Dallas Love Field Airport adds new technology to avoid close calls on the runway
DALLAS - Out on the terminal ramp, it's another busy day at Dallas Love Field, where some 700 planes move through daily.
Air traffic controllers at Love Field now have a new tool to help keep pilots and the traveling public safe called the Surface Awareness Initiative (SAI) system.
Javier Centeno is the superintendent of airside operations.
"This new technology will actually let the air traffic controllers see the aircraft on the ground on the radar. See them all the way to the runway," Centeno explained.
Michael Emanuel is with the FAA.
"In the National Airspace System, there's only 44 airports. Dallas Fort Worth being one of them that have surface surveillance technologies. These systems cost in the order of millions of dollars," he explained.
As of this weekend, Dallas Love Field is one of four airports in the nation equipped with the new SAI system, which displays surface traffic to controllers to help prevent close calls on the runway.
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Prior to the technology, Emanuel says they had to rely solely on their eyesight and radio communication.
"A tool available to them that will indicate the position of aircraft in relation to each other that will help mitigate runway incursions and close calls that we've seen of late across the National Airspace System," he said.
Ron McCallum is a local pilot and aviation attorney. He's experienced the technology firsthand.
"It's amazing technology," he said. "We as pilots, of course, love it. We want to make sure that we're safe."
And that passengers and the cabin crew are, too.
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The initiative is being funded through the FAA's capital investment plan.
Emmanuel says there is enough money to roll out the system in dozens of airports nationwide.
San Antonio is on the shortlist.