1.This Act may be cited as
the Runway Safety Improvement Act of
2008
.
2.Strategic plan
for runway safety
(a)Not later than 6 months after the date of the enactment
of this Act, the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (referred
to in this Act as the Administrator
) shall develop and submit to
Congress a report that contains a strategic runway safety plan.
(b)The strategic runway
safety plan submitted under subsection (a) shall—
(1)include—
(A)goals to improve
runway safety;
(B)a description of
near- and longer-term actions designed to reduce the severity, number, and rate
of runway incursions;
(C)time frames and
resources needed for the actions described in subparagraph (B); and
(D)a plan to
implement a continuous evaluative process to track performance toward the goals
referred to in subparagraph (A); and
(2)address the
increased runway safety risk associated with the expected increases in the
volume of air traffic.
(c)Audit of
strategic runway safety planThe Comptroller General of the
United States shall—
(1)conduct an audit
of the plan developed under subsection (a); and
(2)submit periodic
reports to the Committee on Commerce,
Science, and Transportation of the Senate and
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
of the House of Representatives that describe—
(A)the efficacy of
the runway safety plan in reducing runway safety risks; and
(B)the progress of
the Federal Aviation Administration in complying with the plan.
3.
(a)Plan and
schedule for installation and deployment of systems To provide alerts of
potential runway incursions
(1)Not later than December 31, 2008, the Administrator shall
submit to Congress a plan for the installation of and deployment schedule for
systems to alert air traffic controllers and flight crews of potential runway
incursions at—
(A)the 35 commercial
airports in the United States that are most at risk of runway incursions;
and
(B)general aviation
airports identified by the Administrator as being most at risk of runway
incursions.
(2)The
plan submitted under paragraph (1) shall—
(A)ensure existing
technology for improved situational awareness is available to pilots of
commercial and large general aviation aircraft;
(B)enhance the value
of investments in surface movement detection systems by ensuring that runway
incursion alert data collected by such systems are automatically and directly
transmitted to flight crews; and
(C)ensure that
airports most at risk of runway incursions receive priority for the
installation of advanced surface movement detection systems.
(3)The
installation and deployment schedule required under paragraph (1) shall ensure
that—
(A)not later than
March 31, 2009, the Administrator certifies an integrated aircraft and
ground-based capability that transmits runway incursion alerts generated by
advanced surface movement detection systems to pilots without controller
intervention;
(B)not later than
December 31, 2009, capability providing aural indication of own aircraft
position relative to airport runways is installed on—
(i)all
aircraft operated pursuant to part 121 or 135 of title 14, Code of Federal
Regulations, with more than 10 seats; and
(ii)all
turbine-powered aircraft operated pursuant to part 91 of such title 14, with
more than 6 seats;
(C)not later than
June 30, 2010, the Administrator provides the capability described in
subparagraph (A) at all airports equipped with advanced surface movement
detection systems;
(D)not later than
December 31, 2010, all aircraft described in subparagraph (B) at airports
equipped with advanced surface movement detection systems are equipped with the
capability to receive, process, and present runway incursion alerts to pilots;
and
(E)a schedule is
published for the equipage of aircraft operated pursuant to part 125 or 129 of
title 14, Code of Federal Regulations.
(b)Review of
implementation of advanced surface movement detection systemsThe
Inspector General of the Department of Transportation shall—
(1)review the
installation of each advanced surface movement detection system funded by the
Administrator to ensure that each system functions in accordance with the
product’s certification by the Administrator; and
(2)submit an annual
report to the Committee on Commerce,
Science, and Transportation of the Senate and
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
of the House of Representatives that describes the status of
the proper implementation of each system, including a review of the
system’s—
(A)reliability to
ensure it is not susceptible to failures to generate timely alerts for
controllers to take appropriate action; and
(B)ability to
successfully operates in all climate conditions in which aircraft operations
are conducted at the airport.
4.
(a)Authorization
of appropriations for technology investmentsThere are authorized to be appropriated to
the Administrator, from amounts deposited in the Airport and Airway Trust Fund
established under section 9502(d) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, to
install systems designed to reduce the potential for runway incursions through
the purchase and installation of advanced surface movement detection systems,
and cockpit-direct audible runway incursion warning systems—
(1)$41,000,000 for
fiscal year 2009;
(2)$42,250,000 for
fiscal year 2010; and
(3)$45,000,000 for
fiscal year 2011.
(b)Authorization
of appropriations for near-term improvementsThere are authorized
to be appropriated to the Administrator, from amounts deposited in the Airport
and Airways Trust Fund established under section 9502(d) of the Internal
Revenue Code of 1986, to reduce the potential for runway incursions through the
purchase and installation of appropriate automatic equipment, including runway
occupancy alerting and warning equipment, perimeter taxiways, and runway status
lights—
(1)$40,000,000 for
fiscal year 2009;
(2)$45,000,000 for
fiscal year 2010; and
(3)$55,000,000 for
fiscal year 2011.
(c)Authorization
of appropriations for runway safety area improvementsThere are
authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator, from amounts deposited in
the Airport and Airway Trust Fund established under section 9502(d) of the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986, to improve runway safety areas to meet Federal
Aviation Administration standards—
(1)$20,000,000 for
fiscal year 2009;
(2)$25,000,000 for
fiscal year 2010; and
(3)$30,000,000 for
fiscal year 2011.
(d)Codification of
runway safety design standard compliance requirement from public law
109–115Section 44727 is amended by adding at the end the
following:
(c)Runway safety
design standard complianceNot later than December 31, 2015, the
owner or operator of each airport described in section 44706(a) shall improve
the airport’s runway safety areas to comply with the Federal Aviation
Administration design standards required under part 139 of title 14, Code of
Federal
Regulations.
.
(e)Annual report
on runway safety area complianceThe Administrator shall annually
submit to the Committee on Commerce,
Science, and Transportation of the Senate and
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
of the House of Representatives a report that describes the
progress of the Administration toward improving the runway safety areas at
airports described in section 44706(a) of title 49, United States Code.
5.Review of runway
and taxiway lighting and markings
(a)Not later than 180
days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator
shall—
(1)review the type of runway and taxiway
lighting (both daytime and nighttime configurations) and markings at airports
described in section 44706(a) of title 49, United States Code, for compliance
with standards issued by the Federal Aviation Administration; and
(2)identify runways on which nonstandard
lighting and markings, including variance in illumination levels and standard
colors used on runways and taxiways, may contribute, or may have contributed,
to operational errors or incidents.
(b)Not later than 60 days after the completion
of the review under subsection (a), the Administrator shall submit to the
Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation of the Senate and the
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
of the House of Representatives a report that—
(1)describes the variance in lighting
conditions and markings at airport runways described in subsection (a);
(2)identifies those runways that are most
likely to contribute to operational errors and incidents; and
(3)includes a plan for remedying variance in
lighting conditions and markings at nonstandard runways, including associated
costs.
6.Monitoring and
recording equipment for navigation and lighting aids
(a)The Administrator, in
consultation with the Chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board,
shall evaluate the potential for improving safety and accident investigations
through the use of systems, including existing technologies, that record and
enable the archival of the operational status of lighting systems on the
movement areas of, or that are critical to the safe operations at, airports
described in section 44706(a) of title 49, United States Code.
(b)Not later than 120 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall submit to the
Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation of the Senate and the
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
of the House of Representatives a report that describes the
results of the evaluation required under subsection (a).
7.Aircraft rescue and
firefighting standards
(a)Not later than 180 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall initiate a rulemaking proceeding
for the purpose of issuing a proposed and final rule that revises the aircraft
rescue and firefighting standards under part 139 of title 14, Code of Federal
Regulations, to improve the protection of the traveling public, other persons,
aircraft, buildings, and the environment from fires and hazardous materials
incidents.
(b)Contents of
proposed and final ruleThe proposed and final rule to be issued
under subsection (a) shall address—
(1)the mission of
aircraft rescue and firefighting personnel, including responsibilities for
passenger egress in the context of other Administration requirements;
(2)the proper level
of staffing;
(3)the timeliness of
a response;
(4)the handling of
hazardous materials incidents at airports;
(5)proper vehicle
deployment; and
(6)the need for
equipment modernization.
(c)Consistency
with voluntary consensus standardsThe proposed and final rule
issued under subsection (a) shall be, to the extent practical, consistent with
national voluntary consensus standards for aircraft rescue and firefighting
services at airports.
(d)Assessments of
potential impactsIn the rulemaking proceeding initiated under
subsection (a), the Administrator shall assess the potential impact of any
revisions to the firefighting standards on airports and air transportation
service.
(e)Inconsistency
with standardsIf the proposed or final rule issued under
subsection (a) is not consistent with national voluntary consensus standards
for aircraft rescue and firefighting services at airports, the Administrator
shall submit to the Office of Management and Budget an explanation of the
reasons for such inconsistency in accordance with section 12(d) of the National
Technology Transfer and Advancement Act of 1995 (15 U.S.C. 272 note; 110 Stat.
783).
(f)Not later than 24 months after the date of the enactment of
this Act, the Administrator shall issue the final rule required by subsection
(a).
8.Improved data
collection on runway overrunsThe Administrator of the Federal Aviation
Administration shall—
(1)collect data, using either existing sources
of aircraft operational incidents or a new reporting process, regarding
aircraft excursions that do not result in fatalities, injuries, or significant
property damage;
(2)examine the data collected pursuant to
paragraph (1) on an ongoing basis; and
(3)submit an annual report to the
Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation of the Senate and the
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
of the House of Representatives that describes—
(A)trends and potential safety risks
identified by the data; and
(B)actions taken by airports and the Federal
Aviation Administration to reduce those risks.