Surface traffic alerts improve runway safety

Runway incursion (any presence of unauthorised entities on a runway) is a major threat to safety, which existing airport surface management systems are unable to completely eliminate. The incursion rate remains steady (3/100,000 operations) and events continue to occur (28 near-miss collisions in the last 5 years).

Systems which have helped to improve safety at airports, such as A-SMGCS (available in many major airports) and ground safety nets (e.g. RWSL), are not expected to fully resolve the runway incursion risk and are not envisaged to be deployed at smaller airports. Although TCAS has been in use since 1981, there is currently no aircraft system to prevent runway collisions.

Through the STAIRS project (S2020-W1 PJ03B05), we will use ADS-B technology to validate on-board surface alerts with possible indications (SURF-A and SURF-IA) – the ultimate safety net against collision when all previous barriers have failed.

SURF-A/IA platforms will be developed, certified, fitted on airline aircraft and exposed on revenue flights with the objective of assessing their performance when it comes to preventing runway collisions in real environment, in particular the absence of nuisance alert.

Participating ANSPs (DSNA, DFS, ANS-CR(B4), PANSA (B4)) and EUROCONTROL, in support of the need for an additional aircraft safety net for airport operations, will conduct specific studies to ensure the interoperability with air traffic control (ATC) procedures and ground safety nets.

The methodology used for the demonstration activities will cover the whole demonstration lifecycle process for the solution and each function. Fully integrated operational target platforms and software prototypes at V3/TRL6 maturity level will be used.

The implementation of prototypes and platforms will be carried out in reference to prevailing standards reflecting the SESAR 2020 validation data package and will be compliant with certification authority processes, approvals and inputs for future standardisation activities.

EUROCONTROL is supporting ADS-B data performance analysis, certification and standardisation activities.

Aircraft prototypes have already been validated and verified through flight tests and real- and quick-time simulations using Airbus and Honeywell test benches in France and the Czech Republic, involving Dassault-Aviation, airspace users and EUROCONTROL.

In addition, interoperability workshops were conducted as part of the PJ03B SAFE project, involving airspace users and air traffic controllers (ATCOs); no showstopper or additional phraseology requirement to deploy SURF-A has been identified so far.

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