Why Runway Inspections Matter?
To ensure safe aircraft operations, and to comply with aviation organisations (e.g., ICAO, FAA, EASA) and local aviation authority regulations, the inspection of runway is essential. Inspection is carried out to ensure the runway does not have any hazards and is maintained in a condition safe for aircraft operations. Undetected defects or objects on the runway surface may lead to failures that can cause flight delays like those caused by mechanical failures in aircraft.
Airside Operations team (at civilian or military airports) are responsible for completing multiple runway inspections to ensure that runway lights, paint markings and aerodrome signage are all in working order and that all ground surfaces are in a safe condition free from foreign objects. It also includes checks for water, ice, slush, cracks, potholes, contaminants, drainage issues, and rubber deposits, as well as wildlife and bird activity in the airfield.
Frequency & Format
The inspection could be carried daily at designated intervals (~ 4-5 times daily, as per aviation authority guidance), special inspection (after severe weather, accident or construction/maintenance work) or continuous surveillance when special condition exists. When all checks are complete, permission is to be given by the Airport Duty Manager to open (and continue) the airport for flights to operate. Traditionally, the airport runway inspections are conducted manually by airside operators through visual inspection, personal judgement, knowledge, and experience.
Current Inspection Process
The inspection process includes coordination of Airside Operations team with Air Traffic Controllers (ATC) for clearance to access all taxiways and runways. The inspection team uses high visibility vests and ear protection kit, marked vehicle equipped with mix of conventional and digital inspection tools, lights, radio communication devices, and logbooks. The team drive onto the runway and follow a planned route along the centreline, edges or transverse paths to inspect various region of the runways, however, the runways are best inspected by driving along both sides of the runway. The speed of the vehicle is typically slow enough for the inspector to conduct an effective inspection.
Tools Used in Manual Inspections
Based on the requirement there may be over a dozen inspection tools, but usually the visual inspection tools may include high-intensity flashlights, magnifying lenses, inspection mirrors, digital cameras, and binoculars. For detailed pavement analysis, the tools may include crack measurement gauges, profilometers, and pavement condition index (PCI) kit. For foreign object debris (FOD) detection, the tools may include optical or radar sensors, and magnetic sweepers or grabbers. For marking and lighting inspection, the tools may include retro-reflectometer to measure the retroreflective capacity of marking materials, light meters to check the brightness, and infrared (IR) camera to check any overheating of the lighting systems or ice patches. It may also include survey tools, such as GPS for precise location, measuring tapes or laser device for measuring distances or objects, or distance between markings or obstructions. It may also include friction testers to test slippery conditions of the runway in wet/icy conditions, maintenance of pilot visual aids, any unusual construction, and anemometers to check the wind conditions.
All these inspection tools could provide various conditions of the runway which could be logged into the report manually. A full inspection report, which includes multi-modal data sets and information, helps in triggering maintenance need which could then be addressed to prevent potential failures.
The Future – Smarter Runway Inspections
At Sequetrics, we are working towards transforming the entire runway inspection process, part of the broader Airport 4.0 movement, i.e., digitally enabled airport, and be part of the evolution of airports into smart and connected ecosystems to improve efficiency, safety, sustainability, and passenger experience. Our solutions aim to digitise runway inspection using multi-modal sensing and imaging, application of artificial intelligence (AI), and maintenance predictive analytics to increase safety, efficiency, and insight for airside operations teams.
Source Referenced
- ICAO Annex 14 (Aerodromes); https://store.icao.int/en/annex-14-aerodromes (accessed, April 2025)
- FAA (US) Advisory Circular 150/5200-18C, Airport Safety Self-Inspection, 23/4/2004; https://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Advisory_Circular/AC_150_5200-18C.pdf (accessed, April 2025)
- Regulation (EU) No 139/2014; https://www.easa.europa.eu/en/document-library/easy-access-rules/easy-access-rules-aerodromes-regulation-eu-no-1392014 (accessed, April 2025)
- The Self Inspection Process, ICAO/FAA Comprehensive Aerodrome Certification Inspector Workshop; https://www.icao.int/NACC/Documents/Meetings/2016/ACI/D1-04-InpsecProcedures.pdf (accessed, April 2025)
- Regulatory references – AOC Operations Manual (Part A) Compliance Statement; https://www.caa.co.uk/publication/download/17476 (accessed, April 2025)
- Inspections of Airfield Pavements (Practitioner Guide 06/11); https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7560b640f0b6360e473a59/pg_0611.pdf (accessed, April 2025)
- Manual of Procedures for Operations Inspection, Certification and Continued Surveillance, International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) (Doc 8335, AN/879), 2010; https://www.icao.int/APAC/Meetings/2012_FAOSD_Training/Doc%208335%20-%20Manual%20for%20Ops%20Inspection%20Cert%20Continued%20Surv%20Ed%205%20%20(En)%5B1%5D.pdf (accessed, April 2025)
- Runway Safety Handbook, First Edition 2014, Airports Council International (ACI); https://applications.icao.int/tools/RSP_ikit/story_content/external_files/ACI%20Runway%20Safety%20Handbook%202014%20v2%20low.pdf (accessed, April 2025)
- Naiara Meireles de Souza, Adiel Teixeira de Almeida Filho, A systematic airport runway maintenance and inspection policy based on a delay time modeling approach, Automation in Construction, 110, 2020, 103039; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.autcon.2019.103039