Citing a recent uptick in the number of the most serious runway incursions, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has scheduled a roundtable discussion on those events and the dangers they pose. NTSB chair Jennifer Homendy will host the May 23 in-person roundtable, which will bring together industry, labor, and government safety experts to probe the current issues and develop possible solutions and next steps.
The Safety Board noted that the number of runway incursions, which are defined as “the incorrect presence of an aircraft, vehicle, or person on a runway,” have actually remained stable over the past decade. However, the most serious types of incursions have been increasing, and the NTSB has opened six investigations on such events since the beginning of the year. These events have gained national attention and led to an FAA Safety Summit in March.
“I look forward to hosting a candid assessment of what’s been done to prevent runway incursions in the years since our last event on the topic—and to spur meaningful, immediate action on the areas where we’re stalled,” Homendy said.
The roundtable will be held at the NTSB Boardroom and Conference Center in Washington, D.C., from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. While it will not be webcast live, the roundtable will be recorded and made available on the NTSB YouTube channel.