The Federal Aviation Administration is sending new safety systems to four airports to prevent aircraft collisions.
The Surface Awareness Initiative system uses satellite data to display surface traffic for air traffic controllers.
The airports receiving SAI are Dallas Love Field, Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, Nashville International Airport and Indianapolis International Airport. They will receive it by July, the FAA said Monday, with other facilities getting it next year.
The new tools come on the heels of close calls. In January 2023 a Delta Air Lines flight had its takeoff clearance frantically canceled at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York after air traffic controllers noticed an American Airlines plane crossing the runway.
“This cost-effective technology provides controllers with timely and accurate depictions of aircraft and vehicles on the entire airfield in all weather conditions,” FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker said in a statement.
In addition to the SAI system, the FAA plans to roll out devices that let pilots and air traffic controllers know whether a runway is occupied before a plane is cleared to land or take off, as well as tools that let controllers see whether a plane is landing on the wrong surface or even at the wrong airport.
The Runway Incursion Device will be tested at five airports in June. The FAA plans to have RID installed at five airports by November, with rollout to a total of 74 airports starting in 2025.
• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.
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