The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) plans to hold runway safety meetings between now and the end of September at approximately 90 airports nationwide.
The meetings are held annually at airports with a control tower. The goal is to pinpoint and address airport-specific risk in the surface environment.
During the meetings, airport stakeholders and representatives from the FAA’s air traffic organization, airlines, pilots, airport vehicle drivers and others identify unique risks to surface safety at that airport and work to develop a Runway Safety Action Plan to mitigate or eliminate the risks.
“Sharing information is critical to improving safety,” Tim Arel, FAA air traffic organization chief operating officer, said. “These meetings, along with other efforts, will help us achieve our goal of zero close calls.”
Major airports soon holding a safety meeting include Ronald Reagan Washington National, LaGuardia New York, Dallas-Fort Worth International, Cleveland Hopkins International, Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall, Reno/Tahoe International and Birmingham Shuttlesworth International.
In February, the FAA issued a safety call to action following a string of incidents. In March, following a safety summit, the FAA began a series of safety initiatives. The summit’s goal was to pursue zero serious close calls.
The same approach was used to nearly eliminate the risk of fatalities aboard U.S. commercial airlines.