Dallas Love Field Airport has taken a big step forward in enhancing flight safety with the recent implementation of a new system aimed at preventing runway incidents and monitoring flight patterns.
“It’s amazing technology,” Ron McCallum, a local pilot and aviation attorney, told Fox 4 KDFW. “We as pilots, of course, love it. We want to make sure that we’re safe.”
The airport joins a select group of 44 airports nationwide, including Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, that are now equipped with advanced Surface Awareness Initiative (SAI) technology. The system provides real-time visibility for aircraft controllers and enables them to monitor aircraft movements on the ground. It provides precise positional data of aircraft relative to each other, meaning controllers will no longer have to rely solely on their eyes and radio communication.
“This new technology will actually let the air traffic controllers see the aircraft on the ground on the radar. See them all the way to the runway,” Javier Centeno, superintendent of airside operations, told Fox 4.
Michael Emanuel from the FAA said that the SAI system costs millions of dollars, reported Fox 4. Funding for the new system comes from the FAA’s capital investment plan, and plans are underway to install the technology at additional airports across the country.
Safety standards in the aviation industry are under heightened scrutiny, with runway incursions alone up 25% over the last 10 years. Multiple investigations into Boeing have also occurred over the past several months.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, the Justice Department is considering offering the airplane manufacturer a plea deal to avoid criminal prosecution stemming from alleged fraud related to two fatal crashes. Boeing would be placed under probation for three years and would be required to undergo consistent safety audits to ensure adherence to aviation safety standards and regulations.