AEA supports the intent to look at various means to reduce the risk of runway excursions at landing as well as runway incursions which have been recognized as major contributors to accidents worldwide. In this context, AEA would like to refer to the extensive work already performed under the auspices of EUROCONTROL to develop ‘a European Action Plan for the Prevention of Runway Excursions’.

It should be noted that technological means (such as the Airbus ROPS or Honeywell Smart Runway System) are only one possible element to reduce the risks related to runway excursions along other measures. Airlines are reviewing the means best adapted to their operations as part of their individual Safety Management Systems (SMS).

AEA would support the need for amending EASA CS-25 to impose a standard for newly designed airplanes and newly delivered aeroplanes. However, it is important that any such rule allows for competition between different suppliers.

It is therefore also advisable that the Arinc Airlines Electronic Engineering Committee (AEEC) develops an ARINC standard for such equipment. Such an Arinc Standard would promote competition between different suppliers but would also create a standard which enables usage on multiple types of aircraft.

AEA would not support a premature EASA rulemaking on the mandatory carriage of such systems which are in their infancy as this could lead to a questionable return on investment as far as safety and finance are concerned.

However, EASA should facilitate the certification process for installing such systems in order to gain more in service experience. In this context, it is also of utmost important that EASA certification procedures are not biased towards products of certain suppliers.

This position was adopted by the AEA Technical & Operations Committee at its meeting in Brussels on 27 September.