2 weeks Ago By Gaurav Joshi
Active runways at airports are monitored closely to keep them clear for arriving and departing airplanes. Any movement of aircraft or ground vehicles on the runways or around them must be done with ATC permission, and breaking such protocols can result in investigation and even penalties. Chicago O’Hare saw three such incidents last year involving ground vehicles occupying the runway or the area close to it without the required permission.
One of them even led to an arriving aircraft canceling the approach and doing a go-around. Runway Incursion Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) saw multiple incidents of runway incursions last year involving ground vehicles. A report by the Chicago Sun Times highlights them, with one of them occurring on April 21, 2024.
It involved a city vehicle that entered Runway 10C/28C from a taxiway without getting the necessary permission from the ATC. The report cites city records that said that “the vehicle proceeded west on Runway 10C/28C up to Taxiway F before turning around and heading east to Taxiway HH and thereafter exited the runway.” Things became tricky because an American Eagle regional aircraft was approaching the runway and was less than a mile out.
It had to cancel its approach and perform a go-around. The report adds that the ATC tried contacting the vehicle on the runway but could not establish any communication. The driver of the vehicle received a five-day unpaid suspension for violations including “conduct involving job performance or substandard work performance.
” The Chicago Sun Times quotes a city aviation department spokesperson as saying, “safety is the top priority at the airport” and that with thousands of workers “certified to drive on O’Hare’s airfield, it’s a small subset of problems that you’re talking about here.” Two Other Incidents in 2024 Two more similar incidents occurred at O’Hare last year. Documents analyzed by the Chicago Sun Times reveal that on July 2, 2024, another breach of this type occurred at Runway 4R/22L in the southeast corner of the airport.
The runway was previously closed for inspection, but when it was reopened, two ground workers (an employee and another worker trained by him) drove a vehicle on it without getting permission from the ATC. According to the documents, they went northeast up to the midpoint of the runway and turned around, heading back [southwest] bound to Taxiway Y3. While the runway was not in active use at the time, the fact that the employee didn’t seek permission to access it was problematic.
He was also given a two-day unpaid suspension. The trainee was ticketed but did not face further action. In January 2024, another city worker was reprimanded for driving into a restricted area when a flight was scheduled to land nearby.
These workers were members of either the Teamsters or the Laborers unions, which recommend “progressive discipline” for such cases. When Which part of Chicago O'Hare? Disciplinary action January 23, 2024 Restricted area close to the landing site One worker was reprimanded. April 21, 2024 Runway 10C/28C One worker received a five-day unpaid suspension.
July 2, 2024 Runway 4R/22L One worker received a two-day suspension, and a trainee was ticketed. The audit will include a risk profile for each airport and identify potential gaps in current procedures, equipment, and processes. Improving Runway Safety Last year, the Federal Aviation Administration conducted an audit into runway incursion risks across 45 of the busiest US airports in response to several near-miss incidents in the country.
The audit included a risk profile for each airport and identified potential gaps in current procedures, equipment, and processes. Among the factors that officials highlighted that could have been behind these incidents were short-staffing issues, inexperienced pilots, and outdated air traffic control technology. Then, last month, the FAA announced that it would install a runway incursion device at 74 airports nationwide .
This was one of the three fast-tracked initiatives launched at the February 2023 ‘Safety Call to Action’ initiative to improve runway safety. Four airports have already received this device: Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS), Denver Centennial Airport (APA), Kansas City Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport (MKC), and Portland International Airport (PDX).
Denver International Airport (DEN), Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL), Tampa International Airport (TPA), among others, will gradually receive runway incursion devices in the coming months..
