In mild of the current critical runway incursions at U.S. airports, the Workplace of Inspector Normal (OIG) on the Division of Transportation is initiating an audit to evaluate the FAA’s processes for analyzing information and figuring out dangers related to runway incursions, and actions for stopping and mitigating runway incursions at major business service airports.

Runway incursions—incidents involving unauthorized plane, automobiles, or individuals on a runway—have been a longstanding problem for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the aviation trade. 

For the reason that starting of January 2023, there was a sequence of incidents the place plane have come dangerously shut to one another on runways, together with incidents at John F. Kennedy Worldwide Airport, Austin-Bergstrom Worldwide Airport, and Boston Logan Worldwide Airport. The FAA has labeled these incidents as critical class A and B runway incursions and, with the current uptick in these shut calls at business airports, there was elevated scrutiny on the FAA and the aviation trade to deal with this essential security situation. 

In response, FAA has taken a number of actions supposed to forestall and mitigate these incursions, together with a Name to Motion by the FAA Performing Administrator that (1) shaped a security evaluation staff specializing in the U.S. aerospace system’s runway security efforts; (2) held a security summit in March 2023 with aviation trade stakeholders; and (3) referred to as for re-examining runway incursion information to determine related critical runway incursions and indications of rising traits. Moreover, in Might 2023, FAA awarded greater than $100 million in grants to 12 airports to scale back runway incursions, with most of those funds allotted for tasks at business airports. 

OIG plans to start the audit this month at FAA Headquarters and chosen area websites.

Learn extra at OIG