FAA is spending $100 million to help prevent runway accidents
The news
The Federal Aviation Administration said Tuesday it has awarded more than $100 million to a dozen airports to help prevent accidents following a series of near misses this year. The money is intended to reduce “incursions,” in which planes, vehicles and people mistakenly occupy or block runways.
The money will fund changes, including the construction of new paths or taxiways for planes to move around airports and the installation of lights to better guide pilots. Tucson International Airport receives the largest award, approximately $33 million, for the construction of a taxiway and reconstruction of a runway. San Diego International Airport will receive $24 million to build a new taxiway.
“Sometimes the best technology is concrete, which is why some of what you’re seeing is the construction of these taxiways that mean less of a potential point of conflict where an airplane lines up,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said at a news conference Tuesday.
Why it matters: Raids are subsidized but remain a concern.
The announcement comes as the number of runway incursions has declined after peaking at the beginning of the year. On Tuesday, the FAA said the number of the most concerning types of raids rose to one in every million takeoffs and landings in January, but the number has since halved.
A series of shocking raids early in the year received a lot of attention. In an incident at New York’s Kennedy International Airport, one plane was forced to abort takeoff because another had crossed dangerously close to it. In another episode, at Austin Bergstrom International Airport in Texas, a pilot had to abort the landing because the runway was being used by another plane for takeoff.
In March, the FAA held a security freeze to address the raids and other security concerns. It also issued a bulletin to airlines, airport operators and employees, calling on airlines to exercise caution when conducting operations. The National Transportation Safety Board is holding an event Tuesday to discuss raids.
There have been about 550 runway incursions this year through April, up from 530 in the same period last year. according to the FAA.
Background: The aviation system has had many problems.
The problem of runway incursions comes from demand for air travel rising as people move beyond the pandemic and spend more money on travel and other services they have avoided in recent years.
But as demand has increased, airlines and government agencies are struggling to keep up. Around Christmas last year, Southwest Airlines canceled thousands of flights, stranding millions of travelers, after failing to recover quickly from disruptions caused by frigid weather. Weeks later, the FAA briefly halted all departures nationwide to resolve a technical issue.
Many experts have warned that airlines and the FAA, which controls the air traffic system, could face a tough time this summer, when the number of people flying could exceed prepandemic levels. Airline executives and FAA officials have said they are making changes that should minimize disruptions in the coming months.
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Zach Montague reporting contributed.