FAA Pushes Runway Safety Initiatives

Air Safety Week,  Jan 14, 2008  

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The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) proposes to extend enhanced standards for taxiway centerline markings to all U.S. certificated airports and strongly recommends regular recurrent driver training for all persons with access to the airport movement areas and ramp apron areas of those aviation facilities.

Last August, the FAA and industry moved to reduce runway incursions and otherwise enhance safety at U.S. airports by improving cockpit procedures, airport signage and markings, air traffic procedures, and training. Enhanced airports signs and markings were implemented within 60 days at many airports. Other short-term steps focused on improved procedures and increased training for airport and airline personnel.

The FAA adopted the enhanced taxiway centerline as the standard at medium and large airports (those with more than 1.5 million annual enplanements). The 75 largest U.S. airports are required to upgrade their markings by June 30, 2008, and most have already completed the work. Of a total of 567 certificated airports, more than 300 are in some stage of voluntarily adopting the standard.

The August initiative extends the requirement to all airports certificated under Part 139 and is also mandatory for airport projects receiving federal funds under the Airport Grant Assistance and the Passenger Facility Charge programs. The December 2007 draft change to Advisory Circular (AC) Standard Airport Markings would adopt the enhanced marking as standard signage at all certificated airports. The due date for public comments is February 26.

The FAA also advocates regular recurrent driver training for all persons with access to the movement area and ramp apron areas. All of the 567 certificated airports in the United States require initial and recurrent training for airport employees such as airport police and airport maintenance workers.

As a result of the August initiative, there are 385 airports that require recurrent training for non-airport employees, such as Fixed-Based Operators or airline mechanics and an additional 97 airports plan to adopt this requirement. The draft AC Ground Vehicle Operations on Airports encourages all certificated airports to conduct initial and recurrent driver training for all those working in ramp and movement areas. Comments are due by February 26.

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