FAA targets runway incursions

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has awarded a total of more than $100m to 12 US airports to reduce runway incursions.

Projects covered by the funding will reconfigure taxiways that may cause confusion, install airfield lighting or construct new taxiways to provide more flexibility on the airfield, the administration said.

“Some airfields have complex layouts that can create confusion for pilots and other airport users. This funding will reconfigure complex taxiway and runway intersections to help prevent incursions and enhance the safety of the National Airspace System,” said FAA Associate Administrator Shannetta R Griffin. 

The Runway Incursion Mitigation (RIM) programme was developed to identify airports that have risk factors that might contribute to runway incursions. Those factors include complexity and airfield layout. As part of the RIM programme, the FAA, airports and industry work together to find solutions and share best practices. 

Funding is going to a number of key projects, among them: 

• $6m for Miami International Airport to shift one taxiway (L1) and fix the intersection of two others (M & Q)
• $13.4m to reconfigure four taxiways (U, E, F and H) to meet safety standards, shift two runways (8L/26R and 1L/19R) and install runway status and guard lights at Harry Reid International Airport
• $33.1m to construct a taxiway (C) at Tucson International Airport and shift and rebuild a runway (11R/29L) to be further away from a parallel runway 
• $1.17m to install runway guard lights Pensacola International Airport’s Runways 8/26 and 17/35 to address safety issues identified by a Runway Safety Action Team
• $844,000 for two parallel taxiways (L and D) to Runway 3 to eliminate the need for aircraft to back-taxi on the runway at Charles B Wheeler Downtown Airport in Kansas City.

The funding comes from several sources, including the FAA’s Airport Improvement Program and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. 

Image: Miami International Airport