FLYING Magazine
A bipartisan airport runway safety bill that aims to reduce runway incursions and other surface safety incidents has cleared the Senate Commerce Committee and will head to that chamber’s floor, according to one of the legislators who introduced it.
Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) said Wednesday in a post on X that the Runway Surface Awareness and Focused, Effective Training and Technology (Runway SAFE-T) Act moved one step closer to becoming law. The bill’s introduction in August came a few months after an Air Canada Bombardier CRJ-900 collided with a fire truck while landing at LaGuardia Airport (KLGA), killing two pilots and injuring dozens of others.
“After recent runway incidents, I introduced this legislation with [Senator John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.)] to strengthen airport surface safety, improve training and technology for ground vehicle operators, and prevent future incidents,” Moran wrote. “I look forward to supporting this bill on the floor of the full Senate.”
Among the bill’s supporters are Airports Council International-North America (ACI-NA) and the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA), Professional Aviation Safety Specialists (PASS) union, Air Medical Operators Association (AMOA), and Air Traffic Control Association (ATCA).
The American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE) on Wednesday posted on social media its support of the legislation.
“We applaud the Senate Commerce Committee for advancing the bipartisan Runway SAFE-T Act, a commonsense measure that will advance aviation safety by strengthening training for personnel operating on runways and taxiways,” the AAAE wrote on X.
What Runway SAFE-T Would Do
According to the bill’s sponsors, the Runway SAFE-T Act aims to reduce runway incursions by improving airport vehicle training and expanding the use of surface safety technology.
Per a March publication from the Congressional Research Service (CRS), about 40 U.S. airports are equipped with Airport Surface Detection Equipment, Model X (ASDE-X) or Airport Surface Surveillance Capability (ASSC) systems. LaGuardia, for example, has an ASDE-X system.
However, about 200 airports lack any surface monitoring capability. Equipping these locations with new surface awareness initiative (SAI) and surface movement radar (SMR) technologies is one pillar of the FAA’s three-year Brand New Air Traffic Control System (BNATCS) modernization project. SAI and SMR are designed to help controllers better track aircraft and vehicles on runways and taxiways, in all weather and visibility conditions.
Runway SAFE-T would complement the ongoing BNATCS projects by creating an FAA-led task force charged with reviewing airport driver training programs and recommending best practices for ground vehicle operations. The panel would comprise representatives from airports, the FAA, the National Transportation Safety Board, emergency response organizations, airport vehicle operators, and other stakeholders.
The legislation would also allow airports to draw from existing FAA Airport Safety and Resilient Infrastructure Discretionary Program (ASRID) funding. The funds would be used to establish technologies and training intended to reduce vehicle-related runway incursions and improve situational awareness for ground personnel.
Why Now?
The Runway SAFE-T Act comes in response to several recent incidents and close calls.
Investigators analyzing the LaGuardia runway incursion are examining the lack of transponders on emergency vehicles at the airport, including the fire truck that inadvertently entered the runway as the Air Canada jet was landing. The device could have allowed LaGuardia’s ASDE-X system to automatically alert controllers of the impending collision.
There have also been several close calls due to runway incursions in recent years.
In June, an American Airlines Airbus A319 rejected its takeoff from Miami International (KMIA) when an Embraer Phenom 300 entered the same runway without clearance. In January, a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 similarly had to abort takeoff after a Pilatus PC-12 made a wrong turn onto the runway at San Antonio International (KSAT).
“Close calls are warning signs and serve as a reminder that our aviation system is fragile,” Moran said in a statement in August. “It should not take a tragedy for Congress and industry to act, and the Runway SAFE-T Act takes critical steps to identify and address issues before incidents occur.”
According to the March CRS publication, the total number of runway incursions in the U.S. has remained stable at around 1,700 annually since 2022, while other estimates put the figure a bit lower. Still, severe runway incursions jumped 44 percent in 2025, the FAA Safety Team said in August.
The agency’s Airports Runway Incursion Mitigation (RIM) Program tracks airport locations with the highest number of runway incursions. Earlier this year, the FAA shared a list of more than 150 airports with “hot spots” where there is increased risk during surface operations.