Story ID: 
EASA Proposal Aims to Enhance Runway Safety
By: Gordon Gilbert
Caption: Two proposals are aimed at mitigating risks to runway safety.
Word Count: 191
A notice of proposed rulemaking (NPA) from EASA aims to mitigate risks associated with runway safety, focusing mainly on preventing runway incursions and excursions, and on assessing and reporting runway surface conditions. The NPA also addresses ground collisions, runway confusion, foreign object damage, and related occurrences, as well as runway pavement maintenance.

In particular, the proposed rule changes the framework for the operation and conformance of vehicles and their drivers in aircraft movement areas. Linked to this is a new requirement on communications and a proposal for controlling pedestrians at airports.

New requirements would also be introduced for assessing and reporting runway surface conditions, snow control plans, airport maintenance, aircraft towing, and performance standards for runway surface-friction measurement devices. This latter requirement also provides for alignment with ICAO recommendations as regards runway surface condition assessment and reporting which will be applicable worldwide by November 2020. Comments on the NPA are due March 18.

At the same time that NPA was published, EASA released a related NPA, also with a comment deadline of March 18. This proposal revises rules to improve firefighting and rescue operations at airports.