Certification of
Airports
and Runway Safety The US Perspective
To: ACI-Africa, Abuja, Nigeria
By: Michael J. O’Donnell, FAA
Date: September 2010
Federal Aviation
Administration
Authority to Certificate Airports
• In 1970, Congress authorizes
FAA under Title 49, United
States Code (U.S.C.) § 44706
to issue airport operating
certificates and establish
minimum airport safety
standards.
• Intent was to establish
minimum safety standards to
ensure the safety of the flying
public
September 2010
Federal Aviation
Administration
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Authority to Certificate Airports
• FAA's authority broadened by FAA
Reauthorization Act of 1996 (Public Law 104264).
• New authority allows FAA to also certificate
airports serving scheduled air carrier operations
conducted in aircraft with more than 9 seats but
less than 31 seats, except in the State of Alaska.
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Federal Aviation
Administration
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United States Airport System Overview
• United States accounts for approximately 40
percent of all commercial aviation and 50
percent of all general aviation activity in the
world.
• An extensive system of almost 20,000 airports
support this activity
• 556 public airports currently certificated
under part 139
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Administration
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United States Airport System Overview
• Civil Airports in the United States are generally
owned and operated by:
– Local governments
– State governments
– Port Authorities
– Airport Authorities
• Several civil airport operators operate out of
Military Airports. These are referred to as “Joint
Use Facilities.”
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Administration
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Part 139 Overview
• 556 airports currently certificated under part 139
• Total of 3,411 in the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems
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Administration
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Part 139, Subpart A – General
• Defines air carrier operations that require an
airport to be certificated under part 139.
• Defines terms specific to part 139, including:
– Large air carrier aircraft – at least 31 passenger seats
– Small air carrier aircraft – more than 9 passenger seats but
less than 31 passenger seats
• Requires compliance with part 139 in a manner
acceptable to the Administrator.
September 2010
Federal Aviation
Administration
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Part 139, Subpart B - Certification
• Requirement to have an operating certificate and
comply with requirements of part 139
• Procedures for applying for, issuing of, and
revocation of an airport operating certificate
• FAA authority to conduct inspections and test to
determine compliance
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Federal Aviation
Administration
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Duration of Certificate
• FAA cannot terminate an Airport Operating Certificate
because of lack of air carrier service
• An Airport Operating Certificate issued under this part is
effective until the certificate holder surrenders it or the
certificate is suspended or revoked by the Administrator
• However, airports not serving any air carrier operations
may be placed in an “inactive status” and not inspected
by FAA until air carrier operations return
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Federal Aviation
Administration
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Part 139, Subpart C - Airport
Certification Manual (ACM)
• Establishes requirements for the content, maintenance
and amendment of an ACM
• Required manual content varies between classes of airports;
most comprehensive required of Class I airports
• ACM – working document that outlines the means and
procedures used to comply with Part 139
– Airport Emergency Plan
– Wildlife Hazard Plan
September 2010
Federal Aviation
Administration
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Airport Emergency Plan
•
•
Provide sufficient guidance
on all emergencies and
abnormal conditions that the
airport is likely to encounter
Emergencies include aircraft
accidents, bomb threats,
sabotage, hijackings, major
fires, natural disasters
(floods, tornadoes,
earthquakes, power failures)
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Federal Aviation
Administration
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Airport Emergency Plan
• Coordination with
external agencies
• Reviewed annually
• Full scale exercise of
the plan every 3 years
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Federal Aviation
Administration
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Airport Certification
•
Airport Certification Includes
Responsibilities for
Recordkeeping
•
Facilities and Procedures
Inspected
Pavement Conditions
Safety Areas
Lighting, Marking, Signs
Hazardous Materials
Traffic & Wind Indicators
Ground Vehicles/Driver Training
September 2010
Federal Aviation
Administration
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Airport Certification
•
•
•
•
Aircraft Rescue & Firefighting
Bird & Wildlife Hazards
Self-inspection Procedures
Airport Condition
Assessment/Reporting
• Control of Hazards from
Construction
• Emergency Plan
• Snow Removal Plan
September 2010
Federal Aviation
Administration
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Enforcement Action
Enforcement
1. Administrative Enforcement:
a. Letter of Correction
b. Warning Letter
2. Legal Enforcement:
a. Monetary Penalty – up to $25,000 per day per
incident
b. Suspension or Revocation of the Airport
Operating Certificate
September 2010
Federal Aviation
Administration
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Runway Safety:
Surface Operations Risk Factors
Minimal separation and rapid pace
High-speed operations with little margin for error
Complex environment
Low visibility in
poor weather
Combination of Factors Minimizes Safety Margin
September 2010
Federal Aviation
Administration
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Airports are complex environments
• At more than 500 towered airports in the
U.S. last year
–
–
–
–
600,000 pilots
61 million takeoffs and landings
Handled by about 14,000 controllers
Hundreds of thousands of individuals who drive on
airports
September 2010
Federal Aviation
Administration
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Runway Safety Fatality Data
1995 – 2008
1429 total 492 fatal accidents (33%)
Number of Fatal Accidents (Onboard Fatalities)
Incursions:
5
(129)
Excursions:
31
(680)
2
(132)
Confusion:
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Federal Aviation
Administration
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All Categories of Runway Incursions
1200
892
1009
951
16.0
816
14.0
14.57
600
13.34
557
400
12.0
10.0
200
0
18.0
FY06
FY07
FY08
FY09
FY10
61.13
61.15
58.56
52.65
32.03
Airport Operations (millions)
September 2010
Runway Incursion Rate
17.23
1000
800
Rate est.
17.39* as
of 05/24/10
Runway Incursions per 1,000,000 Airport Operations
18.08
* Rates are based on Estimated Tower Operations
Federal Aviation
Administration
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2
New Airport Markings
Enhanced Taxiway Centerline
Surface Holding Position Signs
http://www.faa.gov/airports/airport_safety/signs_marking/
September 2010
Federal Aviation
Administration
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Runway Status Lights (RWSL)
Configurations
Runway Entrance Lights (RELs)
September 2010
Takeoff Hold Lights (THLs)
Federal Aviation
Administration
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RWSL Installation Plan
• RWSL will be installed at 23 ASDE-X
airports
• Contract awarded fall 2008
• FAA owns, operates, and maintains entire
system
• Initial Operational Readiness Summer 2010
September 2010
Federal Aviation
Administration
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Recommendation – Highlight the taxiway centerline from
Alpha around the corner towards Runway 3 and install a
surface painted destination sign for Runway 3.
Southwest
FOE
September 2010
Federal Aviation
Administration
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Recommendation Implemented
FOE
September 2010
Federal Aviation
Administration
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LESSONS LEARNED
• BURBANK,
CALIFORNIA
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Administration
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September 2010
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Administration
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Lack of RESA
September 2010
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Administration
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Lack of RESA, Insufficient Runway
Strip and Obstacles
September 2010
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Administration
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Safety and Security Issues
Unauthorized
personnel
Insufficient
Runway Strip
Width
September 2010
Federal Aviation
Administration
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Engineered Materials Arresting
System (EMAS) Installations
Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport, LA
Little Rock Airport, AR
September 2010
Photos Courtesy
of ESCO
Roanoke Regional Airport, WV
Greater Binghamton Airport, NY
Federal Aviation
Administration
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Successful EMAS Capture
Courtesy: ESCO
EMAS capture of a Boeing 747 at JFK International Airport, NY
January 2005
September 2010
Federal Aviation
Administration
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Successful EMAS Capture
EMAS capture of a Falcon 900 at Greenville Downtown Airport, SC
July 17, 2006
September 2010
Federal Aviation
Administration
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Successful EMAS Capture
September 2010
Federal Aviation
Administration
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Successful EMAS Capture
September 2010
Federal Aviation
Administration
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Wildlife Hazard Mitigation
September 2010
Federal Aviation
Administration
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Wildlife Hazard Mitigation R&D
• Purpose: Reduce Wildlife Strike Risk to Aircraft
September 2010
Federal Aviation
Administration
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Wildlife Hazard Management Plan
• Provide measures to alleviate or eliminate
wildlife hazards.
• Identify persons who have authority for
implementing the plan.
• Priorities for needed habitat modification.
• Identification of resources for the plan.
• Procedures to be followed during air carrier
operations.
• Wildlife control measures.
September 2010
Federal Aviation
Administration
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Wildlife Hazard Mitigation
• Habitat modification
– Grass height,
– Type of grass,
– Harrassment
• Effigies
– Relocation
• Wildlife alerting system
– Portable radar
– Airport GIS overlay
• DNA analysis at Smithsonian
• Strike database (wildlife-mitigation.tc.faa.gov)
September 2010
Federal Aviation
Administration
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Avian Radar
Examples of Commercial Systems
September 2010
Federal Aviation
Administration
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Project Deployments of Avian Radars
Whidbey Island Naval Air Station
Chicago O’Hare Int’l Airport
Seattle-Tacoma
SeattleInt’l Airport
JFK Int’l
Airport
NCAR
Center of Excellence for
Airport Technology
Dallas Ft. Worth Int’l Airport
September 2010
Federal Aviation
Administration
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Airport Safety Management Systems (SMS)
• ICAO required certificated airports to have in
operation an SMS by November 24, 2005
• A proactive, systematic, and integrated method of
managing safety for airport operators.
• Requires a system approach to development of
safety policies, procedures, and practices.
• Formal safety risk management procedures that
provide risk analysis and assessment is essential.
September 2010
Federal Aviation
Administration
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SMS Implementation in FAA
•
Have issued SMS AC to introduce
SMS to airports
•
Have conducted SMS pilot at large
and small airports
•
Issued internal FAA SMS Order
5200.11
•
ACRP SMS publication provides
information to airports
•
Will amend Part 139 to require
certificated airports to implement SMS
September 2010
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Administration
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Federal Aviation
Administration
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Ø Intro to ARFF
Ø Airport Familiarization
Ø Aircraft familiarization
Ø Fire fighter personnel safety
Ø Emergency communications
Ø Fire Fighting equipment
Ø Extinguishing Agents
Ø Aircraft evacuation
Ø Fire Fighting Operations
Ø Using the Emergency Response Guide book
September 2010
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Administration
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September 2010
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September 2010
Federal Aviation
Administration
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ARFF TRAINING DVD II
QDeveloped in conjunction w/ new Advisory
Circular
Q What will it cover?
QCargo aircraft
QHigh Reach Extendible Turret (HRET).
QCutting and accessing an aircraft
September 2010
Federal Aviation
Administration
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Automated FOD
Detection
Federal Aviation
Administration
Why is the FAA Interested?
“It has become clearer
that this was a unique
accident caused by a
one-off chance of a
piece of metal lying on
the runway“.
To: ACI-Africa, Abuja, Nigeria
By: Michael J. O’Donnell, FAA
Date: September 2010
-Concorde crash
preliminary report
Aviation
Automated FOD DetectionFederal
Administration
QinetiQ – Tarsier Radar, Providence, RI
To: ACI-Africa, Abuja, Nigeria
By: Michael J. O’Donnell, FAA
Date: September 2010
Automated FOD Detection
XSight - FODetect
September 2010
Federal Aviation
Administration
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Tarsier Camera in operation
September 2010
Federal Aviation
Administration
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Tarsier Camera in operation
September 2010
Federal Aviation
Administration
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Example FOD finds by the QinetiQ
system
September 2010
Federal Aviation
Administration
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Automated FOD Detection
• Develop performance standards for
Automated FOD Detection Systems.
• Published Technical Note documenting
research.
• Developed FAA Advisory Circular 150/5220-24,
Airport Foreign Object Debris (FOD) Detection
Equipment
• Enable civil airports opportunity to apply for
Federal funding to procure systems
September 2010
Federal Aviation
Administration
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QUESTIONS?
Michael J. O’Donnell, A.A.E.
Director, Airport Safety & Standards AAS-1
800 Independence Blvd, SW, RM 620
Washington, D.C. 20591
(202) 267-3053
mike.o’donnell@faa.gov
September 2010
Federal Aviation
Administration
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