Responding to a 40-percent rise in runway incursion incidents reported during 2013, Italy’s National Flight Safety Agency (the ANSV) has issued four safety recommendations. The agency said that of the 151 total runway incursions reported last year, 24 involved animals, while the remainder involved vehicles, aircraft or people.
Rome Fiumicino Airport logged the most incursions (26), followed by Bologna (14) and Milan Linate (10).
The total number of incursions so far this year sits at 65.
The ANSV’s four recommendations focus on ensuring vehicles operating on runway areas are equipped with radios that maintain a listening watch on VHF channels that allow the driver to hear ATC communications. All people working near runways should also be taught the critical elements of working near movement areas. The ANSV recommended a survey to verify improvements needed to reduce runway incursions. All relevant airport vehicles should also be equipped with a mode-S transponder that allows full integration with the airport ground movement radar.