FAA reports progress on runway incursions

The Federal Aviation Administration reported last week that it has made significant progress in reducing the number of “runway incursions” at the nation’s airports – i.e., incidents of airplanes being on the wrong runway or intruding on an active runway being used for takeoffs or landings. During the fiscal year 2007, the FAA said, it successfully reduced the number of serious runway incursions by 25 percent, to a total of just 24 incidents, or one for every 2,545,000 flight operations. The number of serious runway incursions has declined by 55 percent since 2001, the agency said. The FAA’s ongoing program of improvements to prevent runway incursions includes better training for controllers and other airport personnel, improved airport signage, and more visible runway markings. In the future, the FAA said, it intends to deploy new technology that will detect all movement on runways and taxiways, providing controllers with instant alerts of potential conflicts.