Columbia, Bellingham, Olympia, Harry Reid, Salt Lake City, Lincoln, and Sixty three more to Benefit from FAA’s Advanced Runway Incursion Device

Friday, March 21, 2025

The FAA’s Runway Incursion Device (RID) is set to be installed at Columbia, Bellingham, Olympia, Harry Reid, Salt Lake City, Lincoln, and 63 additional airports across the United States. This advanced safety technology will significantly enhance runway safety by providing real-time updates on runway conditions, helping to prevent incursions and reduce the risk of accidents. The initiative is part of the FAA’s broader effort to modernize airport safety systems, ensuring that both regional and major international airports benefit from improved air traffic control and surface situational awareness. With these upgrades, the FAA is taking proactive steps to safeguard aviation operations nationwide.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is taking significant steps to enhance the safety of U.S. airports by deploying the Runway Incursion Device (RID), a cutting-edge technology designed to improve runway safety and prevent incidents of runway incursions. This move is part of the FAA’s ongoing commitment to strengthening the overall safety of the aviation industry, especially in light of recent safety concerns and incidents. The Runway Incursion Device (RID) will be rolled out to 74 airports across the country over the next few years, marking a major advancement in runway safety.

The Runway Incursion Device: A Key Safety Feature

The Runway Incursion Device is an essential new tool for improving runway safety. It is designed to provide air traffic controllers with real-time updates on runway status, indicating whether a runway is occupied, closed, or open. This ability to quickly determine runway conditions will significantly reduce the risk of runway incursions—an issue that has been a concern for air traffic controllers and aviation authorities for years.

The RID technology is capable of monitoring up to eight runways simultaneously. According to the FAA, this system will gradually replace a variety of existing devices at control towers, ensuring that there is a unified and standardized tool for monitoring and controlling runway activities. As part of a long-term initiative, the system will be operational across various U.S. airports by 2026, and the FAA plans to have RID installed in 74 airports by this deadline.

Gradual Rollout of the Runway Incursion Device

The installation of the Runway Incursion Device will be a gradual process, with the system already operational at four airports: Centennial Airport in Colorado, Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas, Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport in Missouri, and Portland International Airport in Oregon. As the system expands, additional airports such as Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida, Hollywood Burbank Airport in California, and Boise Airport in Idaho will go live with the new system in just a month. By the time the installation is complete, the FAA aims to have RID operational at 74 airports nationwide, including major hubs and regional airports.

The FAA’s Runway Incursion Device initiative will soon extend to a wide range of airports across the United States, including Pocatello Regional, Dubuque Regional, Mahlon Sweet Field, Billings Logan International, Waterloo Regional, Columbia Regional, Eppley Airfield, Des Moines International, Harry Reid International, Waco Regional, Mobile Regional, Salt Lake City International, Lincoln, Robert Field, Spokane International, Great Falls International, Bangor International, Bob Hope, Bellingham International, Olympia Regional, and many more. This expansion is part of the FAA’s effort to install advanced safety technologies at airports nationwide, ensuring improved runway safety and reducing the risk of incursion incidents across both regional and international terminals.

The FAA’s Commitment to Safety: A Broader Initiative

The introduction of the Runway Incursion Device is just one part of the FAA’s broader airport safety enhancement initiative. The FAA has been actively developing and deploying advanced safety technologies to improve air traffic control and minimize the risks associated with surface traffic at airports. This effort is part of a larger, fast-tracked surface safety portfolio aimed at enhancing situational awareness and preventing incidents on the ground.

Alongside the Runway Incursion Device, the FAA has also introduced two other innovative technologies to strengthen safety protocols: the Surface Awareness Initiative (SAI) and the Approach Runway Verification (ARV) system.

Surface Awareness Initiative (SAI)

The Surface Awareness Initiative (SAI) is an advanced surface situational-awareness solution that uses Automatic Dependent Surveillance – Broadcast (ADS-B) data to display surface traffic to air traffic controllers. This system helps controllers visualize aircraft and ADS-B-equipped vehicles as icons on an airport map, highlighting runways, taxiways, hold ramps, and other relevant areas. The SAI has already been implemented at 18 airports, and the FAA plans to extend it to 32 additional airports by the end of the year.

Approach Runway Verification (ARV)

In March 2024, the FAA launched the Approach Runway Verification (ARV) system, another crucial safety tool that provides visual and audible alerts to controllers when an aircraft is lined up to land on the wrong airport surface. This tool helps prevent situations where planes mistakenly land on the wrong runway or even the wrong airport altogether. ARV is currently operational at 85 control towers across the U.S., with plans to gradually introduce it at more locations.

The FAA’s Commitment to the Safety Call to Action

In February 2023, the FAA issued a Safety Call to Action, a comprehensive plan to bolster aviation safety across the country. This initiative was launched in response to several near-miss incidents and growing concerns about airport safety. The Runway Incursion Device, along with the SAI and ARV systems, is a direct result of the Safety Call to Action.

Additionally, the FAA has proposed expanding the cockpit-voice recording requirement to enhance the identification of incident causes and improve overall safety practices. The agency is also investing hundreds of millions of dollars into infrastructure development and introducing new safety features at airports across the United States.

Recent Safety Concerns and the Need for Immediate Action

In recent months, several near-misses and aviation accidents have underscored the need for increased safety measures in the aviation industry. These incidents have prompted the FAA to accelerate the deployment of advanced technologies, such as the Runway Incursion Device and other surface situational awareness systems, to prevent further accidents and minimize the risks associated with runway operations.

The FAA’s Runway Incursion Device (RID) will be installed at Columbia, Bellingham, Olympia, Harry Reid, Salt Lake City, Lincoln, and 63 other U.S. airports, enhancing runway safety by providing real-time updates and preventing incursions. This initiative is part of the FAA’s broader effort to improve air traffic control and safety nationwide.

A Safer Future for Aviation

The Runway Incursion Device is a crucial step forward in enhancing aviation safety in the United States. By providing air traffic controllers with real-time data on runway conditions, this technology will significantly reduce the risk of runway incursions and other incidents on the ground. The FAA’s broader safety initiatives, including the Surface Awareness Initiative (SAI) and Approach Runway Verification (ARV) systems, are working together to create a safer environment for passengers, pilots, and ground personnel alike.

The gradual installation of these technologies at 74 airports across the country will not only improve safety but also ensure that the United States remains at the forefront of aviation technology and safety standards. With continued investment in infrastructure and cutting-edge solutions, the FAA is taking proactive steps to safeguard the future of air travel.

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