IATA, CANSO, and ACI launch joint runway safety initiative

THE NEWS: The International Air Transport Association (IATA), the Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation (CANSO) and Airports Council International (ACI) have launched a Joint Runway Safety Initiative aimed at reducing the risk of runway incursions worldwide.

DETAILS:

• The initiative concentrates on three pillars: improving safety reporting and data capture; strengthening Local Runway Safety Teams as the primary forum for risk assessment and coordinated action; and sharing progress and lessons learned across the industry.
• It builds on the existing Global Action Plan for the Prevention of Runway Incursions (GAPPRI) – a collaboration of ICAO, Eurocontrol and the Flight Safety Foundation – and the ICAO Global Runway Safety Action Plan.
• Tools to be deployed include ACI’s Runway Safety Team Implementation Package (part of APEX in Safety), the ACI‑CANSO Runway Safety Checklist, IATA’s Runway Incursion Safety Risk Assessment, the GAPPRI gap‑analysis tool for airlines, and IOSA‑program assessments of airline risk mitigations.
• Recent runway incursions have been fatal, underscoring the urgency of coordinated prevention efforts documented in IATA’s Annual Safety Reports.
• IATA represents over 370 airlines, accounting for roughly 85 % of global air traffic.
• ACI, as of January 2026, serves 811 members operating more than 2,200 airports in over 160 countries, while CANSO’s members support over 90 % of the world’s air traffic.

WHY IT MATTERS: Runway incursions pose a severe safety threat, with several recent fatal events; by uniting airlines, airports, and air‑navigation service providers under a common framework, the initiative seeks to capture incidents earlier, standardise risk‑assessment tools and foster collaborative actions that can materially lower the probability of future accidents.

FAQ

What is the main aim of the Joint Runway Safety Initiative launched by IATA, CANSO and ACI?
The initiative is designed to cut runway‑incursion risk by enhancing safety reporting, bolstering Local Runway Safety Teams for coordinated risk assessment, and disseminating progress and best practices across the global aviation community.

Which existing safety programmes does the new initiative expand upon?
It expands on the Global Action Plan for the Prevention of Runway Incursions (GAPPRI), a partnership of ICAO, Eurocontrol and the Flight Safety Foundation, and aligns with the broader ICAO Global Runway Safety Action Plan.

What specific tools will be used to improve runway safety under the initiative?
The programme will deploy ACI’s Runway Safety Team Implementation Package, the ACI‑CANSO Runway Safety Checklist, IATA’s Runway Incursion Safety Risk Assessment, the GAPPRI gap‑analysis tool for airlines, and IOSA‑program assessments of airline risk mitigation measures.

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