WASHINGTON — Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on Sept. 14 announced $1.1 billion in Federal Aviation Administration airport infrastructure grants, including a record $10.9 million investment to equip 3,000 runway ground vehicles with transponders at 61 airports to help prevent deadly runway collisions.
The transponder program will outfit ground vehicles with Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast Out technology, allowing air traffic controllers and pilots to track vehicle movements on runways in real time, the FAA said. Ground vehicle runway incursions are a persistent safety risk and a leading factor in runway safety incidents at U.S. airports.
The broader $1.1 billion package will fund terminal modernization, runway reconstruction, safety upgrades and airport capacity improvements across the country, according to the FAA.
The investment comes after several high-profile runway safety incidents in recent years drew national attention to the risks of near-collisions at U.S. airports. The National Transportation Safety Board has repeatedly called for improved runway surveillance technology to reduce the risk of catastrophic ground collisions.
ADS-B Out transponders broadcast an aircraft’s or vehicle’s precise position, speed and identification to controllers and nearby aircraft. Extending the technology to ground vehicles addresses a gap in runway situational awareness that safety investigators have flagged for years.
For the traveling public, the grants represent a direct investment in reducing the risk of runway accidents at airports handling millions of passengers annually. The terminal modernization and capacity components may also improve passenger experience at congested airports.
The FAA distributes airport improvement grants from the Airport and Airway Trust Fund, which is financed primarily by airline ticket taxes and aviation fuel taxes paid by travelers and the aviation industry.