FAA Funds New Systems to Prevent Runaway Airplane Accidents

(CENTENNIAL, CO) The Federal Aviation Administration is moving quickly in 2025 to cut runway risks at airports across the United States 🇺🇸, funding a mix of software upgrades and physical safety systems after a string of close calls in recent years. The agency’s push centers on three fronts: expanding the Runway Incursion Device (RID) to dozens more towers, deploying Saab’s Aerobahn service under the Surface Awareness Initiative at 26 additional airports, and continuing the buildout of Engineered Materials Arresting Systems (EMAS) that stop aircraft that overrun the runway. FAA leaders say the pace will continue into 2026, bringing modern tools to controllers and pilots while giving passengers a safer trip on the ground.

Runway Incursion Device (RID): Faster alerts in the tower

As of March 2025, the FAA began deploying the Runway Incursion Device (RID) at 74 air traffic control towers nationwide. RID gives controllers real-time alerts when a runway is occupied or closed, and it can monitor up to eight runways at once.

• Already in service at airports including Centennial, Austin-Bergstrom, Charles B. Wheeler Downtown, and Portland International.
• FAA plans to expand RID to 69 more airports by the end of 2026.

“These initiatives will continue to address the needs of our controllers by cutting through the red tape and bringing the most up-to-date technologies to their fingertips,” — Acting FAA Administrator Chris Rocheleau.

For controllers managing complex ground movements during peak hours or bad weather, RID adds a clear red line: if a runway is not safe, the alert is immediate and unmistakable.

RID’s rollout marks a notable shift in runway safety strategy. Historically, the most advanced surface surveillance lived at the busiest hubs with heavy radar and rich displays. RID is designed to be fast to install and easy to use at a much wider set of airports, including those mixing general aviation and commercial traffic.

• RID warns about runway incursions in real time:
  • when people or vehicles enter a protected runway space
  • when a pilot lines up or crosses without clearance
• Result: lower chance of simple mistakes escalating into dangerous events.

Cloud-based surface tools speed into more towers: Aerobahn and SAI

In June 2025, Saab won an FAA contract to install its Aerobahn Runway and Surface Safety service at 26 more airports as part of the Surface Awareness Initiative (SAI) Block 3.

• Aerobahn uses cloud-based infrastructure and Trusted ADS-B surveillance to track ground movements and deliver alerts to tower teams.
• Saab says the setup can be completed in as little as 90 days—a sharp change from earlier systems requiring heavy on-site hardware.
• Already operating at Nashville (BNA), San Antonio (SAT), Long Beach (LGB), and Hollywood Burbank (BUR).
• Contract runs for more than ten years and allows incremental orders as FAA funding cycles proceed.

Erik Smith, Saab U.S. President and CEO, called the service both cost-effective and scalable, enabling airports to add modern tools without large construction projects.

Key distinctions and benefits:
– SAI layers software-based warnings over traditional procedures and pilot-controller phraseology.
– While legacy ASDE-X radar remains the gold standard at the largest hubs, SAI and RID reach far more airfields faster by relying on cloud services and existing surveillance feeds.
– Cloud-based services reduce on-site hardware and maintenance needs.

Cockpit tools: Universal Taxi Assist (UTA)

Inside the cockpit, new pilot tools are catching up to tower and surface systems. In 2025, Universal Avionics introduced Universal Taxi Assist (UTA).

• UTA converts ground control instructions into text and simple maps on a pilot’s electronic flight bag (EFB).
• Designed to reduce the risk of missed or misunderstood taxi clearances—a common factor in runway incursions.
• Uses Bluetooth and speech models trained on regional accents to improve accuracy.
• Plans for future integration with third-party EFB systems so crews aren’t tied to a single hardware brand.

Universal Avionics CEO Dror Yahav frames UTA as a way to reduce miscommunication and distraction precisely when pilots must keep focus outside the cockpit.

Layered safety: How RID, Aerobahn, and UTA work together

The FAA’s three-layer push—RID in the tower, Aerobahn on the surface, and UTA in the cockpit—adds redundancy and multiple chances to catch errors.

1. If a pilot misses a call, UTA displays it.
2. If a vehicle strays toward a runway, RID and Aerobahn flag it.
3. If something still goes wrong at high speed, a physical barrier (EMAS) can stop the aircraft.

This layered approach reduces reliance on any single tool or human action.

Physical safety nets expand: Engineered Materials Arresting Systems (EMAS)

EMAS continues to grow in 2025, especially at airports constrained by nearby roads, water, or neighborhoods that prevent full Runway Safety Areas.

• EMAS places crushable beds at runway ends designed to slow and stop aircraft that overrun the pavement.
• Designed to stop most overruns at speeds up to 70 knots (80 mph) by absorbing energy in a controlled way that keeps the aircraft upright.

Runway Safe Inc. is the sole FAA-approved EMAS manufacturer and offers two products:
– EMASMAX — built with cellular concrete blocks
– greenEMAS — uses foamed silica made from recycled glass

Regulatory and approval steps:
1. Airport submits a proposal.
2. FAA reviews the proposal against Advisory Circular 150-5220-22B.
3. Manufacturer builds and installs a bed tailored for the local runway and aircraft.
4. FAA inspects and certifies the installation before it enters service.

EMAS has roots in 1990s research to give airports with limited space a final safety net. In practice, these beds have saved lives by stopping aircraft before they reach fences or roads. As traffic rebounds and aircraft size varies during the day, EMAS becomes a stronger option for airports where grading and buffer zones are not feasible.

Tradeoffs, coverage, and deployment speed

The FAA balances software and hardware to achieve broad safety gains:

• Software (RID, Aerobahn, UTA)
  • Faster to deploy
  • Cheaper to maintain
  • Scales to mid-sized and smaller airports
• Hardware (EMAS)
  • Provides a physical backstop where land is constrained

Advantages that matter:
– 90-day deployment window for cloud-based systems means an airport can go from planning to live alerts in a single season.
– Trusted ADS-B uses surveillance from transponder signals most aircraft already broadcast.
– Cloud services reduce equipment rooms and custom wiring needs.

Limitations and responsibilities:
– RID and SAI do not replace controller judgment or pilot responsibility; they supplement them.
– Controllers still look outside, scan displays, and coordinate with ground crews.
– Pilots still read back clearances and keep eyes up during taxi.

Funding, timelines, and outlook

Funding and timelines point to a busy two-year window:
– By the end of 2026, the FAA expects RID and SAI tools to be live at well over 100 airports.
– The Aerobahn contract allows incremental additions over more than a decade.
– As UTA and similar cockpit tools integrate with more EFBs, the cockpit element will strengthen further.
– EMAS installations will continue where land constraints prevent standard safety areas.

Benefits for stakeholders:
– Airport operators: reduced need for big equipment rooms and custom wiring.
– Controllers: alerting that fits into workflow.
– Pilots: visual prompts that match what they hear.
– Passengers: fewer close calls on the ground, lower collision risk, and better outcomes if an overrun occurs.

Official resources and final takeaway

For official information, the FAA maintains a comprehensive site with policies, safety resources, and contact details at the FAA Runway Safety Program: https://www.faa.gov/airports/runway_safety. The page includes updates on tower and surface technologies and guidance for airport sponsors considering new installations.

The most telling detail in this 2025 push is speed: RID is already active in multiple towers, Aerobahn can stand up in weeks, UTA is working toward broader cockpit integration, and EMAS offers a concrete solution where land is scarce. Together, these efforts aim to cut runway incursions and stop overruns—protecting controllers, pilots, maintenance crews, and millions of travelers who benefit from a safer ground environment each time a plane turns off the runway and rolls to the gate.