Sens. Moran, Hickenlooper Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Improve Airport Surface Safety

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.) - chairman and member of the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Aviation, Space and Innovation - today introduced the bipartisan Runway Surface Awareness and Focused, Effective Training and Technology (Runway SAFE-T) Act to improve airport driver training and support technologies to reduce runway incursions and other surface safety incidents.

The bipartisan legislation aims to address safety gaps that have contributed to a number of recent close calls in the national airspace system, including one at LaGuardia Airport in March when a jet collided with an airport fire truck that entered the runway while the aircraft was landing. The incident resulted in the deaths of two pilots and injuries to dozens of passengers and emergency responders. The legislation is cosponsored by Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.) and John Kennedy (R-La.).

"Close calls are warning signs and serve as a reminder that our aviation system is fragile," said Sen. Moran. "This legislation brings together the expertise and insight of aviation leaders from government and industry to identify recommendations that will strengthen runway operations, improve ground vehicle safety and bolster overall airport surface safety. It should not take a tragedy for Congress and industry to act, and the Runway SAFE-T Act takes critical steps to identify and address issues before incidents occur."

"The year is only halfway over, and we've already seen more than 500 runway incursions across the country," said Sen. Hickenlooper. "We must do everything we can to improve aviation safety by ensuring airports large and small have the training and technology they need to keep workers and passengers safe."

"Americans deserve to have air travel that is safe, dependable, and efficient," said Sen. Klobuchar. "This bipartisan legislation will help keep travelers and airport workers safe by improving training for airport vehicle operators and modernizing technology to prevent runway collisions."

"Safety on the ground is as important as safety in the skies," said Sen. Wicker. "This bill would help equip ground crews with more tools to keep passengers safe in Mississippi and throughout the country."

"As air travel continues to reach record highs, every traveler should feel confident they'll reach their destination safely," said Sen. Blunt Rochester. "The devastating crash at LaGuardia Airport earlier this year makes clear that we must do more. I'm proud to support the Runway SAFE-T Act to increase investments in airport logistics, training, and technology that will keep travelers safe on the ground and in the sky."

"Safety has always been the top priority with air travel, and Americans should have confidence in our aviation industry," said Sen. Fischer. "This bipartisan legislation gives our airports and workers what they need to maintain safe travel experiences on the ground and in the sky."

"American airports should be the gold standard in passenger and airport worker safety," said Sen. Cortez Masto. "This commonsense, bipartisan bill gives hardworking airport staff the tools they need to keep everyone safe. I'll continue working across the aisle to ensure that the busiest airports in the country - including the Harry Reid and Reno-Tahoe Airports - can provide a safe travel experience."

"As the birthplace of aviation, it's critical we take commonsense measures to ensure America's airports, runways, and airspace remain the safest in the world," said Sen. Sheehy. "Every close call is a warning we can't ignore, and this bipartisan bill will ensure airport personnel receive the training and technology necessary to keep travelers safe."

"Common sense tells us you don't ignore warning signs. Congress should not wait for another preventable tragedy before acting. The Runway SAFE-T Act will help give our airports the training and technology they need to keep passengers and airport workers safe," said Sen. Kennedy.

On June 23, Sen. Moran chaired a subcommittee hearing to examine recent close calls in the national airspace system, as well as efforts to improve aviation safety, where he highlighted that he would soon be introducing the Runway SAFE-T Act to help address challenges raised during the hearing.

Specifically, the Runway SAFE-T Act would:

1. Establish a task force to improve airport driver training that is comprised of airport organizations, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) designees, individuals familiar with aviation training technologies, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), emergency rescue aircraft organizations, airport vehicle operators and any individuals deemed appropriate by the FAA Administrator.
2. 1. The task force would make recommendations to the FAA Administrator regarding best practices for the operation of ground vehicles, including improved training programs and training technologies. After one year, the task force would compile a report with the recommendations.
3. Utilize existing federal resources from the FAA's Airport Safety and Resilient Infrastructure Discretionary Program to be used on technology and training to improve safe operations of ground vehicles.
4. 1. The resources would prioritize projects designed to support runway operational safety by reducing vehicle runway incursions and other surface safety incidents, as well as to improve situational awareness for ground vehicle operators in the movement area.

"ACI-NA appreciates Senator Moran's leadership in advancing the Runway SAFE-T Act, important legislation to improve runway safety at airports nationwide," said Kevin M. Burke, President and CEO, Airports Council International-North America. "The bill would bring together a diverse group of stakeholders - including airport industry representatives - to enhance driver training programs, with a focus on consistency, recurrent training, and new technologies. It would also help airports deploy technology to reduce vehicle-related surface incidents and improve situational awareness. ACI-NA urges Congress to swiftly pass the bill to better protect passengers, airport workers, and the traveling public."

"As strong proponents of utilizing training and technology to improve aviation safety, GAMA applauds Senator Moran's leadership on the Runway SAFE-T Act and supports its introduction," said James Viola, President and CEO, General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA). "This legislation will assist in facilitating a stronger aviation safety culture by identifying effective training methods and programs, where improvements in practices can be made, as well supporting targeted funding to upgrade airport safety technologies to prevent runway incursions and other surface incidents."

"A single runway incursion is one too many. The Runway Surface Awareness and Focused, Effective Training and Technology Act (Runway SAFE-T Act) recognizes that protecting the flying public and the aviation professionals who need to access runways requires investing in people, technology and training that keeps the United States National Airspace System safe," said Dave Spero, National President, Professional Aviation Safety Specialists (PASS). "FAA employees are on the front lines of that mission every day. PASS supports efforts that provide them with the tools, staffing and resources needed to prevent accidents. There are no shortcuts to safety."

"AMOA appreciates Senator Moran's leadership in advancing this legislation and his commitment to improving airport surface safety. We also appreciate that the bill recognizes the important role of air medical operators by including their representatives on the FAA task force established to improve airport driver training and surface safety." - Air Medical Operators Association (AMOA)

The Runway SAFE-T Act is also supported by the Air Traffic Control Association (ATCA), General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA), American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE), AFL-CIO, Brotherhood of Teamsters and Association of Air Medical Services (AAMS).

Full text of the legislation can be found HERE.

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