The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced on Wednesday that it will be outfitting all airport vehicles with technology to enhance air-traffic controller monitoring following the fatal Air Canada jet crash at New York’s LaGuardia Airport in March. The FAA will allocate $16.5 million US ($22.6 million) towards incorporating Vehicle Movement Area Transmitters (VMATs) on its airport vehicles across the country.
According to FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford, the implementation of VMATs aids in averting hazardous runway incidents. By expediting the deployment of this technology, the FAA aims to address critical visibility limitations on the nation’s runways and taxiways.
The decision to equip airport vehicles with transponders was prompted by the tragic collision between an Air Canada plane and a fire truck at LaGuardia Airport on March 22. The National Transportation Safety Board’s preliminary report highlighted that the involved truck lacked a transponder.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, responsible for overseeing LaGuardia and other regional airports, declared its intention to install transponders on vehicles operating around runways. Additionally, the airport’s surface surveillance system, ASDE-X, actively monitors aircraft and vehicles in real-time to aid air traffic controllers in averting runway incidents.
The FAA’s initiative to install transponders at airports nationwide aligns with its previous recommendation for airports with ASDE-X systems to voluntarily equip emergency vehicles with transponders to enhance airfield safety. Approximately 1,900 vehicles at 44 airports with ASDE-X and Airport Surface Surveillance Capability (ASSC) systems will receive transponders, along with an additional 220 airports with Surface Awareness Initiative surveillance systems to enhance visibility and awareness for controllers.
The FAA’s statement encourages airports and airlines to follow suit in equipping their vehicles with transponders for enhanced safety measures.