Continuing its commitment to safety and ongoing improvement, FAA issued a Safety Call to Action in February 2023 for a critical look at the U.S. aerospace system structure, culture, process, systems and integration of safety efforts. As part of its Surface Safety Portfolio, FAA is promoting three programs:
- The Surface Awareness Initiative to improve controller situational awareness and reduce runway incursions;
- Approach Runway Verification to improve the functionality of STARS, FAA’s terminal automation system; and
- The Runway Incursion Device, a capability used by air traffic controllers to provide additional situational awareness of occupied and closed runways.
An FAA statement notes that these initiatives are a “small part of a much larger and integrated effort and philosophy.”
This April, FAA announced that Austin-Bergstrom International (AUS), Indianapolis International (IND), Nashville International (BNA) and Dallas Love Field (DAL) would be the first airports to receive new airfield surveillance systems under its Surface Awareness Initiative. The new technology is designed to reduce the risk of runway incursions by improving air traffic controllers’ situational awareness. According to FAA personnel, the rollout of this situational awareness tool at the first four airports has been collaborative and swift—90 days or less.
| facts&figures
Program: Surface Awareness Initiative Sponsor/Funding: FAA Key Objective: Improve airfield safety; reduce runway incursions Technology: Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) How it Works: Aircraft & airport vehicles with ADS-B transponders send data about their locations to traffic controllers & are depicted as icons on airport maps that depict runways, taxiways, hold ramps, etc. in real time. Data Transmission: Satellite connections; 5G networks; cloud technology Initial Deployments: Austin-Bergstrom Int’l; Dallas Love Field; Indianapolis Int’l; Nashville Int’l FAA-Designated Vendors: Indra; uAvionix; Saab Products: AeroBOSS (Indra); FlightLine (uAvionix) Installation: 90 days or less Key Benefits: Enhancing airfield safety; improving situational awareness for controllers; reducing risk of runway incursions; improving traffic flow |
The equipment being provided uses Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) as a primary source of data to display surface traffic to controllers at airports that do not have a surface surveillance tool. Vehicles and aircraft equipped with ADS-B transponders appear as icons on an airport map that depicts runways, taxiways, hold ramps and other areas in real time.
Managing Growth at AUS
Chris Rankin, airside operations manager at AUS, reports that the Texas airport has experienced explosive growth in the last three years—about 27% since the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, it was recently reclassified as a large hub airport. This growth led to more flights and increased air traffic control demands. “[Controllers] have always done a great job managing it, but as we look forward, situational awareness becomes more imperative,” Rankin explains. “It’s reassuring to know that extra bit of the situational awareness component is there.”
The 90-day deployment at AUS involved close collaboration among the FAA, AUS air traffic control and UAvionix, one of three FAA-designated vendors for its situational awareness program. ADS-B transponders, already equipped on nearly all aircraft in the U.S. since 2020, were installed on surface vehicles so Air Traffic Control can track ground and air movement in real time. “They also get alerts if there are conflicts—such as a runway crossing,” Rankin notes.
FlightLine, the uAvionix ADS-B system, provides controllers with real-time depictions of aircraft and vehicles on airfield pavement. The city is currently working to procure uAvionix VTU-20 ADS-B transponders for all airside operations and airfield maintenance vehicles and tractors; so far, one FAA tech ops vehicle has been equipped.
As a part of its scope for FAA’s Surface Awareness Initiative, uAvionix and its small business partner Capital Sciences deploy and manage the turnkey installation, provide training, sustainment and upgrade services for each airport. The uAvionix FlightLine system for the program is adapted from its FlightLine Surveillance Data Service Provider platform, a private, validated, dual-frequency ADS-B network.
Rankin describes the deployment at AUS as a great and collaborative experience that included site visits, installation, testing and tower deployment. “I was very impressed with the expediency and urgency with which everybody worked together to make this happen within a very tight timeline,” he shares.
While uAvionix performed the installation, the airport’s Information Technology and Maintenance teams were involved in placing antennas strategically, ensuring reliable power supplies and coordinating installation work. “It was nothing that wouldn’t be experienced with other projects, but to get it done quickly, people need to be ready to pivot and provide that support to the contractor,” says Rankin.
To complement the new ADS-B ground surveillance system and further improve safety and efficiency, AUS is launching a virtual ramp control program in September. The integrated command center provides an all-encompassing view around the terminal with radio communications to manage apron traffic. “This adds another key component to our ability to manage the rapid growth we’re experiencing and ties in nicely with SAI [the Surface Awareness Initiative],” Rankin comments. “We’re excited to have these two programs working lockstep together.”
Digital Eyes at DAL
Officials at Dallas Love Field (DAL) similarly appreciate the importance of leveraging policies, procedures, technology and tools to enhance situational awareness and increase operational efficiency. “We need to use all the possible resources to meet the objective of improved situational awareness and to have zero runway incursions,” says Javier Centeno, superintendent of Airport Operations at DAL. “So we were very grateful to be one of the first airports nationwide to receive the system by the FAA.”
This June, the Texas airport installed AeroBOSS, an FAA-designated product from Indra that uses ADS-B surveillance technology to receive data on aircraft position and satellite connections and a 5G network to transmit and report surface movements to air traffic controllers.
The new capabilities improve real-time monitoring and communication, aiding in better decision-making and emergency response, notes Arnold Watkins, airport superintendent. Prior to FAA’s enhanced attention on surface awareness, DAL already deployed AeroBOSS for vehicle GPS tracking.
While the existing airport equipment needed some upgrades to support the new technology, Centeno reports that most of the installations occurred outside of the airport operations area, so work went smoothly. Having infrastructure already in place was key to what he considers a seamless deployment.
Centeno also shares that this initiative highlights the importance of DAL investing in infrastructure to support future technological advancements. “Don’t hesitate to invest in infrastructure,” he recommends. “Consider technologies that allow for expansion and integration with other systems because there are things you can build on as new technology becomes available when you’ve already got a foundation in place.”
“Before June 27, air traffic controllers had to rely solely on visual observations to understand ground activities,” he adds. “Now we’re using this technology (ADS-B) to improve overall safety, and systems like this will increase situational awareness, which is a huge win for the aviation system.”
Watkins and Centeno agree that the ADS-B technology will positively impact on airfield operations at DAL. “It’s digital eyes on the ground now, which allows for real-time notification and communication back to the tower,” Watkins remarks.
Centeno reports that ADS-B technology helps controllers avoid potential incursions and improves traffic flow. “We are always looking for opportunities to be more efficient and effective,” he says.
IND Invests in Supplemental Tech
At Indianapolis International Airport (IND), airfield visibility is challenged by the size of the nearly 2,800 acres of airfield, the location of the 348-foot control tower and inclement weather conditions. And sometimes the issues compound one another. Keith Berlen, senior director of Operations and Public Safety, notes that the air traffic control tower is 1.8 miles from IND’s crosswind runway—a difficult distance to see from even on a clear day. “About 20 days a year, the tower will actually be up in the clouds, and it makes it more challenging for [air traffic controllers] to operate the airport,” he says.
Like AUS, the Indiana airport installed FlightLine from uAvionix. Berlen reports that IND’s installation went fairly quickly, and the airport facilitated the contractor’s work to ensure it went smoothly. “We understand the importance of having this system operational,” he says. “ADS-B is a great enhancement for the overall safety of the airport.”
Working with IND, uAvionix identified hosting sites with good sight lines to the runway, and then used existing information technology infrastructure to install the technology. Multiple passive receivers are installed at the airport, collecting data in the cloud, explains Cyriel Kronenburg, vice president at uAvionix. The technology is scalable and depicts all airfield traffic on a display in the control tower.
“We did a lot of runs with our vehicle transponders to make sure every corner of the airport was captured,” says Kronenburg. “We installed all of our receiving capabilities on airport property at IND, which made it really easy.” He credits the IND Airport Authority’s customer-focused approach for the speed in which the deployment was executed.
Airport leadership is fully onboard with the technology, says Berlen, even investing $235,000 in transponders for vehicles operating on the airfield. “It gives the tower a more complete picture of the activity on the airfield,” he notes. “This is a sizeable investment that the airport authority is undertaking because we think it’s the right thing to do and it contributes to the overall safety of the airport.”
Kronenburg credits IND and AUS for making airport staff available to help uAvionix personnel complete site surveys and design work, so the project team could get the new systems connected within a 90-day timeframe.
Other airports are slated to receive ADS-B technology through FAA’s Surface Awareness Initiative by the end of 2025. Kronenburg reports that uAvionix will be providing systems at six airports in Florida: Tampa International, Jacksonville International, Daytona Beach International, Orlando Sanford International, Palm Beach International and Miami Executive.
