The Department of Transportation Office of the Inspector General (IG) said in a report released last Thursday that runway incursions remain a persistent, serious problem, despite the FAA’s efforts to reduce their frequency. Though the focus of the IG’s study was at Boston Logan, Los Angeles International, Philadelphia International and Chicago O’Hare airports, where incursions have recently increased, the results of the study gave recommendations for system-wide improvements. The study said the FAA should engage in better information sharing to communicate root causes of deviations and communicate best practices that have worked to reduce incursions; focus more on controller human-factor issues and training; and improve accountability at the national level to ensure runway incursions remain a top priority. According to the study, runway incursions have decreased from a high of 407 in fiscal year 2001 to a low of 323 in fiscal year 2003. Since then, the numbers have remained relatively flat. According to the IG’s study, the FAA did not comment on how it would address the concerns noted in the report.