FAA to fast-track runway incursion system at 74 airports
March 24, 2025
The FAA is to expedite the implementation of Runway Incursion Devices (RIDs) at 74 air traffic control towers, the final of three fast-tracked initiatives proposed in its February 2023 ‘Safety Call to Action’, and part of a wider plan to strengthen the nation’s ATC provision.
The new devices – described by the regulator as “a memory aid for air traffic controllers that improves safety by indicating when a runway is occupied or closed” – can identify up to eight runways and will replace a variety of pre-existing technologies. Already operational in four locations (including Colorado, Texas, Portland and Oregon), a further three airports are earmarked for its installation within the next month. 69 other locations will benefit from the technology by the end of next year.
Colorado’s Centennial airport was the first to use the customisable technology, with air traffic manager Brady Flowers explaining: “If there are snowplows or other snow equipment, controllers can set an audible alarm and visual cue. If you’re clearing someone for takeoff or clearing someone to land on an occupied runway, it will alert you with an audible ‘check runway’ and flashing light”. The ‘memory aid’ can also be applied to taxiways or ramps as each site sees fit.
“These initiatives will continue to address the needs of our controllers by cutting through the red tape and bringing the most up-to-date technologies to their fingertips,” commented acting FAA administrator Chris Rocheleau.
Other ongoing situational awareness solutions in the FAA’s fast-tracked surface safety portfolio include the Surface Awareness Initiative system (SAI) and Approach Runway Verification system (ARV), active in 18 and 85 airports respectively. The FAA intends to install SAI at 32 further locations by the end of 2025.
