The Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Aviation, Space and Innovation advanced on Thursday bipartisan legislation that would address safety gaps that have contributed to a number of recent close calls in the national airspace system.
The Runway Surface Awareness and Focused, Effective Training and Technology (Runway SAFE-T) Act would establish a task force to improve airport driver training. It would be comprised of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) designees, the National Transportation Safety Board, airport vehicle operators, emergency rescue aircraft organizations, airport organizations, aviation training technology experts, and any individuals the FAA administrator deems appropriate.
The task force would make recommendations to the FAA administrator regarding best practices for the operation of ground vehicles. Recommendations would included improved training programs and training technologies. It will compile a report with its recommendations after one year.
The legislation also would ensure training programs utilize existing federal resources from the FAA’s Airport Safety and Resilient Infrastructure Discretionary Program. The resources would improve situational awareness for ground vehicle operators in the movement area and prioritize projects designed to support runway operational safety by reducing vehicle runway incursions and other surface safety incidents.
The bill now moves to the full Senate for consideration. It was introduced by U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS), committee chairman, and John Hickenlooper (D-CO).