They are called runway incursions.
Which is just a fancy aviation term for the near-misses and
near-collisions in the air over airports and on runways. The Federal Aviation
Administration has ordered more than 90 airports to hold emergency meetings
about the problem.
The issue has only intensified lately as critics, including
United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby, have blamed the FAA for a shortage of air
traffic controllers.
And it’s not just commercial airliners and small private
planes.
At Boston Logan Airport in June, an American Airlines aircraft
and a Delta flight nearly collided. A pilot of one of the planes could be heard
screaming in the background to air traffic controllers to cut off the takeoff.
Pilots have also either dismissed or misinterpreted
instructions on which runway to use—just earlier this month at San Diego
International, a Southwest plane had to abort a takeoff to miss colliding with
a Cessna private plane.
There were nearly 1,700 runway incursions last year and 985
so far this year. There were 46 runway incursions in the month of July this
year alone.
The meetings are being billed as a refresher on runway
safety. The sessions are said to focus on situational awareness in cockpits and
air traffic towers.
“Everyone needs to be more diligent and double down on
safety,” says Captain Jason Ambrosi, nationwide president of the Air Line
Pilots Association.
One contributing factor to the runway incursions could be
the shortage of nearly 1,200 air traffic controllers. Not only is there a
shortage, but many are working double shifts or six days a week.
In a statement, the FAA said, “The U.S. Aviation System is
the safest in the world, but one close call is one too many.”
For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe
to the daily TravelPulse
newsletter.
Topics From This Article to Explore
