FAA to Install RSL at Boston Logan

Technology that warns pilots about potential runway safety hazards will be installed and tested at Boston Logan International Airport under a partnership between the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport). The test system will be installed in November 2009 and testing will begin the following month. The system, called Runway Status Lights, uses a series of red lights embedded in the pavement to warn pilots if it is unsafe to cross over or enter a runway. The FAA and Massport are sharing the cost of the system, estimated at $5 million. Boston will be the first location in the country to test Runway Status Lights for intersecting runways. Pilots approaching a runway equipped with Runway Status Lights will see red lights illuminated if the airport’s ground surveillance radar detects traffic on or approaching that runway. Clearance to cross or enter a runway must be given by air traffic control. Pilots must verify clearance before proceeding even after the warning lights are no longer illuminated. Runway Status Lights will also be used by vehicle operators. The system is in place at Dallas/Fort Worth and San Diego at non-intersecting runways and has improved runway safety without reducing capacity or increasing controller workload. The concept for Runway Status Lights was developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Lincoln Laboratory. RSL is also going into Los Angeles International.