Runway excursions are the most frequent type of accident in aviation and regularly are identified as one of the most serious risks for large and small aircraft. Because of the complexity of the risk factors, preventing runway excursions requires coordination and commitment among numerous stakeholders. Today's release of the Global Action Plan for the Prevention of Runway Excursions (GAPPRE) is the culmination of a two-year effort and demonstrates the industry's commitment to preventing runway excursions.
GAPPRE was developed by an international team of more than 100 aviation professionals from more than 40 organizations. The initiative was coordinated by Flight Safety Foundation and EUROCONTROL, and the GAPPRE recommendations have been validated by the Airports Council International (ACI), the Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation (CANSO), the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA). The Flight Safety Foundation is an independent, nonprofit, international organization engaged in research, education, advocacy and communications to improve aviation safety. The Foundation's mission is to connect, influence and lead global aviation safety.
"Reducing runway excursions and continuing to improve the overall safety of the approach and landing phases of flight continue to be a primary area of focus for the Foundation," said Flight Safety Foundation President and CEO Dr. Hassan Shahidi. "We are gratified by the efforts of the many safety professionals who gave of their time and expertise to make the GAPPRE a reality, and I want to thank our partners at EUROCONTROL, ACI, CANSO, EASA and IATA for their continuing commitment to safety collaboration."
With the release of the action plan, the Foundation is launching a year-long campaign to focus attention on runway excursion risk and support implementation of the consensus-based GAPPRE recommendations. Runway safety and GAPPRE will be regular themes this year at Foundation-organized events, starting with next month's Safety Forum.
GAPPRE is the Foundation's latest initiative related to approach and landing safety. The Approach and Landing Accident Reduction Toolkit ̶ first issued in 1998 and updated in 2010 ̶ is one of the most widely circulated and utilized efforts in the Foundation's history. More recently, the recommendations contained in the Go-Around Decision-Making and Execution Project report have gained traction with several international operators.
Volume I of the GAPPRE action plan, which contains recommendations for operators, airports, air navigation service providers, aircraft manufacturers and regulators, is now available on the Foundation's website and through other project partners.
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