Aviation Leaders Gather for Key Runway Safety Meeting at DCA

On December 12, 2023, Runway Safety Headquarters Team Manager Scott Proudfoot and NATCA’s National Runway Safety Representative Bridget Singratanakul co-led a Special Focus Runway Safety Action Team (SFRSAT) Meeting at Washington National Airport (DCA) with approximately 60 attendees. Attendees included FAA Deputy Administrator Katie Thomson; National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chair Jennifer Homendy; Office of Associate Administrator for Airports (ARP) Associate Administrator Shanetta Griffin, P.E.; FAA Eastern Region Regional Administrator Marie Kennington-Gardiner; Aviation Subcommittee House Representatives Chris Senn and Julie Devine, as well as other industry and local stakeholders.

The SFRSAT meeting was held to address surface safety at DCA as well as show the process for a runway safety action team (RSAT) meeting that is conducted at towers across the National Airspace System (NAS) annually.

“We were able to demonstrate the collective efforts that can lead to improved communications, operational perspective, and achievable safety controls identified among local airport, air traffic, FAA lines of business, industry partners, airline pilots and stakeholders as a result of these RSAT meetings,” Singratanakul said.

RSATs bring local airport stakeholders together at least once a year to identify risks to surface safety at that airport and develop plans to mitigate or eliminate those risks. RSATs provide the foundation of the Runway Safety Program at individual airports. The RSAT meetings are the primary forum for pinpointing and addressing airport-specific risk in the surface environment. The product of a RSAT meeting is a Runway Safety Action Plan in which the stakeholders document and agree to pursue specific actions intended to improve surface safety.