FAA to Hold Safety Summit to Address Increase in Runway Incursions

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is set to hold a safety summit next week to assess the risks for travelers following a series of close calls at US airports this year. The FAA Acting Administrator, Billy Nolen, called the meeting last month in response to the 613 runway incursion incidents that have occurred so far this year, compared with 1,732 in all of 2022.

In a memo, Nolen wrote that “we are experiencing the safest period in aviation history, but we cannot take this for granted”. He also told lawmakers that the agency wants to get to the bottom of the spike in incidents and “stare into the data and ask hard questions”.

CNN aviation reporter Pete Muntean, who is also a pilot, said that near-misses on runways are more common than the traveling public may realize. He believes that there are likely some common underlying factors that can explain the increase in incidents.

The FAA has not yet released any details about the safety summit, but it is expected to bring together experts from the aviation industry, government agencies, and other stakeholders to discuss the issue. The agency is also expected to release a report on the findings of the summit.

The FAA’s safety summit is an important step towards ensuring the safety of travelers and addressing the recent spike in runway incursions. It is hoped that the summit will provide answers and solutions to the issue.