European Meeting on Runway Safety Considered Use of Technology

A recent European runway safety seminar agreed on a three-pronged approach to improve runway safety that includes the continuation of present activities, but adds the need to consider human factors in aerodrome design and training, and the need to develop an integrated safety net, using existing – and possibly new – technologies.

The seminar, which was attended by more than 170 participants including regulators, pilots, air traffic controllers and airport managers, agreed that the European Action Plan for the Prevention of Runway Incursions is the on-going basis for improving runway safety.  However the meeting agreed that these two additional elements are needed:

1. Use today's better understanding of runway incursion causes to improve both existing and new aerodrome designs, and develop new training programs for controllers, pilots and vehicle drivers on how to prevent them.

2. Create a runway-incursion "safety net" based upon existing and perhaps new technologies.

George Paulson, who directs ATM (air traffic management) programs at Eurocontrol, said that "tremendous progress" has been in implementing the recommendations in the European Action Plan, but noted that while local runway safety teams have worked hard to mitigate some of the risks of runway incursions, "more work still needs to be done to improve safety in the maneuvering area."

Local runway safety teams have been established at 91% of the international airports in European Civil Aviation Conference countries, and pilots attending the meeting attested to their achievements in operational improvements.

One significant area of concern raised several times by participants, however, was the need for timely and accurate aeronautical information data.  05-09-2006.

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