACI-CANSO Runway Safety Checklist and IATA’s Runway Incursion Safety Risk Assessment tool.
Andrea Sack, CANSO’s senior vice president for Global Operations, said clear communication and joint decision-making were essential to preventing runway incidents.
Darryl Dowd, ACI World’s vice president of Safety, Security and Operations, said airports bring together the many operational elements involved in safe aircraft movements, making strong co-operation essential to maintaining runway safety.
