Every safe take-off begins with an unwritten promise: the runway will perform exactly as expected. Over the past decade, that promise has come under increasing scrutiny. Aviation regulators across Europe and North America have tightened inspection intervals, standardised surface condition reporting, and demanded detailed, time-stamped digital records. These changes are relevant to airport engineers and inspectors and affect anyone who travels. A healthy runway benefits all of us.

The tightening grip of global aviation regulation

The International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) latest updates to Annex 14 require airports to assign condition codes to each third of a runway whenever there are contaminants such as rubber, snow, slush or standing water. The European Union’s CS-ADR rules echo this requirement, and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency’s (EASA) 2024 Annual Safety Review once again identifies runway excursions as the most persistent systemic risk in commercial aviation.

Meanwhile, airports in the United States operating under Part 139 certification must follow the Runway Condition Assessment Matrix (RCAM) and submit Field Condition reports within fifteen minutes of any significant change, a strict timeline reinforced in the 2024 Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM). The message from regulators is clear: real-time, evidence-based runway condition monitoring is no longer a bonus, it is essential.

The hidden cost of traditional inspections

A medium-sized airport might conduct multiple inspections on a winter day. Each inspection temporarily closes part of the manoeuvring area, requires a vehicle and trained crew, and often produces video footage or handwritten notes that must be logged and reviewed later. These materials are rarely centralised or standardised, making long term trend and pattern analysis difficult. When a regulator requests proof of compliance, teams can find themselves sifting through old hard drives or paper logbooks.

Beyond the administrative load, this approach makes it challenging to identify trends. A surface crack that expands slightly every day or rubber build-up that gradually encroaches on braking zones might go unnoticed until it is too late. Traditional methods lack the consistency and foresight required to keep pace with the complexity of modern aviation.

Technology at the tipping point

Recent advancements now make it possible to inspect runways more intelligently. Cloud-connected surface friction testers can upload grip data as soon as it is collected. High-resolution cameras or drones can detect foreign object debris (FOD), wildlife incursions or deteriorating markings far more quickly than a vehicle-based patrol. Even better, digital mapping tools allow these findings to be visualised on detailed airfield diagrams, providing real-time visibility for maintenance and safety teams.

What has long been missing is an integrated platform that integrates these capabilities into one seamless process, and this is where Sequetrics steps in.

Sequetrics: compliance with clarity

Sequetrics Limited is developing solutions that deploys drones to routinely overfly each runway, capturing high-resolution images and sensor data. Artificial intelligence (AI) then analyses the imagery data (e.g., spread of cracks, liquids, foreign object debris (FOD), and other surface conditions), all within minutes of the flight. Every finding can be time-stamped, geolocated, and linked to applicable regulations such as ICAO Annex 14, CS-ADR, or the FAA’s RCAM framework.

Should a defect exceed regulatory thresholds, timely alert can be sent to Airside operational staff. The system can identify issues that progress slowly when intervention becomes necessary. All imagery, measurements and annotations are securely stored in a digital logbook, ready for inspection by regulatory authorities when necessary.

Early testing at UK airports shows that this drone-based model significantly reduces manual inspection hours. It also improves runway awareness, often identifying surface deterioration days before ground crews typically spot it. The result is improved operational efficiency, greater safety, reducing carbon footprint of airside operations, and fewer avoidable passenger delays.

A smarter future for airfield operations

The foundation of practical digital inspection lies in five key principles. Data must be collected and processed in real (or near-real) time. Regulatory logic must be built into the system so that local and international requirements are always met. Every inspection event must have a complete audit trail with secure storage. Predictive analytics should be used to identify developing risks before they affect operations. Finally, systems should be interoperable, ensuring that airport, airline and air traffic control teams can all work from a single source of truth.

Why this matters to everyone who flies

Passenger traffic is returning to pre-pandemic levels, and extreme weather is becoming more common. Both trends place additional strain on runways. If inspections are treated purely as a regulatory obligation, airports may find themselves at a disadvantage, facing unexpected closures or loss of reputation. Those who treat inspections as a strategic capability will gain resilience, compliance confidence, and operational edge.

The next time your flight lifts gently into the air, it may be thanks to a network of sensors, drones, software and data tools that assessed the runway only moments earlier. If you are part of an airport team ready to replace outdated methods with real-time insight, Sequetrics is prepared to support your journey from obligation to innovation.

Acronyms and Terms Explained

• ICAO – International Civil Aviation Organization, a United Nations agency that sets global aviation safety and infrastructure standards.
• Annex 14 – An ICAO document detailing international aerodrome design and operation standards, including runway inspection requirements.
• EASA – European Union Aviation Safety Agency, the EU regulator responsible for civil aviation safety.
• CS-ADR – Certification Specifications for Aerodromes, EASA’s airport infrastructure and maintenance technical standards.
• FAA – Federal Aviation Administration, the civil aviation authority of the United States.
• RCAM – Runway Condition Assessment Matrix, a standardised reporting format used in the US to assess and communicate runway surface conditions.
• FICON – Field Condition Report is a US system for real-time reporting runway conditions.
• Part 139 – A section of FAA regulations that governs the certification and operation of airports serving commercial air traffic.
• AIM – Aeronautical Information Manual, the FAA’s official guide to aviation procedures and best practices.
• FOD – Foreign Object Debris, unwanted material on a runway that can cause damage to aircraft.
• API – Application Programming Interface, a way for software systems to exchange data automatically and efficiently.
• A-SMGCS – Advanced Surface Movement Guidance and Control System, technology used at airports to manage aircraft and vehicle movements on the ground.

Sources Referenced

• ICAO Annex 14 (Volume I, Eighth Edition) – Aerodrome Design and Operations, including Global Reporting Format for runway conditions.
• EASA Annual Safety Review 2024 – Report highlighting runway excursions as a leading systemic risk in European aviation.
• EASA CS-ADR-DSN Issue 5 – Certification specifications for aerodrome design, including maintenance and inspection guidance.
• FAA AC 150/5200-30D – Advisory circular on airport winter safety and operational procedures, including FICON and RCAM usage.
• FAA Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM) 2024, Change 2 – Reinforces the 15-minute window for updating runway condition reports.
• FAA AC 150/5300-13B, Change 1 (April 2025) – Standard for airport design including updated inspection requirements.
• Early field trials at European airports – Internal operational data (referenced anonymously for confidentiality) regarding reductions in inspection workload and earlier detection of runway surface defects.