What is the issue?
Aerodromes are high-risk environments. Almost 70% of all fatal air accidents happen at or around airports, such as runway incursions. This complex issue involves a lot of different aspects: airport design, lighting, markings, signage, wildlife control. All of these elements have to be carefully considered in order to make airports as safe as possible.
Why is the issue important to ECA?
Given the number of accidents happening at airports, there is a need to improve airport safety. For this, it is essential that pilots, as one of the end-users of the airports, are included in airport safety teams to provide their operational perspective.
(c) Image: Shutterstock/ Joyfull
How is ECA involved?
ECA and pilots have been active in aerodromes for many years and at different levels.
First of all, at the national level, ECA encourages pilots to become members of the Local Runway Safety Teams set up at the airport level and in charge of looking at all safety aspects of the airport in order to improve them. ECA also supports the International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Association (IFALPA), who has developed useful trainings for pilot representatives in these teams.
Secondly, at the European level, ECA’s involvement is twofold. We have been active for many years at EUROCONTROL working groups on Runway Incursions and Excursions. We have contributed to the drafting of the European Action Plan for the Prevention of Runway Incursions (EAPPRI) and advised on the study on Runway Excursions. ECA representatives have also been involved in the drafting of the European Action Plan for the Prevention of Runway Excursions. At EASA, since the Agency started its work on aerodromes in 2010, ECA pilot experts have been involved in the drafting of EASA rules on aerodrome safety.
