LAX hopes new warning system on taxiways, runway will reduce risk

Federal and local officials will unveil a new warning system today that is designed to stop runway incursions that for years have endangered planes taxiing to and from terminals at Los Angeles International Airport.

The $7-million system relies on radar that is connected to status lights along a runway and eight taxiways deemed to have the highest risk for aircraft accidents. If the radar detects a potential conflict between two planes or an aircraft and a motor vehicle, the lights automatically turn red, alerting pilots to the risk.

Combined with recent improvements to the airport's southern runways, Federal Aviation Administration officials say the warning lights should further reduce the chance of collisions as aircraft move around busy LAX. A similar system at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport has reduced the number of close calls from 10 to three during 2 1/2 years of operation.

"We are hopeful that this could be a major solution" to runway incursions, said Gina Marie Lindsey, executive director of Los Angeles World Airports. "There have been good indications in Dallas and San Diego."

-- Dan Weikel at Los Angeles International Airport

Full story: LAX to unveil new warning system on taxiways, runway

Comments

[David Parker Brown]

It seems this system has been proven already. Hopefully LAX will show it works there too and other airports will adopt it themselves. I wouldn't want to have a bunch of different types of systems which pilots need to know about across the country.

David
http://www.theairlineblog.com