The International Air Transport Association (IATA), the Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation (CANSO), and Airports Council International (ACI) World have joined forces to launch a new global initiative aimed at significantly reducing the risk of runway incursions.
A runway incursion—defined as any unauthorized presence of an aircraft, vehicle, or person on a runway or within its protected area—remains one of aviation’s most critical safety concerns. While air travel remains the safest form of long-distance transport, recent high-profile and fatal incursion incidents underscore the urgent need for cross-industry action.
Preventing these events requires seamless coordination between airlines, airport operators, air navigation service providers (ANSPs), regulators, and frontline personnel.
The joint runway safety initiative focuses on three core pillars:
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Improving Data Capture and Safety Reporting: Enhancing the collection of safety data, including incident reports, near-misses, precursor events, and direct observations from frontline staff to identify emerging threats early.
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Strengthening Local Runway Safety Teams (LRSTs): Empowering local teams as the primary forum where airlines, airports, ANSPs, and stakeholders evaluate site-specific risks and agree on coordinated mitigations.
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Sharing Lessons Learned and Best Practices: Promoting the global exchange of operational insights so effective safety measures can be adopted quickly by airports and organizations with similar operating environments.
The initiative builds upon existing global safety frameworks, including the Global Action Plan for the Prevention of Runway Incursions (GAPPRI)—developed by ICAO, Eurocontrol, and the Flight Safety Foundation—as well as the ICAO Global Runway Safety Action Plan.
To drive practical implementation, the joint initiative leverages specialized tools and resources developed by the three organizations. These include ACI’s Runway Safety Team Implementation Package (part of its APEX in Safety program), the ACI/CANSO joint Runway Safety Checklist, IATA’s Runway Incursion Safety Risk Assessment, the GAPPRI gap-analysis tool for airlines, and risk evaluations conducted through the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) program.
Nick Careen, Senior Vice President, Operations, Safety, and Security, IATA said: “Flying is the safest form of long-distance travel. Maintaining that record requires a relentless focus on continuous improvement, supported by global standards, safety data, and collaboration. This initiative brings airlines, airports, and air navigation service providers together to identify runway risks earlier and take coordinated action.”
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Andrea Sack, Senior Vice President, Global Operations, CANSO said: “Runway safety depends on clear communication and coordinated decisions across the airport environment. Strong Local Runway Safety Teams bring controllers, airports, airlines, and other operational partners together to identify risks and agree on practical, effective solutions.”
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Darryl Dowd, Vice President of Safety, Security and Operations, ACI World said: “Airports sit at the center of this challenge, where every part of the aviation system converges. Local knowledge and sustained collaboration are what turn safety guidance into real reductions in risk, and ACI is committed to supporting our members as they put these tools to work.”
